FIA WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT SEPTEMBER 2017 – ISSUE 13 DEVELOPING SPA TREATMENTS AUTO Nathalie Maillet, CEO of Spa-Francorchamps has big plans for the legendary Belgian circuit PG 6 JAPAN’S 11-YEAR-OLD WONDER GIRL Record-breaking youngster Juju Noda is powering towards single seater glory WOMEN IN PG8 CORAL’S RARE GIFT REWARDED Rally star Coral Taylor on being inducted into the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame PG10 MOTORSPORT DEVELOPING FUTURE TALENT FIA wins EU support for new programme to boost female participation in motor sport AUTO+WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT AUTO+WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT Welcome to this latest edition of the FIA’s AUTO+ Women in Motorsport newsletter. In this edition we bring you news of a major new driver development programme being initiated by the FIA to encourage young women to participate in motor sport. Thanks to securing EU funding through the Erasmus+ programme, the Federation will launch the FIA European Young Women Programme at next year’s Geneva Motor Show, in conjunction with nine partners from around Europe. You can read the full story of this exciting project, based around ‘arrive and drive’ karting slaloms, by turning the page. Elsewhere, we hear the incredible story of Juju Noda, a Japanese girl who is breaking track records in F4 at just 11 years of age and who is now targeting a move to F3 machinery. Off track, we speak to Nathalie Maillet. CEO of Spa-Francorchamps about the challenge of running one of motor sport’s most famous venues and her plans for a connected future. We also examine the progress of rising female stars in a variety of different disciplines from karting to rallying and rallycross. Finally we get technical with World Touring Car engineer Julie Despagnol and we talk to rally CONTACTS: IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS legend Coral Taylor about her induction into the ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER OR Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame. Enjoy the STORIES FOR THE NEXT ISSUE, WE read! WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. E-MAIL [email protected] Your AUTO+ team 2 3 AUTO+WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT AUTO+WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT “Aside from providing an experience in a kart, the events will for the Law and Economics of Sport), which will deliver a also highlight road safety initiatives, open up the work of the crucial aspect of the project. A sociological analysis by CDES FIA, our ASNs and motor sport in general to a new and young will support and analyse the success of the programme and audience, and potentially encourage females to get involved in make recommendations to the sport’s stakeholders on how to any number of different areas. The opportunity for us to really increase their level of female participation and help fight gender showcase motor sport to youngsters is very exciting and there stereotypes. This report will become the reference document for is every reason to believe we will attract a new generation of the project. women in motor sport.” During the autumn of 2019, the FIA will organise its final The eight ASN partners involved in the project are: Royal event, report on the outcomes of the project to the European Automobile Club of Belgium (RACB); AKK-Motorsport Institutions’ officials in Brussels, and host a spectacular karting (Finland); Deutscher Motor Sport Bund E.V. (DMSB, Germany); demonstration involving the European Team selected during the Knac Nationale Autosport Federatie (KNAF, Netherlands); project. Polski Zwiazek Motorowy (PZM, Poland); Federação Portuguesa de Automobilismo e Karting (FPAK, Portugal); Slovenska Click here to watch the video. asociacia motoristickeho sportu (SAMŠ, Slovakia), and Svenska Bilsportförbundet (SBF, Sweden). In addition, the project will be academically partnered by CDES-PROGESPORT at the University of Limoges (the Centre The new FIA Programme will involve karting slaloms such as those staged at FIA Regional Sport Congresses. FIA Women in Motorsport gains EU Erasmus+ support and launches driver development programme The FIA, along with nine partners, has been selected to receive Day – at the Geneva Motor Show. EU funding through the Erasmus+ programme, which will The two-year project is based on a cost-effective, ‘arrive and enable its Women in Motorsport Commission to implement a drive’ karting slalom format, a new concept currently being competition model for the promotion and development of young developed by the FIA whereby a small tarmac area in a central women’s involvement in the sport at grassroots level. urban location will be set up with marker cones to create a The FIA European Young Women Programme will also slalom course. contribute to the advancement of the FIA’s educational and During the first year the karting slalom events will be social roles, and support ASNs with their efforts to raise promoted to young females between the ages of 13 and 18 at a awareness of gender equality and increase female participation national level within eight European ASN partner countries. in motor sport. At the beginning of 2019, the three fastest girls from each “I am delighted the European Commission has recognised country’s events will then pit themselves against each other at our strong commitment to the further development of women the European Final for the chance to be among the six drivers in motor sport, as well as our pledge to on-going education, selected for the European Team who will attend the FIA Driver training and community responsibility,” said FIA President, Jean Training Camps, where they will be supported by the FIA Todt. through a sporting and educational programme. “The stereotype that motor sport is the domain of men should “This is an enormously challenging European project we have not be alive in this day and age, and it is an anomaly the FIA been working on for over two years and I am delighted we have has been striving to adjust since the creation of the Women in received this support, allowing us to realise our ambition,” said Motorsport Commission in 2009. Michèle Mouton, President of the FIA Women in Motorsport “This is an exciting and ambitious project, one I heartily Commission. support, and one that needs a long-term approach to be as “We want to help detect new female talent by creating events impactful as possible. If we can share a successful event model that are fun and accessible to a wide female audience, as well as with the IOC and other international federations, collectively we being affordable and easy for an ASN to run,” she added. “This can make a significant impact on the involvement of women in format of event, with identical regulations and track layout, set sport worldwide.” up in highly-frequented locations, meets those objectives and The new FIA European Young Women Programme will be hopefully hundreds of girls will be inspired to come along and officially launched on 8 March 2018 – International Women’s give it a try during these karting slalom weekends. 4 5 like using 100 horsepower of 1,000 available. It’s a big challenge. Here we have a lot of women that come to the track at the end Is your idea to let the race weekends look after of the day but they don’t drive themselves. There is a lot to themselves but to focus on times when the circuit communicate. First, we have to make sure that the woman who comes here, if she doesn’t want to drive all day, if she wants to isn’t hosting a series? do something else, we have to create a mix and make sure she No, not at all. It’s about everything, looking at every aspect. For comes with the kids. We want to target kids as well – education in me, it’s important to have a good show for the fans but afterwards driving. Suzuka does that very well, for example. we are here for the whole year and then we have to make sure we I’m going to Suzuka this year and I would like to bring back can entertain clients, at the track or from far away. elements of what they have. A lot of women like speed, they really We can be real partners with the promoters, but I’m always like racing but we have to start from track days and develop the searching for a good show. And that good show can be on two business. wheels or four wheels. As we have a big background in two wheels, that is interesting Is your side of motor sport – the business and us at the moment. We are studying the various aspects of bringing administration side – a good sphere for women to two-wheel racing back here, because we had really famous races in the past, such as the 24 Hours of Liege. It’s a race I would like get involved in? to revive. Since I’ve been here I had a lot of women joining the team. Because they say it’s a woman in charge at the circuit, so why not Has it been difficult in any way being a female come and work for the circuit. Now we have women asking to circuit CEO? Motor sport remains a very male- work with us and they are saying, you’re turning the circuit into half women, half men. We have a good balance now. dominated industry, especially at executive level. Not really. I consider myself to the same level as a man; there are If you look five years into the future, what will Spa no differences. be like? [As for women in motor sport]: I started very late in racing, so 15 years ago and then I could say there were 20 women in In five years’ time, I hope we can get two and four-wheel races, Developing Spa treatments the world racing [at a good level].