Lotus gives girls look at motorsport industry opportunities
Getting a racing driver onto the Formula 1 grid takes an army of up to 2,000 people. However, only 10% of these are women. While young girls may perceive motorsport to be male dominated, is the industry on track to become more balanced and show young girls what is possible?
With its headquarters in Hethel, near Wymondham in Norfolk, sports car manufacturer Lotus has opened its doors to let a new generation of aspiring motorsport speak with people inside the industry. The company was founded in the early 1950s by engineer Colin Chapman and moved to Norfolk in the 1960s. The two-day event, held by Girls on Track by Motorsport UK, aimed to help girls and women to see the variety of opportunities "regardless of interests, race and gender".
Sheena Valentina has worked at Lotus for four years and hails it as an "amazing job". However, she knows the motorsport and automation industries are male-dominated. "We are trying to get to a point where females feel comfortable here. I think we are 100% getting there. "The gender pay gap for the Lotus group is 0.01% now, which is something we can be really proud of." She said the car manufacturer is trying to "push boundaries" and she hopes to see an industry that is equal for everyone. "I was aware that I was the only female in the room a lot of the time."She hopes to show other young girls, including her daughter what is possible.
For 11-year-old Harriet, having a dad involved in the industry, meant she "really wanted" to come and tour Lotus. "I like seeing the cars go really fast across the race track," she said. And if she could have a career in motorsport, she said she would want to be behind the wheel, driving one of the race cars.
Emily, 11, said she would rather be behind the scenes, working on building the cars. She said: "I think the building of the car is the most important. There wouldn't be racing without the builders."I think it's more likely for males to go into it [the industry] but I think women should be starting to go into it a lot more."
Jenny Fletcher, from Motorsport UK, said giving young girls opportunities to open their eyes to how they could be a part of the industry was important. She said: "You have to see it to believe that you can be it. Getting those girls in from a young age to get in and experience the job roles is so crucial." Girls on Track has been running programmes and events for the past 10 years. "It's really about trying to showcase that it's a great industry to work in. There is a job for everybody. We obviously need a big number of STEM roles, engineers and mechanics... there's everything," Ms Fletcher added. "You think about one Formula 1 team and there's two drivers and 1,500 to 2,000 people working behind the scenes to build that car, to get the car and the drivers ready for racing."
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jannik Sinner won't say why he fired two team members right before Wimbledon
Jannik Sinner confirmed that he recently fired two members of his team — fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio, who themselves were replacements for people involved in the player's doping case — but declined Saturday to explain the reason for the change ahead of Wimbledon. Sinner, who has been ranked No. 1 for more than a year, said that he decided shortly after losing in the second round of the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, this month to make the change. Sinner has not yet found substitutes for Panichi and Badio, who both used to work with Novak Djokovic. 'Nothing seriously bad happened. They did great work for (the past) three months. Sometimes, things happen,' Sinner said at his pre-tournament news conference. 'The timing obviously isn't the best, but having done a lot of work (together) before, it won't affect this Grand Slam a lot. I feel well physically and mentally and ready to compete.' Play begins Monday at the All England Club, where Sinner was a quarterfinalist in 2024. He will play Luca Nardi in an all- Italian matchup on Tuesday. Last year, Sinner tested positive twice for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March; the case wasn't made public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he ended up winning for the second of his three Grand Slam titles. He initially was completely cleared, based on the defense that he accidentally was exposed to the banned substance, Clostebol, via a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Sinner said his fitness trainer at the time, Umberto Ferrara, purchased a product in Italy and gave it to Naldi for a cut on Naldi's finger. Naldi then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the exoneration, and Sinner agreed to serve a three-month ban that ended right before the Italian Open in May. On Saturday, Sinner was asked repeatedly in English and Italian what led him to part ways with Panichi and Badio. 'There's not one specific thing,' Sinner said. He was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open three weeks ago, wasting a two-set lead and three match points in a final that lasted 5 1/2 hours. As for adding new team members, Sinner said Saturday: 'I haven't thought about replacements. It's not the time to think about my options. But there are a lot of options.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis:
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Car mechanic expert reveals most reliable used car in UK… it's 20 years old and cost just £500
A LEADING car mechanic has revealed one of the UK's most reliable cars. The 20-year-old vehicle has none of the usual, 'unnecessary bells and whistles' and costs just £500. 3 3 Paul Lucas, a car expert, has said that the iconic MK1 Ford Focus is one of the best cars that money can buy. According to him, it's both reliable and focuses on simplicity. The star is an owner of an MK1 vehicle himself and bought it for just £500. He's owned the car for over 15 years and has never looked back. He said: 'For me a 20-year-old 1.6 litre Mk1 Ford Focus is top for reliability. 'It was designed before all the unnecessary bells and whistles came in and even lets you start the car with a real key rather than press a button. 'I bought mine 15 years ago for £500 and have no regrets.' According to AutoExpress, the Focus has an "incredible agility" thanks to its innovative multi-link rear suspension. Although the engine isn't the most fearsome on the road, it's 113bhp 1.8-litre four cylinder units remain fresh for years. The car has a spacious interior, with 350 litres of boot space which is only 31 litres less than a brand-new Volkswagen Golf Mark 8. Ford is forced to immediately shut down factories and halt car production as CEO admits 'day to day' struggle for brand As the cost of a new vehicle soars, Brits are looking for alternative ways of getting on the roads for less. According to Wheeler Dealer superstar Mike Brewer, there is an easy trick which can help you bag a used car for less. The TV presenter says that motorists should look to part-exchange their vehicles to get some money off. Mike said: 'A dealer would be happy to do a much better deal with you on your part exchange, therefore giving you a much better deal on the car you're buying in the hope he can put your car in stock and sell it again.' Dealers will be eager to fill up their stocks and you'll get some money off of your purchase, making both parties happy. However, the star did issue a warning to drivers looking to exchange their car. He said: 'Make sure if you've got a good part exchange. 'If you've got a decent car, clean it, make sure it's really presentable and choose the right dealer to take it to and change up your car. 'That is very important.' Car sales have remained stable over the year, with the Ford Puma topping the sales charts. Over 21,900 models have been sold this year, with the Kia Sportage coming in second place with over 19,600 sales being made. In a close third, the Nissan Qashqai has sold over 17,000 models. 3
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Man Utd chief gives major update on £2billion new stadium and reveals why ‘Wembley of the North' plan might NOT happen
MANCHESTER UNITED chief Omar Berrada has given the clearest indication yet that the club will only build a new stadium if it receives financial backing from the government. Earlier this year minority United owner and billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe unveiled ambitious new plans for a £2bn stadium which would hold 100,000 fans and be built next to the current Old Trafford. 6 6 Sir Jim said plans to regenerate the area around the stadium with 17,000 homes, shops, restaurants and hotels, would boost the UK economy by £7.3bn. But the plans could only go ahead if the surrounding area was developed using taxpayers' money. In a recent interview with Red Issue fanzine, Berada said: 'We still see the stadium as the catalyst for the wider regeneration project. "So we do need the government to commit to developing the area around the stadium for it to make sense. 'Without it it doesn't make sense for us to build the stadium as a standalone. "We believe that it could be a catalyst for one of the biggest, if not the biggest regeneration projects that this area of the country has ever seen. 'And it'll bring benefits for the wider community in terms of home, jobs, health, and all that, that can yield an enormous amount of positive impact. "Hopefully the government will support it and put the funds behind it.' Concept images of the ground have teased a huge wraparound scoreboard, along with a three-storey museum and canal-side restaurants as part of a vast fan village. If the plans do go ahead United will be able to continue playing at Old Trafford during the construction process, before demolishing the historic ground once they move into their new home. Man Utd reveal first pics of redeveloped 100,000-capacity Old Trafford in 'biggest regeneration scheme ever seen' During the announcement of the ambitious project, Ratcliffe said: "Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. "By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home." 6 6 6 6
