F1 Academy Discover Your Drive aims to inspire

Have you ever looked at your children and wondered if they have what it takes to be a racing driver? Coming from a motorsport lineage, that was my first thought as my kids took their initial steps, wheeling a walker around with surprising agility. While some just bumped into walls before executing a clumsy 90-degree turn, others – like my daughter, Lottie – took to navigating the living room’s makeshift circuit with what seemed like an innate sense of the racing line.

In today’s world, where female sports stars are increasingly celebrated, the scarcity of female role models in motorsport is striking. Grass root facilities haven’t exactly supported female participation, and aside from a few test drives, we haven’t seen an elite-level woman in F1 for 32 years – 50 even, if we count a race start. But there are signs of improvement out there: the all-female team, Iron Dames, winning a WEC event, Alice Powell and Danika Scott, racers turned pundits on TV, and Abby Pulling flying the F1 Academy flag.

The F1 Academy, headed up by Suzie Wolff, is specifically trying to address this challenge and it is where I turned to provide Lottie with her first karting experience. A joint initiative run by Motorsport UK and the F1 Academy, Discover Your Drive is intended to increase female participation at a grassroots level globally. In the UK, they have created a karting programme (called DYD for short) that offers girls aged 8 to 12 the chance to experience the thrill and challenge of motorsport.

Rosa Dakin, manager of the programme, emphasises its commitment to nurturing future female competitors. “Our goal is to significantly increase female participation across all levels of motorsport, providing a nurturing and supportive environment that allows young girls to flourish, both on and off the track,” she explained. The programme, piloted in 2023, seeks not only to introduce girls to karting as an activity, but also to inspire the next generation of engineers, media professionals, and, of course, racing drivers. 

Taking this as the perfect introduction for Lottie, a budding F1 fan (albeit a Verstappen enthusiast), we paid the £30 fee and headed to Team Sport Karting in Reading, one of ten locations around the UK that currently support the event. With a mixture of excitement and nerves, Lottie prepared for her first-ever karting experience.

“These girls aren’t seasoned athletes yet,” noted Dakin. “Our priority is to spark a love for the sport while identifying potential talent. It’s crucial that they leave wanting more.” True to her word, the day was meticulously structured to balance fun with learning through a combination of on-track practice and off-track workshops designed to nurture not just driving skills but also a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

With that in mind, Lottie was put into a group that proceeded to learn kart controls and the basics of driving on track before being let loose for the first of three sessions that morning. This was pure familiarisation of the track and kart, and as the majority had never sat in a kart before it was significantly less hectic than being thrown onto a track with all comers, and of course all part of the confidence-building experience.

The physical demands of karting, especially for younger racers, were immediately evident. But so was the programme’s commitment to overcoming these challenges through the off-track activities, focusing on reaction times, team bonding, and karting basics. Team Sport Karting’s inclusion of female instructors offered an additional layer of inspiration, showing the girls that motorsport is a place where they truly belong. This gradual approach with training, surrounded by girls of a similar age was definitely a less daunting prospect for Lottie. She could make friends, and compete against other girls to begin with, all the time gaining confidence.

After three on-track sessions, activities, some lunch, and a mini awards ceremony for the drivers, Lottie was beaming. She is not one for lots of words, but admitted shyly after the day had ended:  “I loved going fast on track.” The accompanying smile said more than words ever could. Mission accomplished for Dad, then – and the perfect way to introduce her to the world I grew up in.

Rosa Dakin encourages families considering the initiative to take up the opportunity, emphasising the programme’s role in shaping the future of female participation in motorsport. So if you are looking for the same way to get your daughter into the sport then the next sessions of DYD days are on April 2nd during Easter – more details on how to book here – with another two sessions planned later in the year if those dates don’t work.

Moreover, the journey needn’t end with one exhilarating day; the programme aims to shepherd more girls like Lottie from initial curiosity to genuine competitive ambition. “We’re aiming to triple our presence at the British Indoor Karting Championship Finals this year,” Rosa added. Stories like that of Ellena Santosh, who rose through the ranks to compete at a national level within a year, highlight the profound impact DYD can have. 

Those who show promise on the introductory days are invited to the DYD Race Academy, where they undergo five progressive sessions aimed at preparing them for the British Indoor Karting Championship. This structure not only fosters skill development but also aims to build a supportive community among the participants. Happily, Lottie got the call to progress, and as it is subsidised by F1 Academy Discover Your Drive Karting UK and Motorsport UK, it remains affordable for a sport which is notoriously expensive to take part in.

The five evenings intensify the girls’ on-track and off-track training. At the Reading track the sessions are led by Kyla, a brilliantly engaging female instructor, and involve more whiteboard discussions about racing lines, apexes, braking and turn-in fundamentals – all with the continuing aim of improving lap times. And lap times are the crucial step to moving the girls towards the BIKC. The hope is that by the end of the sessions, they can set lap times that will be in the top five for the local Cadet category to qualify for regionals and then national finals beyond. 

We are only two sessions in and already opportunities that would never be available during a visit to the local karting track have been presented to Lottie. I’ve never walked the track of my local indoor circuit; never been led around the track by an instructor in a kart in front to show the lines; nor had the chance to stand on the track and spot features that might help braking and turn-in points; nor had cones to mark out best lines – Lottie has enjoyed all these advantages. 

And it is working. Her lap times are getting faster every visit, and getting ever closer to the times needed to start competing in the BIKC. In short, it is a brilliant programme! With another young daughter yet to reach karting age I can only hope this continues as an initiative in the future. Then I can split my chances of being on the pit wall with another Jos, Anthony or John, tickled pink that the bug which has bitten me all my life will do so again with the next beaming generation. 

For further information on what to expect from the F1 Academy, click here