In a recent interview with Forbes, Ex Formula One racer Susie Wolff discussed the lack of women behind the wheel, and the steps she’s taking to help diversify the industry.
At the time she retired in 2015, there was only one other female test driver on an official Formula One team, and only five women have made it to Formula One since the organisation’s inception 65 years ago.
Susie hopes to change all this through her Dare to be Different initiative, a collaboration with The Motor Sports Association which works in partnership with schools across the UK to highlight the different career possibilities for girls on and off the track.
“It is about breaking down those barriers and making sure the sport is viewed as something that could be for girls,” she explained. “Most [girls] have never picked up a spanner in their life, and at these events we have them learning how to change Pirelli tires on a mock Formula One car. They are just trying something completely new. And it’s about giving them confidence that they can do anything they set their minds to.”
Read Susie’s full interview here. LLY
