Motorsport UK harnesses Girls on Track UK to launch Girls Mentoring Scheme with BWT Alpine F1 Team

Thursday 06 April 2023

Motorsport UK is delighted to collaborate with BWT Alpine F1 Team to create a new Girls Mentoring Scheme.

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Girls Mentoring Scheme, developed together in partnership with Motorsport UK and Girls on Track UK, aims to provide a support network for young girls looking to pursue a career in motorsport.

The Girls Mentoring Scheme forms part of the Alpine Rac(H)er Programme, which was launched last year, with the aim of increasing diversity and investing in female participation at all levels of motorsport, from aspiring drivers to future engineers.

Motorsport UK harnessed the highly-engaged community of its Girls on Track UK platform to identify the girls entering the programme. Thirty young school girls were selected from secondary schools around the country to visit BWT Alpine F1 Team’s factory in Enstone, Oxfordshire, to meet with their chosen mentors.

The girls were divided into two groups and took part in various activities throughout the day, including a sit-down discussion with their dedicated mentor. The girls were also taken on a special guided tour of the factory where this year’s A523 Formula 1 car and future car concepts are developed.

During the mentoring sessions, female members of BWT Alpine F1 Team spoke with the students to give them advice and guidance based on their own experiences and career path. Following the initial meeting, each mentor will stay in regular contact with the girls, providing updates and checking in on their progress. Motorsport UK will also source feedback from the girls to tailor future intakes.

Speaking about the Girls Mentoring Scheme, one of the girls commented: “Arriving at Alpine today, I was unsure about what to expect, but after meeting with my mentor and seeing the inner workings of an F1 factory, it’s exceeded all of my expectations. I really liked seeing the Race Operations Room, especially, and viewing the cars up close in the race bays. It’s certainly given me extra determination to work in motorsport.”

Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers, commented: “We are delighted to work with Alpine to attract and support more diverse talent in the sport. The Girls on Track UK programme has built a strong, engaged community that is determined to show that history does not necessarily shape the future. Mentorship is an incredible opportunity for girls considering a career in motorsport to talk to other women who have experienced its extraordinary advantages and challenges. We hope initiatives such as this continue to open the sport even further and we look forward to contributing to future initiatives utilising the Girls on Track UK platform.”

Claire Mesnier, Human Resources VP at Alpine, said: “The objective of the Girls Mentoring Scheme is to provide young girls with a positive role model, someone they can look up to and learn from. From what I saw today, I think it was a huge success and we hope the girls can really benefit from it. I’d like to thank our team at Enstone, Motorsport UK and Girls on Track UK for their continued support and I look forward to developing this partnership in the future. The Girls Mentoring Scheme also forms part of the Rac(H)er Programme and reinforces our commitment to diversifying our workforce and providing equal opportunities for everyone.”

About Girls on Track UK

The Girls on Track UK programme is a joint initiative between the FIA and Motorsport UK. Uniting Susie Wolff’s ‘Dare to be Different’ initiative (founded in 2016) with the FIA’s ‘Girls on Track’ programme (founded in 2019), Girls on Track UK creates events to inspire girls and women into seeing and believing that there is a rightful and valuable place for them in the motorsport industry.

In addition to running events to inspire the younger generation of females, Girls on Track also has a free to join online community for women of all ages. The ability to meet other members, both online and at networking events, allows members to connect with other women who have a passion for motorsport, ask advice from one another and showcase their successes to inspire others.