National College For Motorsport is breaking down barriers for female race technicians of the future

The National College for Motorsport, part of The Bedford College Group, is celebrating a record-breaking intake of female students  with 28 new starters studying to become racing technicians in the motorsport industry.

Located at the renowned Silverstone Circuit, the College has long been recognised for providing world class training for aspiring race technicians with many former pupils now working for F1 teams like Red Bull Racing, Aston Martin and Mercedes to name just a few.

Despite having the highest number of females joining the College this year, Head of The National College for Motorsport, and former F1 mechanic, Justin Downard explains that getting their female students’ jobs in the professional motorsport industry can still present  a challenge.

He said:

“Whilst we have come a long way in the professional motorsport industry, our female students still struggle to get hands on race technician roles despite having the same qualifications and experience as their male counterparts.

“We see a lot of great work being done with the F1 Academy to open doors for female drivers.  But we need something like the F1 Academy driving change and creating more  opportunities for females to work on the cars as race technicians. We need to better understand what the barriers are and how to break them down, so our female students have the same opportunities as our male students once they have their qualifications.”

Students at The National College for Motorsport gain hands-on experience with race teams, workshops, and trackside operations, preparing them for employment in professional motorsport environments. Graduates go on to work with high-profile racing teams in championships including Formula 1, Formula E, and British Touring Cars.

Justin added:

“It’s fantastic to see more women progressing into Formula 1 and other areas of motorsport, it really shows young women that they can do it, that this industry isn’t just for men. We’ve had some incredible female students over the years who’ve already gone on to make their mark, including those working with Carlin and as number two mechanics in Formula 2 but we need more of these success stories, and the industry needs to play their part. Here at the National College for Motorsport, everyone is treated equally, our team work hard to make sure of that. If students are passionate and willing to put in the effort, nothing should stand in your way, whatever your gender.”