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A number of FIA Girls on Track participants were invited to a football match between Andretti Formula E and TAG HEUER Porsche Formula E Team. Even the drivers of the teams (Norman Nato, Jake Dennis, Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Cosa) came along and not only coached their teams, but also stood on the pitch and played!
The team of Wehrlein and Nato won 8:1 against the team of Dennis and da Costa. The FIA Girls on Track participants had the chance to ask the drivers all types of questions in a relaxed setting - it was a great opportunity to learn more about each driver and their racing! After the match the FIA Girls on Track participants had the honor of presenting the trophy to the winning team.
Friday was the day I had been waiting for - the FIA Girls on Track Event! 120 participants were invited to the Formula E circuit to experience a range of different activities, including an educational game with Hankook, where, through a quiz, we were able to learn more about the tire manufacturer and Formula E. ABB, the championship sponsor, had brought a robot and gave us the chance to programme it to do a specific movement. Allianz had a workshop where financial aspect was taught. One workshop was ran by ADAC, focusing on entering motorsport, in both on and off track jobs. The last workshop was held by a pitlane marshal talking about her own career in motorsports which was followed by her teaching us a little about being a flag marshal.
There was even an opportunity to try electric karting! This experience was very surprising just because of the sheer speed the kart built up because of the fast acceleration after stepping on the acceleration pedal. The karting course was built so that there were a lot of corners which nearly everyone including me felt in their forearms after racing a few laps because of the energy and strength you had to put in to steer the kart. Afterwards the opportunity to also try racing at the Gaming Arena at a Simulator was given, which can also be a way to experience sim racing and even a route into motorsport!
The highlight for me was visiting the paddock and the pitlane where we had a lot of opportunities to talk to women who work in the motorsport field. These women gave tips and insights into what their job is and answered the many questions we had
Whilst in the pitlane, we also gained an insight into the work of the mechanics and engineers as we watched them work on the cars. The drivers could be seen working and talking for the upcoming races and the Rookie Test. The day ended with a view from a Grandstand watching the Formula E cars on track for the Free Practice 1.
FIA Girls on Track is a great opportunity for girls between the age of 12 and 18 to get an insight into the world of Formula E. This season, Formula E have taken the programme to every race. The project aims to increase the number of participants racing in Motorsport but also gives young women the chance to explore career prospects in this traditionally male-dominated field by giving behind the scenes access and opportunities to talk to women who are working within the sport. The event did not only introduce me to women in Formula E but I also met new people and made new friends with the same interests!