Formula E boss donates $250,000 to charity after Max Verstappen title

Max Verstappen has pledged to watch Formula E races after the electric series' CEO, Jeff Dodds, donated $250,000 to charity following a bet related to Verstappen's fourth consecutive Formula 1 title.

In February, Dodds promised to pay the sum if Verstappen did not secure the championship, intending to highlight the predictability he saw in Formula 1 compared to Formula E. Despite making the donation, Verstappen won in a season that was far more unpredictable and thrilling than anticipated.

The $250,000 will be divided between Red Bull's Wings for Life foundation, which funds spinal cord research, and a new initiative aimed at increasing opportunities for women in motorsport.

"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," said Dodds.

Ahead of collecting his Formula 1 winner's trophy at an awards ceremony in Rwanda, Verstappen told Dodds via video call that it was a "great shout" and added, "I'll be watching the championship during my time off."

Dodds revealed to Reuters that Formula E had enlisted the 'More Than Equal' organization, co-founded by former F1 driver David Coulthard, to research barriers faced by women in motorsport. Two women have been contracted to participate in Formula E's rookie test next year, potentially paving the way for more female drivers in the series.

"That's where seats can kind of get determined, or drivers get invested in for simulator work through the rest of the season," Dodds explained. "So I think the first season we could potentially see a woman go straight into the seat is Season 13, which would be the start of the Gen4 era. That would be pretty exciting ... We'll continue to create opportunities for women to test the car through this season [11], and through next season. We'll create more and more opportunities for them."

F1 has not seen a female racer since 1976, although several women have competed in Formula E over the past decade, with Switzerland's Simona de Silvestro as the only one to have scored points to date.

Dodds indicated that he would not be making any further wagers on F1, stating, "I think that moment's passed. I only like sure things. I said to Max, he did create a small squeaky bum moment for me midway through the season but [otherwise] he looked nailed on and I'm glad he delivered on my small wager. But it won't be quite so nailed on next year, I don't think."

However, Dodds also noted that bets were off within his series, sharing that Jaguar's Mitch Evans won the season's opening race in Brazil after starting last on the grid.

"Genuinely, no one knows how this season is going to shake out," he said.

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