The head of a leading women’s racing series has opened up about her own challenging journey in motorsport, detailing the isolation and prejudice she faced while expressing optimism for the next generation of female drivers.
Reflecting on her career, she described a profound sense of loneliness during her early racing days. “There was a deep solitude in karting and single-seaters because I was navigating a path no other woman was on at that level,” she recalled, having competed against drivers who would later become world champions.
The environment before the MeToo era was particularly difficult, with conversations among male counterparts making her determined to maintain impeccable conduct. “I realized I needed to be beyond reproach to survive in that world,” she explained.
Now leading a dedicated women’s racing championship, she finds satisfaction in seeing young drivers avoid the isolation she experienced. “These young women have peers and role models they can connect with – that support system simply didn’t exist during my career.”
Her new memoir reveals the constant challenges she faced, from being deliberately crashed into by a male competitor who couldn’t accept being overtaken by a girl, to navigating impossible expectations about her appearance. “There was this constant pressure – if I dressed femininely, would I be taken seriously? If I wore more masculine clothing, would I be labeled differently?”
One particularly frightening incident involved a powerful motorsport figure banging on her hotel door late at night. “That moment could have changed everything,” she revealed. “The fear wasn’t just about physical safety but also about career consequences.”
Her own Formula One driving opportunity ultimately never materialized, despite coming close to a race seat. “When the team chose another driver, it was a moment of absolute clarity – if they wouldn’t give me the chance then, they never would.”
Looking forward, she remains confident about women’s future in Formula One. “The talent is clearly there in the pipeline. We’re seeing young girls not just participating but competing for podium positions against boys who now view them as equals rather than novelties.”
She points to a recent children’s karting event where young boys discussed a female competitor’s chances purely on merit. “They were talking about her as another potential winner, not ‘the girl’ – that mindset shift is everything we’ve been working toward.”
While legal proceedings continue regarding a previous investigation into potential conflicts of interest, she remains focused on her mission. “The progress we’re seeing justifies every challenge. The goal remains creating equal opportunities so we eventually see equal representation between male and female drivers.”
