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Hello, I'm James Reynolds.

Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.

In BBC conversations, we bring people together to share their experiences.

This time, we hear from young women aiming to be the future of Formula One.

Motor racing is one of the few sports where men and women can, in theory, compete on equal terms.

But you wouldn't think that from looking at almost any race. In fact, only one in ten drivers in motorsport is a woman. Most compete in carting,

the category of racing where professional drivers tend to begin their careers. The last woman to

take part in an F1 race was Italy's Lela Lombardi, and that was 50 years ago. So to increase

the pool of female drivers and to return women to the top

ranks of motor racing, the F1 Academy was set up. It provides funding, training, and most

importantly, track time for young women. As the season gets underway, then, we're going to meet

three of them. 17-year-old Alba Larson is from Denmark.

This is her second year driving in the F-1 Academy.

She's joined in conversation by newcomers Esme Costerman, the 20-year-old is from the Netherlands,

and from the UK 18-year-old Rachel Robertson.

They race in Formula 4 cars, which can reach speeds of about 150 miles an hour.

Rachel began by telling me just what that is like.

When I'm driving it, it doesn't actually feel that fast.

Like, it's all kind of the perspective when you're actually on track.

It seems like you're actually going quite slow.

And then it's only when I see a video of myself going down a straight.

...