Veloce Racing goes back to school with Girls On Track UK
London-based squad champions career opportunities for women within motorsport
Veloce Racing’s Dan Bailey, Jamie Chadwick and Mariella Bailey, along with W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir, went back to school yesterday (21 September, 2021) to share their motorsport career advice with students at Epsom College as part of the Girls on Track UK initiative.
The day, which was hosted by the college where Dan was a former pupil, saw 100 girls aged 11 to 14 years take part in a host of fun challenges designed to open their eyes to future career opportunities within motorsport and other STEM-related industries.
Among the activities on offer was a pit stop challenge where the girls got to change a wheel on a race car, resuscitation lesson with Girls on Track UK’s official medic Dr Clare Morden, presenting to camera with F1’s Rosanna Tennant, laboratory experiments using race engine fuel and Lego coding challenges – all of which were designed to show the pupils the variety of potential future career options in this exciting sport.
Veloce Racing co-founder, Dan Bailey said: “It was really special for me to go back to my old school yesterday and talk to the girls there about the many exciting career opportunities that are available to them in motorsport.
“As a brand, Veloce encourages these opportunities as much as we can. This is evident in the two race series that we are involved in – W series and Extreme E – both of which are championing the message of increasing the number of females in motorsport, and that’s not just as racing drivers.
“Jamie [Chadwick] is an excellent ambassador for young women who want to race but there are also many other success stories of careers for females in this sport such as engineering, mechanics, marketing, media and team management.
“This industry has so much to offer but unfortunately has a stigma of being very male-centric, and I am proud to be part of a team at Veloce that is on a mission to change that rhetoric.”
Veloce W Series and Extreme E racing driver, Jamie Chadwick added: “It was great spending the day chatting to the girls at Epsom – it doesn’t feel that long ago that I was sitting where they are and wondering what to do with my future.
“Although I didn’t come from a racing background myself, I ended up in it largely thanks to sibling rivalry between me and my older brother who competed in karting and I was determined to beat him. I feel so lucky that what started as a fun teenage hobby ended up being my career. I took every opportunity that I could along the way, and I was also really fortunate to have the support of my family and my school on my journey.
“I think it’s great that initiatives like Girls on Track UK and championships such as W Series and Extreme E are promoting the progression of females in motorsport, and anything that brings more diversity into racing can only be a great thing. I’d say to any of the girls at Epsom, and anyone else who may be thinking about coming into the industry in the future, ‘if you get the chance, just go for it and jump on in!’”
Mariella Bailey, Team Principal, W Series Veloce Racing, said: “The Girls on Track UK initiative is very close to my heart as I began my professional life working with Susie Wolff when she brought its predecessor Dare To Be Different to life back in 2016.
“I’m a huge proponent of encouraging girls and women into motorsport and it was great to talk to the girls at Epsom about my experiences – we definitely want more females in all areas of this industry and if I can raise awareness of what’s possible for girls by showing them what I’m doing at Veloce, then that makes me very happy.”
About Veloce
Veloce is a London-based organisation that focuses on disruptive areas of the sports and entertainment industries – specifically, esports, motorsport and sustainable, EV motorsport. The brand comprises established professional gaming organisation, Veloce Esports, Extreme E outfit, Veloce Racing and W Series team, Veloce Racing W Series, with all three falling under the overarching Veloce umbrella. As a whole, the business occupies the fastest-growing sectors in motorsport.
Veloce Racing was born from Extreme E’s vision of sustainability-focussed, content-rich and gender-equal sport. The team’s remarkable leadership line-up is spearheaded by legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey and Formula E Champion and ex-Formula 1 driver Jean-Éric Vergne. They are joined by a host of other industry entrepreneurs and innovators who are eagerly awaiting the start of the inaugural 2021 season. Extreme E is an innovative new motorsport championship that sees electric SUVs going head-to-head in areas of the world that have been damaged by climate change or environmental issues.
Veloce Esports is the world’s leading esports and racing growth platform focused on innovation within the gaming, sport, media and entertainment sectors; comprising high-profile drivers, influencers and teams from across the globe. Among them are the official Mercedes F1, McLaren Racing, Alfa Romeo, Sauber and YAS HEAT esports programmes as well as YouTube sensations Tiametmarduk, Aarava, Xpertgamingtech and Lando Norris’ Quadrant channel to name but a few. The organisation’s digital broadcast network, across its various channels, generates in excess of 230 million views per month.
To learn more, please visit: veloce.gg
Sources: George Wilson/MPA Creative