F1 Academy Women in Motorsport

Some of our female students enjoyed a day at The Wing here at Silverstone yesterday, for an action-packed and inspiring day facilitated and hosted by F1 ACADEMY, Enovation Consulting | BCorp | ESG in Sport, Girls on Track UK and Silverstone.

The day began with a fantastic panel discussion hosted by Amber Jones, motorsport presenter and racing driver media coach, who was joined by an exceptional lineup of industry professionals:

•  Lily Owuye – Graduate Engineer, Red Bull Advanced Technologies

•  Heather MacRae – Scientist, Gatorade Sports Science Institute

•  Justina Williams – Owner, EXCELR8 Motorsport

•  Tanya Cash – Head of Public Events, Silverstone

•  Katie Denver – F1 Academy Driver Development Lead

Students gained honest and practical insights into the realities of working in motorsport. Key takeaways included:

•  There is no such thing as a “linear” career – be open to twists and turns

•  Say yes to opportunities, even if they’re outside your comfort zone

•  Essential skills for success include communication, resilience, commitment, initiative, confidence and strong networking

The experience continued with a behind‑the‑scenes pit lane walk, where students saw teams preparing cars for the next practice session – bringing the fast‑paced world of motorsport to life and sparking discussions around sponsorship and the business side of the industry.

Throughout the day, students also took part in a range of interactive, hands‑on workshops, including:

•  Sphero programming races

•  An F1 Academy pitstop experience, where students met Abbi Pulling (2024 F1 Academy graduate and current F3 driver), who shared her journey into racing and analysed a lap around Silverstone Circuit

•  Driving simulators and reflex challenges

•  Pitstop and sport & fitness challenges

Opportunities like this play a vital role in helping our students see the breadth of pathways available within motorsport and STEM - and in inspiring them to pursue ambitious futures. A huge thank you to everyone involved in hosting such an engaging and empowering experience - what a brilliant day!