Pupils 'inspired' by female motor racings stars at Oxford Brookes talk
School pupils have described meeting female motor racing stars as "motivating" and "inspiring".The group of girls attended a talk by Vanina Ickx and Marta Garcia at Oxford Brookes University as part of a celebration of International Women in Engineering Day. Garcia, who became the inaugural Formula 1 Academy champion in 2023, said it was vital to encourage the next generation of women working in the industry."It's good to tell them our stories because then they get to know motorsport, how we started, and how to overcome obstacles," she said.
Garcia and Ickx represent the Iron Dames, an Italian-Swiss auto racing and equestrian team. Garcia said she thought the industry was doing "much more" to attract girls to the sport. She cited the creation of the Formula 1 Academy, which is a female-only racing championship, and the development of school programmes to introduce girls to go-karts.
The girls at the talk said they found the women inspiring and motivating. Student Karma said she had been learning more about engineering."[When watching Formula 1], you see all the races and the cars... but you never see what makes it, everyone always looks at the service but not the things behind it," she said. She said the Iron Dames were "really inspiring" and their efforts to "make male and female equal" was "really, really cool".
The pupils also met the award-winning Oxford Brookes Racing team and learned about the electric racing vehicle they develop each year to compete in the International Formula Student competition.Student Clara said she liked how "dedicated" the team was."It's cool how all of them have their area and want to do that well, instead of all wanting to drive - because that's not the most important part."International Women in Engineering Day is marked every June and aims to raise the profile of women in engineering, celebrate their achievements, and highlight some of the career opportunities available to them around the world.
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