The event marked the second edition of this important focus point for Women in Motorsports, with the initial conference having taken place in the Lahti region, Finland pre-pandemic in 2019. Moreover, this was yet another occasion when the FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission and the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission have joined forces to advance gender equality and increase female participation both on and off track.
The main objective of the latest Women in Motorsports Conference was to bring together key individuals who continue to work towards developing greater diversity in motorsports across various sectors such as volunteering, engineering, team management, medical and safety personnel, and athlete welfare.
Sharing the same common goal on both two and four wheels, Nita Korhonen – FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission Director and Deborah Mayer – FIA Women in Motorsport Commission President opened the conference with powerful addresses to illustrate the progress that has been made in including women at the top table in the industry.
Following the open speeches, Iris Kramer – former FIM Women’s Trial World Champion, Ruth Buscombe – Strategy Engineer Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, Andrea Coleman – Founder and CEO of Two Wheels for Life, Midori Moriwaki – Founder and Team Principal MIE Racing, Alice Powell – British Racing Driver, Friné Velilla – MotoGP Media Manager at Dorna Sports, Carol Glenn – Clerk of the Course, Michael Laverty – Ex-MotoGP Rider, BT Comms, Team owner and Kiara Fontanesi – former FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion, Claire Johnson – Founder of Naked Warrior, Dr Dominic O’Dowd – FIM Doctor, Tim Nagle – Miller Insurance, Sports & Entertainment, Flavia Fernandes – Hankook Tire & Technology, Alice Menin – Team Manager Iron Dames took to the stage to talk about a full spectrum of topics related to progressing Women in Motorsports.
The day was concluded with a joint press conference Mohammed Ben Sulayem – FIA President and Jorge Viegas – FIM President who were joined by Deborah Mayer and Nita Korhonen.
The conference was supported by Hankook Tire Europe, Miller Insurance Services LLP and WebsEdge as partners of the event.
FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “The FIA, under my leadership, is committed to supporting and nurturing women in motorsport. Together with partners like FIM, we are striving to make a difference. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lies at the heart of the FIA manifesto. Growing women’s involvement in motor sport is vital in achieving the goal of doubling motorsport participation worldwide. And it’s not just about driving. We want to encourage women to be involved in engineering, executive roles, volunteering – there are a range of opportunities in motorsport. We have also launched the FIA Engineering Academy which is open to male and female students. For the FIA, EDI is also about geography and economics. We want youngsters in Asia and Africa for instance, girls and boys, to be able to have the chance to try karting. We have to find a way to make that possible – projects like the Affordable Cross Car Initiative which we launched at our Annual General Assembly in Bologna last week, are designed to encourage inclusivity and accessibility.”
Introducing the Conference, FIA Women in Motorsport Commission President, Deborah Mayer said: “This joint conference fills me with joy, pride and hope for the future of women in Motorsports. It brings to light the long standing and successful partnership between FIA and FIM Women in Motorsport Commissions. Our commitments are driven by passion and the will to bring more and more women in motor sports. We intend to develop partnerships with other international federations, as a team we will be stronger to have a wider representation in every sphere of our sports. Motor sport is all about performance and step by step we are demonstrating that there are no insurmountable barriers for women. I would like to thank all that made this event possible, our speakers, partners, and the Royal Automobile Club in London. That this club, which embodies the history of motor sport, welcomes us so warmly means a lot to us.”
During the closing comments FIM President – Jorge Viegas (attending remotely) said: “Today has once again confirmed the strong collaboration between the FIM and FIA and how powerful this can be in terms of real and measurable progress in terms of making the world of motorsports welcoming and accessible to everyone. Our respective Women’s commission remain committed to improving gender diversity within our sport, huge steps have been made but much more is still to be done. This conference is an important tool in raising awareness of the work being done in this regard, so in the future we can share a more equal world and industry.”
Reinforcing these words FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission Director, Nita Korhonen explained: “Everyone who has been involved today can be immensely proud of their contribution in showing that there are multiple ways to be involved in the wonderful world of two- and four-wheel sports. We along with our colleagues at the FIA will continue to do our joint utmost to achieve a more gender-diverse and equal world. Finally, on behalf of the FIM I would like to thank the FIA, the Royal Automobile Club, our partners, and speakers.”
Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club concluded: “As a founder member of the FIA, plus our constant involvement with four and two wheels, it was a pleasure to host the conference and dinner at the Club today. I have been following the conference today with great interest. The energy and enthusiasm during the discussions both in the room and online proves the opportunities for women in motorsport are enormous – both on and off the track – and long may it continue.”