International Women’s Day 2022
Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and immerse yourself in this special selection of inspirational interviews and quotes from women working in or studying for a career in motorsport.
Samantha Leeks
Composite Workshop Leader
“Don’t be afraid to do things that you want to do, because you think that you are going to fail or that you’re not good enough. Just choose whatever you want to do and somehow you are going to make it. 100%”
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Sofie Ceyssens
Student - Communication Sciences
“Nothing will come easy so just never give up! I think it is important to take small steps and build your career towards a bigger team in Formula One or any other series or championship you would like to work in. It’s a hard and busy world so it is good to grow gradually.”
“The best thing I did has been to follow my passions and believe in myself and in my own capabilities. To the younger girls who aspire to work in F1 I would say to study hard and to look for internships in motorsport.”
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Cassie McColl
Human Performance - JOTA
“The best thing I found to succeed is to give everything a go and take any opportunities that are offered. I volunteered a lot of my time to research projects, clinic work and sporting teams to develop my specific skill set. This allows me to perform many jobs that would need different people for and be an asset to my workplace.”
Zala Rauter
Student - Performance Optimisation
“With the motorsport sector being very competitive, the grind never stops, and you must be patient. It may not happen in the next few months, but if you keep trying, keep showing up – there is no way that you won’t succeed.”
“I do not feel there is any difference between the guys in my team and I, we are all equal, we are all engineers. A degree or job does not get defined by gender. I have never had any bad experiences at any of the companies I did internships at or worked at.”
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L.A Wilshaw
Broadcast Journalist
“The moment you publish your first words, or post your first content, you’re no longer aspiring to work in motorsport… You are working in motorsport.
That’s one dream you can tick off your list of many.”
Elisabeth Moro
Engineering Student and Archer
“I’m surprised to be sharing my first year journey with so many other ladies. Because of the structure of our course, all students from all forms of engineering share the first year lessons. Unfortunately I believe very few of the other ladies are on courses for mechanical types of engineering.”
“There’s no substitute for hard work. I was once told to be the first in and the last to leave every day – and to fill your day well. You never stop learning… especially in F1 – we are all works in progress!”
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More amazing interviews with women in motorsport, from our archives.
“The best thing about my job is that it enables me to be at my best combining the two things I like the most: working with an amazing product and working with and for people. It is so varied I never get bored and I learn new things every day. “
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“Look at all the roles available in F1. All the areas are so important to the team: Engineers, Technicians, HR, Finance, Marketing, the list goes on.
In addition, look for any experience you can get, most teams offer great work experience and apprenticeships.“
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“The best thing about being a Formula 1 Engineer is that the improvements I make are incorporated into the final design of the race car which is a unique and rewarding experience for any Formula 1 fan.
This is a different experience to other engineering industries where there is a longer lead time such as the aircraft industry.“
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“I love that I get to play in an amazing wind tunnel with a model F1 car and make a contribution to winning races and championships. There is no better feeling when your car crosses the line in first place to know, in your own way, you’ve done your bit to make that win possible.“
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“I was always very open and honest about my ambition to be a newsreader or reporter. Even when family and friends asked me what I wanted to be I never shied away from telling them my plan and I made sure that I mentioned it whenever I met someone working in broadcasting or journalism”
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“During race weekends we work closely with the trackside engineers, following the sessions as they happen in real time, looking at live data and sharing any findings.”
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