AIRLOCKIssue 01 Adventure is worthwhile in itself 3 The Conversation Lou is an award-winning photographer and part of the Spacesuit leadership team. She is 28 and from Kent, UK. Swedish racing driver Mikaela, 27, is the Continental development driver for the Lou Johnson + forthcoming all-electric rally series Extreme E. Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky Images: Shiv Gohil / Spacesuit Media when I was younger, either. My parents Quattro, crashes and the never forced me to go into it. I tried hand-me-down go-kart go‑karts when I was six. I was very small so I couldn’t reach the pedals. My dad put a piece of wood on the throttle to MAK: My grandfather was a works make it go. But I couldn’t reach the driver for Audi. He helped develop brakes and I smashed into a lamppost! Quattro, which was used in a VW when he raced in the 1980 Paris‑Dakar race – LJ: The first time I drove anything, it and they won! was a golf buggy and I hit a tree. My mum then started rallying. She met my dad, who was also a rally driver MAK: You had a bad start as well! But and the son of another rally driver. we overcame it to do what we love. MAK: I tried Both my grandmothers did at least one go-karts when I rally each. And my brother went from LJ: You and I were both really lucky go‑karts into rallying. For me, there that our parents were so open‑minded. was six. I was very was a lot of motorsport right from the My dad doesn’t realise that a lot of my beginning. passion for motorsport has come from small so I couldn’t him and those early memories. My mum reach the pedals. LJ: I’ve heard of motorsport being in and dad never said… the blood before but that’s amazing! I My dad put a piece put my love of motor racing down to my MAK: …“You can’t do that”… parents, too. of wood on the My dad worked for an Audi LJ: Yeah, or can you be a lawyer or throttle to make it dealership. I spent my Saturdays with something. They just said: “If you want him at the showroom, sitting on his lap to go and take pictures of cars, go and go. But I couldn’t as he drove the cars in and out of the take pictures of cars.” garage. When he attended events at reach the brakes Brands Hatch, I would go along when I MAK: It took six years before I tried go‑ and I smashed into was three or four and sit under the table, karting again. One day, my brother, who doing colouring in. Later, I’d watch the is a year older than me, was selling his a lamppost! races with my face pressed against the first go-kart. I was used to inheriting his window. However, there was a period, old things, like his bicycles. My family maybe between the ages of eight and 15, was having dinner and suddenly I said, where I didn’t really like motorsport. “Aren’t I going to inherit this go‑kart?” My parents were very surprised! MAK: I wasn’t into motorsport at all Surprised but happy. 5 Image: Lou Johnson / Spacesuit Media racetracks. I realised it was always about That happy soul feeling the racing with me and that it always would be. MAK: If you’d have Whatever may be happening in my MAK: I’ll tell you a secret: I’m not so personal life, everything seems to just good with left and right! Especially in asked me three years go away when I’m trackside. It might situations where I’m super stressed. So ago if I would do be raining and I know I could be sat at rallying didn’t seem to be an option for home with a coffee under a blanket, me. But on tracks, I could do lap after offroad racing I would and I think, “Why am I doing this?!” lap with no mistakes, so I thought this is And then the cars come out and I take a the type of motorsport I should do after have said – errr, no. photo and that’s why. go‑karting. But maybe I’m like I can’t quite explain why it drives me My parents told me that if I wanted and why it’s a thing I can’t live without. to race, I would have to find sponsors Pippi Longstocking. Especially now, when I can’t physically myself. I looked at the budgets and I be at a racetrack, I try to remember that realised – phew, formula cars is going to I think: “I haven’t feeling. be tough! I did touring cars, then I tried tried that but I could For a very long time, one of my goals out rallycross and I instantly loved it! was to win the Motorsport UK Young That was the first time I realised I don’t probably do it. Let’s Motorsport Photographer of the Year have to be so super focused on what I award. I won it at the beginning of this have in my mind for the future. I could just try it out and see year and that was amazing and then, also be open to other opportunities. how it goes.” within three months… That’s what happened with Extreme E. If you’d have asked me three MAK: Everything just shut down. years ago if I would do offroad racing I would have said – errr, no. But maybe LJ: Yes – and I’ve realised I can’t live I’m like Pippi Longstocking. I think: “I without racing. It just makes my soul haven’t tried that but I could probably said ten years ago that I wanted to be happy. Does that make sense? do it. Let’s just try it out and see how it involved in electric racing. And now I goes.” adore Formula E. (And that fibre optic MAK: I get the same thing! When I’m shoot turned out brilliantly.) super nervous before a race, I also think, LJ: I’m learning to take that “What’s “Why am I doing this?” But in the race, the worst that can happen?” approach MAK: The world is changing so when everything is going right, I too get too. I get very apprehensive about new much that you have to be open to that ‘happy soul’ feeling. Motorsport is things. Last year, Mahindra Racing opportunities that come to you. Just one of the few things that can make me wanted me to do a shoot with fibre optic look where you are now. I guess you really sad but also one of the few things lighting. I had two days’ notice to figure have had a few struggles along the way, that can make me the happiest person it out. At first, I thought, “Oh no, this so what is it that motivates you? Is it the in the world. is terrifying.” But I am learning to keep passion of doing the job? saying yes. LJ: I totally get that. I couldn’t put it When you try things out, you LJ: I think so, yes. When I did my degree any better. develop and grow. I would never had in photography, I kept ending up at 7 The Conversation Self-acceptance is a beautiful thing MAK: I’ve worked with a mental performance coach since 2017. In the past, if I had a bad weekend, I really blamed myself as if I were a bad person. Then my coach said: “if you had a bad weekend, you are not a bad person. Divide the two. Try to figure out why you had a bad drive; then you can let go and move on.” Of course, it’s still tough but, now, it’s not about me being a bad person or not being good enough. It’s just me having a bad day and that happens. I still know how to drive cars. LJ: In a similar way to you, I focus on the weekend and there’s no outside world really. But if I’m not having a great time of it and I’m stressed, that can show in my work, and then that makes me even more stressed. I hadn’t realised how up and down it would make my mood. I’ve learned that it’s not the worst thing to walk away and have a moment to myself. I call my Spacesuit colleagues and friends and family. I also have a MAK: If you had a counsellor who’s been helping me to rationalise the good points and the bad bad weekend, you points and how I move on. You can’t underestimate how helpful people like are not a bad that can be. person. Divide the MAK: Super helpful. Everyone needs a two. Try to figure mental performance coach. There is so much pressure and you have maybe five out why you had or six weekends a year and you just can’t a bad drive; then have a bad day. My coach helps me think about three you can let go and areas: ‘God’s business’ (things none of us can control, like the weather); ‘their move on. business’ (things others can control, like other racing drivers’ results); and ‘my business’ (things I can control).