The only constant in Motorsport is change as witnessed by results achieved from one race to the next along with who gets to ride, drive and race from one season to the other. Dictated by opportunities to sustain financial backing to race, Motorsport athletes remain at the forefront to fulfill their potential on track solely reliant on who makes it all possible in monetary terms.
From the perspective of Women competing across disciplines, change is the one constant which either fires the soul to realize ambitions, or destroys faith in ability to pull off Brand, Team, Sponsor and product backing. For certain, high performance female athletes have developed mental techniques to cope and deal with changes in plans, which never gets any easier the higher up the Motorsport ladder an athlete climbs.
If the one constant in Motorsport which effects change remains clearly outside the influence of an athlete, reaction followed by adaptability produces best possible outcome albeit on and off the track. From injury, to mechanical break-downs, to race incidents, to changes in Championship schedules – women drivers, rider’s, and racers have adapted by rolling with the punches and making misfortune an opportunity to learn, as opposed to another failure.
Quite some task then. Ask a handful of Women competing on the world stage on how they seemingly rise above disappointment to embrace taste of success all the while experiencing serious meltdown moments of despair when another change occurs outside their perimeter of control. Ask the same females how each has savored opportunities to race – knowing that each time on track clocks up their racing profile – which only lasts for given period of time before window closes and it is time to move on.
The up-shot of making change part of the journey for carving a racing career comes down to developing mental stamina and positive mind-set on what to absorb as a worry, and what to leave out as not relevant for making next career decision.
Take Rally driver Cristina Gutierrez remarkable ability to roll with the punches when #2 puncture occurs racing Round 3 of World Rally Raid Championship in Morocco, or Alice Powell’s dogged determination to re-focus on producing best possible performance on track when mid-season results didn’t live up to her expectations competing in 2022 WSeries.
Or, the calm, composed Dutch Rally rider Mirjam Pol’s decision to foreclose competing in 2021 Dakar Rally due to disrupted financial backing through COVID pandemic, to come out swinging in 2022, not only winning Dakar Rally Women Bike category, but also taking 2022 World Rally Raid Trophy for Women.
When analyzing how the world’s top female driver’s, rider’s, and racers have sustained forward trajectory of their respective careers, it comes as no surprise that these women stay on top of how change affects their abilities on track. These women have developed innate sense of their true value, worth, and skill racing their respective disciplines and no matter what changes disrupt their plans, each finds a way forward over time.
Such tenacity has been developed in handful of females whose own drive to succeed sets precedent on how younger women aspire to achieve goals on the track. For sure, American Sara Price and Australian Molly Taylor have all mental skills to attain greater heights in Rally, and we would love to see both competing in 2023 World Rally Raid Championship in T3 and T4 categories.
Equally, we would all gain inspiration from Spanish driver’s Nerea Marti, and Belen Garcia, along with British talent Abbi Pulling gain opportunity to get behind the wheel in Formula 2 Free Practice session next season – an initiative aimed at levelling the gender gap in formula racing.
From objective stand-point changes within Motorsport are part of the territory which a Motorsport athlete must deal with – male or female. Not only does constant change from one race to the next, from one season to the other strengthen a driver’s, rider’s, and racers resolve to fulfil their ambitions on track, but also adds fuel to the fire on what each wants to achieve for the long term.
From subjective view-point, change prompts greater awareness that racing opportunities, results, financial partnerships are finite, and making the most of each one heralds greater wisdom and knowledge on what decisions will be made next.
Header photo: Ana Carrasco competing in 2022 Moto3 Image: BOE SKX Motorsport Team.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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