Susie Wolff - The Trailblazer for Women in Motorsports.
This week we have a guest blog from a young woman who is passionate about motorsports! Muntaha Naushin is based in Bangladesh and watches Formula 1 and other motorsport competitions all over the world. We are really pleased that Muntaha has written for us. If you’d like to write for us, get in touch! Caroline@wearegirlsinsport.com
Female fans have always been told by the gatekeepers of any sport that it's a man's world and that they do not belong here. For fans of motorsports and Formula 1 in general, Susie Wolff has been the phenomenon who changed the sport for the better and sent an important message to everyone watching that woman do belong in motorsports and they are here to stay.
Susie Wolff is still the last female driver to have taken part in an official F1 weekend when she drove the Williams FW36 by Williams Racing at the British Grand Prix of 2014. She had previously competed with people like Lewis Hamilton and Paul Di Resta - who would later go on to become great F1 drivers - in the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2003 with Wolff even finishing on the podium in third ahead of Di Resta in Round 11 of the series.
Susie Wolff with Lewis Hamilton
Susie Wolff after motor racing
A year after she had hung up her racing boots and helmet in 2015, Susie Wolff joined the Channel 4 media team covering Formula 1 events in 2016. Wolff became an important part of the team as an analyst for their Formula 1 coverage.
Susie Wolff, then, took up the role of Team Principal at Formula E team Venturi Racing in 2018 and still occupies the position having achieved much success. In fact, under Susie Wolff's administration, Venturi Racing experienced its most successful Formula E campaign this 2021 season with one of the team's drivers, Eduardo Mortara finishing second in the drivers’ standings. The team finished the season with 146 points.
FIA Girls on Track
As a woman in motorsport, Susie Wolff is also the co-founder of Dare to Be Different, now known as FIA Girls on Track. The organisation's main aim is to increase the participation of women and especially, young girls under 18, in motorsport. The initiative hosts events all over the UK and invites girls to participate in various motor racing-related activities. Former Williams Formula One Team Principal Claire Williams, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes and former F2 racing driver Tatiana Calderón are all ambassadors of the organisation. With the help of FIA Girls on Track, young girls seem to have found a new way to get into motorsports – huge credit to Susie Wolff for making this happen!
Susie on the podium
Along with being an ex-racing driver, current Team Principal and co-founder of an organisation, Susie Wolff is also a mother of an adorable 5-year-old and married to Mercedes F1 Team Principal Toto Wolff.
Thank you Susie for all you’ve done and we can’t wait to see what 2022 holds.
Thank you Muntaha! Great to learn more about Susie and share it with our community!
Photo credit Venturi Racing