- Max Verstappen Championship : Formula E CEO, Jeff Dodds, made a ‘bet’ during an interview earlier in 2024 in which he pledged that Formula E would donate $250,000 (U.S. dollars) to a charity if any driver beat Max Verstappen to win the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship
- Despite Max’s title victory, it was decided the wager would still be committed to supporting charitable causes
- Discussed via a video call between Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds and the four-time Formula 1 World Champion, the pair agreed to split the donation 50/50 to causes of their choice
- The all-electric championship pledges $125,000 (U.S. dollars) to kick-start Formula E’s strategy to enable greater opportunities for women in motorsport
- Formula E also launches partnership with More Than Equal, commissioning vital research into the barriers faced by women in the sport
- The other $125,000 (U.S. dollars) will be donated to Oracle Red Bull Racing charity Wings For Life, the not-for-profit foundation for spinal cord research
- You can watch the full conversation on Formula E’s YouTube here. To share this content, please use this embed link.
LONDON, U.K. Thursday 12 December. 2024 – Formula E has announced the donation of $250,000 (U.S. dollars) split equally between two impactful causes: advancing the participation of women in Formula E, and to Wings For Life foundation for spinal cord research. The donation was originally pledged as part of a ‘bet’ made by Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds in an interview early in 2024, in which he committed $250,000 to a charity if any other driver beat Max Verstappen to win the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Jeff Dodds and Max Verstappen on ‘the bet’
Following Max’s convincing fourth-consecutive championship victory, Jeff and Max discussed the ‘bet’ during a video call ahead of the opening round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s Season 11 that took place in São Paulo, Brazil on 7 December. After Jeff congratulated Max on his victory – and claiming, tongue firmly in cheek, that his title was never in doubt – the pair agreed to split the funds 50/50 to benefit a charity they each chose. You can watch the full conversation on Formula E’s YouTube here. To share this content, please use this embed link.
The pledges
$125,000 (U.S. dollars) has been pledged by Max to Wings For Life, Oracle Red Bull Racing’s partner charity, which aims to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Jeff then committed the remaining $125,000 (U.S. dollars) to establish a new fund supporting initiatives dedicated to providing greater opportunities for women in motorsport.
Following Formula E’s ground-breaking all-women’s Test – the first-ever of its kind test event for an FIA World Championship – which took place in Madrid in November with 18 of the world’s best women drivers, Formula E is developing strategic initiatives to support parity and inclusion for women in the sport, with further announcements to be made in due course.
A strategic partnership with More Than Equal
Formula E is proud to announce that the first initiative funded as part of the new $125,000 fund will be a strategic research partnership with More Than Equal. The independent, not-for-profit organization was founded with research, data-driven insight, talent identification and driver development as its core goals. More Than Equal and Formula E have commissioned research to understand the barriers – systemic, technical and cultural – faced by women striving to race full-time at the highest level in Formula E. The research will support Formula E in better understanding talent pathways and build a tangible framework for the future diversity of the Championship.
Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said:
“What started as a very tongue-in-cheek ‘bet’ at the start of the season has evolved into a serious commitment to support gender equity within our Championship, with the ultimate goal of seeing women competing full-time in Formula E.
“As a first step, the research we have commissioned in partnership with More Than Equal will help us better understand the barriers to entry that women currently face, and how specifically Formula E and our teams can provide greater parity, opportunities and inclusion at the top level of our championship.
“My thanks also go to Max and Oracle Red Bull Racing for committing half of the money from my original wager to Wings For Life to support the important work they do around spinal cord research. Congratulations to Max on his fourth-consecutive World Drivers’ Championship and we look forward to even more competitive racing next season. Meanwhile, the new Formula E season is already well underway, and we’re excited to showcase more thrilling races, lots of exciting overtaking and fantastic wheel-to-wheel action for our fans across the globe.”
Max Verstappen Championship
During the call, Max Verstappen, Oracle Red Bull Racing driver, said:
“The charity closest to me is Wings For Life and I’m sure they’ll be very grateful; and to support any kind of motorsport and young talent is amazing, so I think it’s a great shout from you. Thank you very much Jeff, I wish you all the best of course, and I’ll be watching the championship during my time off!”
Dr. Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal, said:
“Formula E has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing and providing opportunities for female drivers, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on this important research initiative. This project will use our expertise to identify the key factors that contribute to success in this unique and rapidly evolving series, which demands a distinctive blend of skills and experience. By working closely with drivers, team managers, engineers, and other experts, we aim to translate these insights into actionable recommendations for driver development.”
Anita Gerhardter, CEO, Wings for Life, said:
“A big thank you to Jeff Dodds, the entire Formula E team and Max Verstappen for this generous donation to Wings for Life. 100% of the donation will go towards promising research projects around the world to help find a cure for spinal cord injury.”
– ENDS –
Max Verstappen Championship
About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship:
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport-certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.
The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities is united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and the planet.
Max Verstappen Championship
About ABB:
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and more than 105,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB).
