[woodcote]

When I was growing up, Michèle Mouton was driving (and winning) for Audi and it didn't cross my mind that women shouldn't be racing drivers. Having an icon at the top of the sport would certainly help now, but it isn't easy. I like what Karun Chandhok said a couple of years ago...

If motorsport is ever going to achieve its full potential as a product, it needs to appeal to – and be inclusive of – the widest possible demographic. That means it’s just as important to engage women as it is men, and the best way to do this is to have more women in the sport with a high profile. Having team bosses in Formula One like Claire Williams and Monisha Kaltenborn is great, but I think it needs a female driver to really crack things open.

People laughed at Bernie Ecclestone when he suggested an all-female F1 series, but I think he’s on to something. The elite level is not the place, but if you had a girls’ karting series in the serious motorsport countries, which allowed the best young females to get used to winning before they go up against the boys, then they’re less likely to be intimidated when they encounter the ‘I’m not being beaten by a girl’ attitude that, sadly, still exists.

The big barrier could be the parents. The dads that can indulge their sons’ interests in racing do. Would as many do it for their daughters? Or would they try and encourage dancing, or swimming, or something else with strong female role models? This is probably generational, but if we can break the mould and get rid of this ‘racing isn’t something girls do’ attitude that still exists, then in 10 or 20 years’ time, maybe this won’t even be an issue.

One of the great things about our slot car club is that the blokes and the boys have been beaten by girls and women for years and potential new racers can see women in the winners' pictures a few times each year. And if a mum brings along their kids to race, they race too - we don't accept the attitude that 'racing isn't something women do'.