It’s Lights Out and Away She Goes
What comes to mind when you think of motorsport? Is it the speed? The thrill? The danger? Now, let me ask you something more specific: Who do you picture when you think of a race car driver? Who do you see as the mechanic, car designer or engineer? For many—if not most— the image that comes to mind is one of a man. After all, isn’t motorsport a man’s world? This assumption—and the stereotypes that fuel it—are exactly what programs like Girls on Track UK are here to change.
How did Girls On Track UK come about
Girls On Track UK is the evolution of Susie Wolff’s initiative, Dare to Be Different, which was founded in 2016.
Susie Wolff started her motorsport career on a karting track and worked her way up, eventually making history at the British Grand Prix in 2014 when she became the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in over 22 years. A year later, Wolff retired from racing, but she didn’t kick up her feet for long. In 2016 she embarked on a mission to inspire a new generation of young women to pursue a career in motorsport by launching Dare To Be Different.
Today, Susie Wolff faces a new challenge as the Managing Director of the F1 Academy, and just like its founder, Dare To Be Different has continued on throughout the years to uplift women in motorsport and introduce the exciting world of racing to young girls across the country. In 2018, Dare To Be Different joined forces with Motorsport UK and created Girls On Track.
“Whilst we changed names from Dare To Be Different to Girls On Track, the two main elements of the program have stayed the same,” says the program’s manager, Jenny Fletcher, who has been with the initiative since its inception.
“The mission of Girls On Track UK is to try and increase female participation across the board within motorsport. Whether that’s actually participating in driving or whether it’s one of the many hundreds of jobs behind the scenes to get the cars out on the race weekend,” explains Jenny.
Driving Change
This is achieved through two main methods. Firstly, Girls on Track travels across the UK to organise inspirational days for schoolgirls, where many encounter the world of motorsport for the very first time.
Secondly, Girls on Track is building a community that includes girls of all ages and areas of interest, united by a common passion for motorsport.
“Through the community, we aim to connect, inspire and showcase women within all the different job opportunities and then hopefully, we can help them achieve their dreams” highlights Jenny.
The institutionalised masculine culture in Formula One and motorsport as a whole has long kept it a boys-only playground for a very long time. Men are not just the dominant presence on the track but are overwhelmingly in control across sports media, participation, and leadership. As Pamela J. Creedon eloquently stated in her book, Women, Media and Sport, “The ‘F’ word in sport is not a four-letter word; it has eight. Feminism. Why? Simple. The four-letter word means business as usual; the eight-letter word threatens to change things.” Programs like Girls on Track UK exist to break this pattern, offering young girls a pathway into motorsport and disrupting the notion that it’s a men-only arena.
A Future Without Barriers
And the ultimate goal? A time in which programs like these are no longer needed. An industry that reflects its fanbase, because the interest is there and it’s just a matter of time before the new generation infiltrates the workspace across motorsports. “In a way, I will hopefully not have a job in the Girls On Track space because it won’t be the conversations that are needed. I think we have a long way to go, so I think I’m safe for now,” Jenny remarks with a smile, “but I will keep doing everything I can to increase the number of females that not only are in the space, but that feel like they belong.”
“Programs like the F1 Academy, previously the W series, Discover Your Drive, all of these different initiatives are now showcasing the fact that there is an absolutely essential and rightful place for women in the motorsport industry,” Jenny continues.
Ready to Redefine Motorsport
Gone is the time when Formula One or the wider motorsport landscape was an exclusive boy’s club. Here comes a new age, a new generation of girls and women, who are knocking on the door, ready to break down barriers and share the playground with the boys.
The increasing number of women you see on screen during race weekends, be it in the driver’s seat or sitting on the pit wall has been made possible thanks to trailblazers like Susie Wolff and so many before her. Moving forward, the presence of women like Hannah Schimtz, strategist at RedBull, Bernie Collins and Ruth Buscombe, engineers turned analysts and presenters will have a snowball effect and will show young girls, this can be their reality too.
These remarkable women are just the tip of the iceberg, representing a growing movement of female professionals in motorsport who are paving the way for others. Their visibility and success serve as powerful reminders that the future of motorsport is not limited by gender. With each new face, whether in the garage, on the pit wall, or behind the wheel, the industry comes one step closer to a truly inclusive environment.
It’s a journey that’s far from over, but with programs like Girls on Track UK and the dedication of the people working behind the scenes, the path forward has never looked so promising.
