2023 season – what changes will there be for Women in Motorsport? Analysis of achievements this season have re-written course of history for those women winning and re-defined the challenges women face to race across varying Motorsport disciplines.
More specifically, Championships which have established career pathways for Women driver’s, rider’s, and racer’s, providing secured Rounds with Media and promotional coverage have developed credence as viable discipline to race one season to the next. All the while, newish Championships have punched above their weight in more ways than one, aiming to establish niche Series within highly competitive industry.
FIM Women Motocross World Championship, The Dakar Rally, America’s GNCC WXC, FIM Women Trial World Championship, WSBKSSP, and Moto3 have opened windows for women to pursue and perfect their skills on the track, with many winning Titles from founding year to present day.
Significant milestones this season are: Nancy van de ven won her first 2022 WMX Championship making the total of 6 Champions to win the coveted Title from founding year in 2005. With 5 Rounds providing women opportunities to race, and develop skills against the best rider’s in the world, younger riders vie for top honours as witnessed by 20 year old Lynn Valk, who finished 2022 WMX Vice-Champion.
Spanish driver Cristina Gutierrez achieved monumental victory in 2022 Dakar Rally and 2022 World Rally Raid Championship becoming the first women to stand 3rd and 2nd on podium overall in T3 category respectively. With Dakar Rally (founded in 1977) included within 4 Rounds of 2022 Rally Raid Championship, and increased to 5 Rounds for 2023 season, women have taken up opportunities to race the world’s premier off-road Rallies in categories ranging from Bike, Car, Lightweight Prototype, SSV, Quad, and Truck.
With seasoned and experienced Legends competing in Dakar, such as Laia Sanz, Camelia Liporati, Mirjam Pol, Annett Fischer, and Annie Seel, a new generation of rider’s and driver’s, including all female Teams have ramped up profile of women competing across varying off-road categories. Not only does The Dakar and World Rally Raid Championship offer level playing field for women to race – given success is defined by who crosses the finish line- but also provides women opportunities to race while simultaneously marketing Brand vehicles competing over varied terrain.
2023 World Rally Raid Championship ventures to the America’s with Round 3 Sonora Rally in Mexico and Round 4 Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina opening up entries for women and Brand categories to race outside Europe, prior to Final Round of Rally du Maroc in October ’23.
Staying state-side, America’s Grand National Cross-Country Series, established in 1975, has enabled women to rise in the ranks of the country’s highest profile Championship competing in the WXC class from 2002 to present day. With total of 7 WXC Champions, including 2022 Title going to New Zealand’s Rachael Archer, the 13 Round Series has increased viability of women to sustain a racing career both on and off the track. From competitive perspective, women race in varying categories from Amateur to Pro, and from professional perspective, women earn financial salary which markets and promotes Brands, products, and industry providers to all watching – which is thousands.
FIM Trials Women World Championship has set precedent on providing women rider’s opportunities to showcase their performance and technical craft from the founding of the Women’s Series in 2005. Spain’s ‘Dakar Legend’ Laia Sanz has won a total of 14 FIM Women Trial World Championships, with British rider Emma Bristow winning total of 8 – with 7 consecutive Titles from 2014 – 2019 and again in 2022.
Indeed, competing in Trials GP’s has enlisted females to develop broader range of bike skills which have transitioned to competing in FIM Trials Des Nations representing their respective country’s, Enduro, Hard Enduro, and The Dakar Rally. Fellow compatriot, Spanish rider Sandra Gomez epitomizes the levels of adaptability required to sustain racing careers, as member of Spain’s winning Team in Trials Des Nations 5x, along with becoming first female to finish Red Bull Romaniacs Gold Class in 2021.
Women competing in WSBK SSP, WSBK SSP300, and Moto3 have endured mega challenges to gain financial resources to race. To date, 2022 marked stand-out confirmation for Ana Carrasco to return to the Moto3 paddock, after proving her worth winning WSBK SSP 300 World Championship in 2018. Equally, Spanish rider Maria Herrera has accumulated wealth of knowledge, race-craft and technical know-how competing in Moto3 from 2013-2017, WSBK SSP 300 and SSP from 2018-2021, and Moto E from 2018 to present day. Both women have turned their racing careers into reality, given the extreme challenges each has faced.
Recent Motorsport Championships which have opened windows of opportunities for women to race, notably WSeries – founded in 2019 and Extreme E debut year in 2021. Both Series tackle the overwhelming challenge of enabling women the chance to further develop their race-craft, with WSeries aligning with Formula One as support category this season and Extreme E pitching the new era of sustainable racing using all electric cars.
For certain, both Championships have broken traditional barriers which have backed gender preference to race behind the wheel. WSeries all-female Championship has allowed talented driver’s such as Jamie Chadwick, Alice Powell, Beitske Visser, Abi Pulling and the remaining 18 grid line-up to prove each can sustain performance under pressure, against highly competitive field.
Extreme E has taken gender balance as prerequisite to race the Series, not only levelling the playing field on track, but also highlighting the era of making Motorsport supportive of social, economic and cultural causes around the world. Definitely, the Series driver’s of Catie Munnings, Sara Price, Molly Taylor, Cristina Gutierrez, and remaining 6 women on the line have matched their male counterparts.
Sustaining viable, secured, and financially backed Women Motorsport Championships has proven records in the history books. Longevity counts for plenty. So to does fresh perspectives on which Championships will succeed in the future.
Women have innate sense on what to race, when, and how benefits of each Championship will sustain forward momentum of their respective careers. And, women also have the ability to take a chance when opportunities are presented, as each knows time on track remains cornerstone to securing next step up proverbial motorsport ladder.
Header photo: Nancy van de Ven winning 2022 WMX Championship Image: MXGP.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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