Women in Motorsport
The world of motorsport is, traditionally, male-dominated.
Working as a female in the motorsport industry used to be pretty unheard of. However, over the last few years we have started to see a shift in gender representation not only in racing, but in the surrounding roles too.
Here at Fifty Digital, we have an amazing pool of motorsport clients and an equally amazing team that help to keep them at the top of the social game. Our female representation is over 50% of that team and we are proud to have them breaking the mould.
From being fans of the sport to finding love through their occupation, let’s meet some of the Fifty females that are helping pave the way for female representation in motorsport today…
Lara: Senior Digital and Social Media Manager
Lara grew up watching the Formula 1 and MotoGP series. This was a passion that passed down through a series of generations in her family, often watching alongside her father and grandfather.
For Lara, racing itself was not the only thing that sparked her interest. In the paddock there are a variety of positions that need to be filled for a race weekend go ahead. For the purpose of the fans, sports journalists are at the heart of their experience. Without journalists we would not be fed race analysis, paddock chatter, and the driver lowdown as we know it today. Being fascinated by this role Lara moved to London to complete a Masters in Sports Journalism.
Her education and love for motorsport (particularly Valentino Rossi) gave her the fundamental experience and knowledge to be in the role she is today. After recently celebrating 5 years with us here at Fifty, Lara continues to be a true female boss in managing our motorsport clients.
Isabelle: Digital and Social Media Executive
Growing up near Sepang International Circuit, it’s only fitting that Isabelle fell in love with motorsport after paying a visit to the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Like Lara, Isabelle grew up watching Formula 1. It has been a feature of her weekends for many years. Isabelle was keen to make a career move into an industry she was passionate about. However, like other females interested in motorsport, Isabelle has not always had the easiest ride…
“I think many people have been shocked when, as a woman, I’ve said one of my favourite sports is Formula 1. I’ve received sexist remarks about how F1 isn’t for women and that I shouldn’t be watching it, or just plain blanking me when I try to come into a conversation about it”
Sadly these are barriers females working in the industry have faced over the years. However, thanks to the increase in female representation, social media presence, and racing categories, we are starting to see the change. These barriers even inspired Isabelle to push harder…
“These moments only spurred me on. I like it more now than ever, and these comments increased my drive to work in the Motorsport and Sports industry. I wanted to prove these comments wrong. Working in Formula 1 is great, my passion has increased, and I have learnt so much more about the Junior Formulas and the background to the industry”
Sophie: Digital and Social Media Coordinator
Sophie is a fairly new member of our Fifty Digital team, but has had an upbringing rich in motorsport. After being brought up around Formula 1 and having a dad who used to race bikes, her goal was to work in this world she knew so well.
Similar to Isabelle, growing up Sophie also faced some unwelcome comments about her love for motorsport. Due to bullying, she even chose to take a different career path and went on to study psychology at university. However, she soon realised she couldn’t keep away from motorsport and decided to tackle her degree from a motorsport perspective. Psychology is heavily involved in all walks of life so she was able to adapt her studies to investigate the influence of social media in online sporting communities.
“If I could go back in time and tell my 16 year old self to ignore the stigma and comments about being a female interested in motorsport, I would. But as I cannot do that to myself, I hope I can do that for other young girls. The beauty is that it is never too late. Even if you are at university you can always adapt your dissertation projects to make them your own and fit your passion. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box to find a way”
Sophie now uses her own social media to support other female fans wishing to work in motorsport. She often makes an effort to travel to as many events and female forward workshops as possible to try and learn more about the industry, in her own time.
So there you have it. It’s happening. Motorsport is becoming more female! At Fifty Digital, we are proud to have so many talented motorsport lovers in our team to lead our clients to success. However, gender is still a barrier for some women in the industry. Therefore, it is important to keep these conversations going. Sharing experiences and roles within the industry can make all the difference, we all have a role in inspiring the next generation to continue the charge. Social media has played a pivotal role in driving change and we have seen the rise in female forward communities created by motorsport fans.
Formula 1’s motto is “We Race As One”, we should work as one too.
Let’s keep the conversation going!
