Parc Femme: Formula 1 community group for women set for launch party this weekend

We are already two races into the 2026 F1 season, and fans are settling back into the routine of watching grand prix unfold on Sundays - even if it has meant getting up at unearthly hours to do so.

While the sport has grown in popularity over recent years, in large part due to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, F1 is still quite a niche sport compared to the likes of football or rugby, and if family or friends aren’t interested, you can often find yourself watching the sport in complete solitude.

Now, Lauren Ward from Waterlooville is looking to change all that.

The 23-year-old has started an online community called Parc Femme - a play on words from ‘parc ferme’, a French motorsport term for cars being restricted from modifications between qualifying and the race.

Her goal is to connect like-minded women who love F1, so that they can chat about the sport and even watch the races together.

Lauren said: “I randomly came across F1 a few years ago, although I’ve always been interested in cars. The Pixar movie of he same name was one of my favourites as a child, and I was fascinated by the toy cars my brother had as a kid.

“I started posting videos about F1 last year, and was suddenly making friends from all across he world. I realised that I was seeing girls who were searching for some sort of motorsport community, and that’s when I set up Parc Femme.

“It genuinely shocked me how quickly it’s grown, because I only set it up in September.”

Lauren, who grew up in Southsea, is running the community group wih the help of The Kings’ Trust. This weekend, she takes the next big step with an in-person launch event.

A fully-booked afternoon at The Hampshire Hog in Clanfield will see her come face-to-face with other female F1 fans for the first time; they won’t be watching a race this time around, with the next grand prix in Suzuka, Japan being held on Sunday, March 29.

“This is all about connecting women who love motorsport,” Lauren added. “Everyone is really excited about the launch party, and I’m looking forward to meeting everybody. It’s the sort of thing I would have looked for when I started watching F1.

“I’ll probably be a bit nervous but it feels so surreal to get this off the ground. But the bottom line is there’s no gatekeeping. If you’re a fan from Drive to Survive, that’s great; if you think the drivers are attractive, that’s great; if you take an interest in the engineering side, or lap times, that’s great too - everyone’s welcome and everyone is accepted.

“To me, the important thing is that no matter what’s going on in your own head, there’s still a way to find your path in life.”