Kosterman makes F1 Academy debut with livery honouring 200 women

Esmee Kosterman has been announced as TeamViewer's Wild Card entry for Round 5 of the F1 Academy season at Circuit Zandvoort.

The 20-year-old Dutch driver will make her debut in the series, driving a car featuring a special edition livery dedicated to women who are recognised as innovators and changemakers in various industries.

TeamViewer's sponsorship of the all-female F1 Academy is part of a long-term commitment to increasing the representation of women in motorsport and enhancing the visibility of women working in sports technology fields. Kosterman's appearance at Zandvoort is designed to underline the importance of female role models in inspiring the next generation.

Kosterman debuts with TeamViewer

The special livery on Kosterman's #86 car has been created as part of TeamViewer's Visibility Drives Change campaign. The unique design will display the faces of more than 200 women who have inspired others across a broad range of industries, workplaces, motorsport paddocks, and personal spheres.

Kosterman's race number, 86, was selected to reflect research conducted by TeamViewer in collaboration with Loughborough University London. According to findings from the Women in Sport Tech report, 86% of women surveyed identified visible female leaders as essential for achieving gender equality within their workplaces.

Karin Fink, Head of Commercial Operations for F1 Academy, commented on Kosterman's entry and the series' wider goals.

Our sport has the power to inspire change, and we are incredibly proud to be championing women both on and off track. We know that creating female role models in motorsport is already helping to improve participation at the junior level of racing, and working with TeamViewer, we are excited to take this further and inspire the next generation of women in STEM. Together our mission is to empower the next generation of female leaders and send a clear message: your presence matters, you are driving change.

Faith Wheller, Vice President of Brand, Integrated Marketing and Sports Partnerships at TeamViewer, highlighted the company's reasons for supporting Kosterman and the significance of the livery.

It is our ambition to drive meaningful change both on and off the track. The opportunity to support Esmee in her F1 Academy debut while driving a car featuring role models is the next step in achieving this. Our research found that not being able to see someone like you in a senior role made it harder to see a career in your chosen field. This is why it was so important to showcase so many role models on the car. Working with the F1 Academy to see this come to life has been a highlight of the partnership...so far. We look forward to supporting Esmee in person at her home race.

Visibility and representation

The F1 Academy aims to support female drivers' progression through the ranks of professional motorsport. The series is focused on creating greater visibility and accessibility for women both in sporting and technical roles within the industry.

TeamViewer's research on women in sport technology and their ongoing campaigns seek to address barriers identified by women across sectors, particularly the lack of accessible female role models in senior positions. Having over 200 women represented on Kosterman's car is intended to offer visible inspiration to young women and signal that leadership opportunities are attainable in sports and technology fields.

Kosterman's entry at Zandvoort is notable for coming in her home country, and the event is anticipated to draw attention to local and international efforts to diversify motorsport. The campaign aligns with broader initiatives in motorsport to promote gender equality and to increase women's involvement at all levels of the sport.

The introduction of special edition liveries, chosen numbers and visible campaigns in professional racing reflect a targeted strategy to encourage greater participation and remove barriers for women entering STEM and sport-related careers. Both TeamViewer and F1 Academy intend for this partnership to reinforce the importance of female role models and sustain ongoing sector-wide change.