“Girls Can’t Beat Boys”
Breaking the bias in motorsport
In honour of International Women’s Week (yes, I know I’m a week late- your girl has had a busy month so far), I have elected to write a short story highlighting the bomb women helping to diversify motorsport (In true Vorteil fashion, I have treated you to a lovely little list).
It is no secret to anyone how much I love motorsport and this is a particular field that needs more women in it to #BreakTheBias.
As with most sports, motorsport is traditionally extremely male-dominated. So much so, that in F1 history there have only ever been five female Grand Prix racers, the last one being Lella Lombardi, 46 years ago in 1976. That’s 5 women in a sport that has been around for 72 years and typically has 20 drivers per year (for my gals who, like me, love to do the maths- that means about 0.3% of entered racers have been female).
Boo!
As a space very much populated by males, women like those listed below are pivotal in attempting to make the field more equally balanced. More women are needed as drivers, pit crew and engineers to truly break the bias in motorsport.
1. Stephanie Travers
To start off our list, we have Stephanie Travers. She is the first black woman to stand on an F1 podium (not as a driver- she is a trackside fluid engineer). Following Hamilton’s Styrian Grand Prix win in 2020, Travers hopped onto the podium with him to celebrate the team’s win. As a young black engineer, seeing Travers up there was phenomenal and reminded me that it is possible for someone that looks like me to be in a space that wasn’t always intended to include me.
2. Toni Breidinger
Breidinger was the first Arab-American woman to compete in NASCAR. Now, I love NASCAR. I think it was my first love of motorsport. After watching Cars when I was about 7, NASCAR was the first racing sport that I came across and it led me down the rabbit hole that has landed me where I am now. To see someone so young breaking the wall that is put up against many women of colour is so inspiring and will hopefully pave the way for more females to follow in her footsteps.
3. Danica Patrick
If you haven’t heard this name before, you really need to brush up on your racing history. Patrick was the first woman to win an IndyCar race and finish a series in 3rd place. Whenever I think of this woman, I imagine the absolute vibes she must have felt when she crossed the chequered flag in first place. Being a pioneer in any space is insane, but being the first woman to win a race in a sport as iconic as Indy? Exhilarating.
4. Jamie Chadwick
Chadwick is an incredible testament to the talent of young female motor racers. She was the first woman to win a British GT and F3 Championship. She’s a W-Series driver (2019 and 2021 champion) and the development driver for the Williams F1 team. She’s such an incredible role model for young girls aspiring to get into motorsport and I love that she’s gaining more and more traction as motorsport grows in popularity.
Honourable Mentions:
Naomi Schiff- W-Series driver and Inclusion and Diversity ambassador, F1 presenter.
Ella Podmore- McLaren materials engineer and winner of 2020 Young Woman Engineer of the Year
Brehanna Daniels- First black, female pit member in NASCAR.
So, moral of the story: if you don’t know about these women, get to know. There are so many more pioneering women in this field so I encourage you to find them!
What can our male allies do to support getting more women into motorsport? Remember that women don’t only need mentorship. If we deserve it- give us that promotion! If you see someone with potential but is blocked from progressing simply because we aren’t being noticed, notice us! Encourage us and encourage others to do the same. We are fully capable but, unfortunately, in motorsport, I have learnt that a lot is left to the men.
The more women we see in motorsport, the more younger girls will be encouraged to populate that space too! I’m sick of watching motorsport and never seeing anyone that looks like me.
By having more women as racers, engineers, commentators, pit crew, etc. and giving them the same motivation and opportunities that their male equivalents receive, maybe we will get to a point where girls will be given the chance to beat the boys. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s about time!
P.S. Happy Race Weekend!!!! 🏎
Movie Quote: She’s The Man
