Motorsport is slowly starting to make the changes required for it to become a more diverse, equitable and inclusive industry.
Championships like F1 Academy – and its predecessor W Series – are providing some much needed on-track visibility, but there are now a growing list of programmes and initiatives doing crucial work behind the scenes to ensure that progress is being made at every level of the sport.
The work of those organisations spans everything from growing female participation in motorsport, to providing equal opportunities for youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds who want to pursue a career in the industry.
Below, BlackBook Motorsport provides a rundown of some of the leading initiatives driving change in motorsport, including an overview of their founders, mission, and work to date. This guide will be updated and expanded with time to include future purpose-led organisations as and when they are formed.
More than Equal
Based: UK
Founded: 2022
Who are they?
Global independent motorsport initiative More than Equal was founded by former Formula One driver David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komarek. It has a vastly experienced senior leadership team in place, including chief executive Alison Donnelly, as well as strategic advisors Karen Webb Moss and Kate Beavan.
What’s the mission?
The non-profit organisation wants to find and develop the first female Formula One world champion by closing the performance gap for girls and women in motorsport. It looks to do this while identifying and removing the barriers they face within the system.
More Than Equal’s work includes commissioning and publishing new research and using data to identify top female racing talent globally, as well as introducing a high-performance female driver development programme. To download the company’s report into the gender gap in motorsport, click here.
For more information, visit the website.
Racing Pride
Based: UK
Founded: 2019
Who are they?
Racing Pride was co-founded by British sportscar driver Richard Morris to give the LGBTQ+ community a platform in motorsport. The organisation is made up of ambassadors who already have visible roles within motorsport and community champions involved in the wider motorsport and automotive sector.
What’s the mission?
The initiative looks to actively promote and support LGBTQ+ participation within motorsport, as well as encourage greater inclusivity among the sport’s technological and commercial partners.
Its ambassadors and community champions have spoken on-stage at industry events to raise awareness of Racing Pride’s message, while the organisation is also developing a range of diversity and inclusion resources tailored to motorsport.
Racing Pride’s engagement with its partners and with the media is focused on amplifying the experiences of its ambassadors. The organisation looks to work with clubs, series organisers, championships, teams, governing bodies and companies, and has already partnered with the likes of the Alpine and Aston Martin Formula One teams.
For more information, visit the website.
Conversations that change the sporting landscape 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
— Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) June 21, 2024
This Pride Month we spoke to @RacingPrideHQ to understand how their work combined with visible support for the LGBTQ+ community from us all can help to make a real difference for people in Motorsport. pic.twitter.com/Wq3Bgmn42R
Driven By Us
Based: UK
Founded: 2023
Who are they?
The UK-based non-profit’s self-described mission is to empower aspiring leaders from ethnic minorities and underrepresented groups in the automotive and motorsport industry. Chief executive James Dornor has a combined 13 years of experience in the motorsport and automotive sectors, seven of which were spent in Formula One. It also counts motorsport presenters Naomi Schiff and Ariana Bravo among its ambassadors.
What’s the mission?
Driven by the hope that STEM and media roles in motorsport will eventually be more accessible to people of all backgrounds, the community-driven organisation actively provides networking opportunities, career advice, and support for those looking make their way in the industry.
Driven By Us focuses on schools in areas with relatively high levels of deprivation and where educational attainment falls short against the national average. The organisation hosts talks on motorsport to highlight the career opportunities within the sector, as well as interactive workshops.
For more information, visit the website.
Girls on Track
Based: Global
Founded: 2019
Who are they?
Founded by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in 2019, Girls on Track is arguably the most well-known DE&I initiative in the industry. It is designed to empower young girls between the ages of eight and 18 to get involved in motorsport and learn about the opportunities available to them.
What’s the mission?
Sponsored by the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission, the grassroots educational programme introduces girls and young women to the various career opportunities in motorsport through everything from karting slalom and media tutorials to practical STEM activities and fitness workshops.
The FIA has partnered with various series and governing bodies to ensure that the initiative has an impact around the world. The most visible of these collaborations is with Formula E, which is running a Girls on Track event at each race this season after seeing a 140 per cent growth in participants last year. Since 2019, more than 2,000 young girls have benefitted from the initiative and some have even made their way into roles within the all-electric championship and wider motorsport sector.
For more information, visit the website.
Mission 44
Based: UK
Founded: 2021
Who are they?
Set up by seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, the global charitable initiative exists to build a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world. As the only person of colour competing in motorsport’s flagship championship, the Briton has made it his mission to use his platform to make a meaningful difference.
What’s the mission?
The organisation has three priorities. It wants to build an inclusive education system in which every young person is supported to succeed, create opportunities for young people to pursue careers in STEM and motorsport, and empower the next generation to take action and shape the world they live in.
Mission 44 has a network of partners in the UK and has recently expanded its reach into the US and Brazil. One of its many initiatives is the Diversity in Education Fund, which has pledged to improve ethnic diversity in teaching and school leadership over the next five years.
For more information, visit the website.
Today we're celebrating International Women in Engineering Day🎉
— Mission 44 (@mission44) June 23, 2024
“In September, I’m going to start working for Mercedes High Performance Powertrains. I’m really excited to start this opportunity as @mercedesamgf1 is a team that I grew up watching.” Laila, 23 pic.twitter.com/AnRtJ0VIO6
Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA)
Based: North America
Founded: 2022
Who are they?
Co-founded in 2022 by motorsport icons Beth Paretta and Lyn St James, the not-for-profit organisation is a community of professionals devoted to creating opportunities for women across all areas of motorsport.
What’s the mission?
WIMNA aims to create an inclusive environment that enables mentorship, advocacy, education, and growth. As part of that, the organisation holds an annual Women with Drive summit, the most recent edition of which at Phoenix Raceway was attended by more than 450 women and men.
In addition, the group runs a programme called ‘Accelerate Her’, which provides financial assistance to the tune of US$200,000 for women pursuing careers in Nascar-sanctioned series.
For more information, visit the website.
Females in Motorsport
Based: UK
Founded: 2018
Who are they?
Founded by Helena Hicks in 2018, the volunteer-run media platform promotes women in motorsport by sharing their stories. According to the official website, the goal is ‘to inform and inspire those around us about the amazing people working in the industry’.
What’s the mission?
The initiative hopes to use the stories of women across motorsport to inspire others to get involved in the industry. Alongside interviews and blog posts, Females in Motorsport also strives to showcase up-and-coming drivers who are taking their first steps on the motorsport ladder. You can read the collection of interviews here.
For more information, visit the website.
Global Karting League
Based: UK
Founded: 2023
Who are they?
The initiative was set up by ex-Formula One engineer Rob Smedley to lower the financial barriers to entry at the grassroots level of motorsport. Launched in the UK in 2023, the tagline of the Global Karting League is simple: ‘the fastest driver hasn’t yet raced in Formula One’.
What’s the mission?
With drivers competing in karts of equal performance, the electric karting championship ensures that talent comes first. In addition to expert race coaching and data analytics, racers receive STEM training to maximise their potential. The Global Karting League is open to all, from beginners to seasoned drivers.
The organisation is looking to set up two international championships in 2024, with the aim of reaching 50 championships within five years. Already, the Global Karting League has 22 per cent female drivers, which is twice the industry average.
For more information, visit the website.