How Girls on Track marked an important milestone

On 31 January, the RAC in Pall Mall was almost overrun by women of various ages, joined by a range of motorsport dignitaries. The occasion was the 10th birthday of the Motorsport UK Girls on Track programme, founded by Susie Wolff and previously known as Dare To Be Different. Our current wider political climate feels increasingly sceptical about diversity and inclusion initiatives, but Girls on Track is a valuable example of a widening participation scheme that works, and we should be looking at it to help secure the future of national motorsport. 

Girls on Track coordinator Jenny Fletcher kept everything running as former Williams team principal Claire Williams was rubbing shoulders with teenaged engineering students and middle-aged club racers. Louise Goodman chatted to motorsport media hopefuls. F1 Academy graduate Chloe Grant helped lead a breakout group of potential competitors. A series of female motorsport professionals in all aspects of the sport took to the stage to talk about their careers, how they got started, and how Girls on Track had helped them along the way. 

Progress is clearly happening, but it’s gradual. At its heart, the drive to let more women know there are opportunities within our world is a numbers game. Even if female licence holder figures doubled in a year, the actual number would still be relatively small. Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers, who took the Dare To Be Different project in-house, agrees. “It’s going to take a while,” he acknowledges. “If you increase it by 10% a year, it’s still only one percentage point in the overall scheme of things.” 

However, he is optimistic, and believes that motorsport’s inherently inclusive nature is one of its strengths. Chambers stresses the measurable increases in female licence holders in disciplines such as karting and drag racing. 

The key tenet of GoT, which women of all ages reference, is the community aspect. Having a group of like-minded girls and women to relate to makes taking your first steps, or further steps, less daunting, as you feel far less unusual. Being a trailblazer can be lonely, but knowing that you’re following a trail that’s already there is far more comfortable. This model has potential to help encourage other groups of people, male and female, who may be underrepresented in our sport and unsure of how to get involved. 

With growing support from governing bodies, Girls on Track has gone from strength to strength in 10 years

Photo by: FIA

Year 13 student Freya McLean was busy networking with engineers and team managers at the RAC, chasing up placements and advice, at her first GoT event. “It’s a community of people that really make me feel that I’m going to be supported going into the motorsport industry,” she says of the initiative. “I think it’s really empowering seeing everyone here today and hearing everyone’s stories.” 

Motorcycle racer Maria Costello has been part of the programme from the start and agrees wholeheartedly: “What’s amazing is to see it grow and really make a difference. There’s proof in this room – they’re living, breathing, talking about it and passing on their knowledge.” 

Ultimately, you probably would not be reading this column without Dare To Be Different. In 2016, I attended a D2BD networking event in the very same room, unsure of how I could turn my long-term blog into professional writing opportunities. I was pointed towards the Autosport Academy training programme, which I had assumed was for much younger writers. Almost 10 years of national reporting, a book and national newspaper pieces later, I was able to pass on a few tips to aspiring media people. 

It was refreshing to see so many younger people getting enthused over fast cars and fast laps. New blood means bigger grids, more support, new engineering skills and perhaps even new perspectives

And motorsport benefits from this increased female involvement. At national level, the chief demographic is ageing and we’re always muttering darkly about who is going to carry clubs and racing series on in the future. Justina Williams, team principal of Excelr8 Motorsport, has been involved with GoT from the start and welcomes the influx of new talent. “We as a team have quite a few female staff, but what I’m pleased to say is that we’ve noticed it at other teams as well,” she says. “One of my team managers is female, and she’s absolutely incredible. She’s come along from working as a mechanic in a garage. Over the years she’s grown, and she’s now managing the workshop, managing the Minis and managing our race weekends.” 

As people who are involved with the national motorsport scene, one of our priorities should be making sure that our sport, our community and for many of us, our livelihoods, has a new cohort to take it through the next couple of decades. It was refreshing to see so many younger people getting enthused over fast cars and fast laps. New blood means bigger grids, more support, new engineering skills and perhaps even new perspectives. Why shouldn’t that come from these keen, enthusiastic and optimistic girls?

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the March 2026 issue and subscribe today. 

Claire Williams was one of the keynote speakers at the Motorsport UK Girls on Track event

Photo by: Jordan Taylor C Photography / Motorsport UK