Formula E is donating $250,000 to charitable causes following Max Verstappen's fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship victory.

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds initially promised the donation if any driver defeated Verstappen this season. Despite Verstappen's inevitable victory, Dodds decided to honor the pledge during a video call with the champion.

The donation will be split equally between two initiatives:

• $125,000 to Wings For Life, Red Bull's spinal cord injury research charity
• $125,000 toward creating opportunities for women in motorsport

"What started as a very tongue-in-cheek 'bet' has evolved into a serious commitment to support gender equity within our championship," said Dodds, emphasizing Formula E's goal of seeing women compete full-time in the series.

Verstappen expressed his gratitude during the video call: "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."

Additionally, Formula E announced a partnership with More Than Equal to research barriers faced by women in motorsport. This follows the series' recent milestone of hosting the first all-women's test for an FIA world championship at Jarama.

Dr. Fran Longstaff, head of research at More than Equal, stated the project will identify success factors in Formula E and develop actionable recommendations for driver development, working closely with drivers, team managers, and engineers.

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