Alice Powell is creating quite a buzz in the motor sport world. In 2009, aged just 16, she became the youngest ever female driver in the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championships. This year she wrote herself into the history books once more when she became the first female ever to win a Formula Renault race and again when she became the first female to win a Formula Renault Championship.
Powell clinched the top spot in this year’s Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, eight points ahead of Mitchell Hale of Fortec Motorsport. Things looked rocky for a while when Powell was forced to pull out of the Ginetta G50 Championships in August due to lack of funding but it’s all begining to fall into place for the young racer.
It’s been a whirlwind ride and it has taken a while for the 17 year old to wrap her head around the success but she’s getting there. “I’m just letting it slowly sink in. It’s been a rollercoaster year but to come out winning the Championship is amazing.”
Going into the final round of the Championships which took place at Thruxton, Andover, Powell was in second place and believed she had it in her to go all the way. “I had all the information in my head about the track and I knew what I needed to do. I woke up feeling really good and the day ended with my feeling really good!”
The 17 year old competes with Manor Competition who launched the careers of F1 Champion, Lewis Hamilton, and Kimi Räikkönen. There’s no denying she’s in the right place and is even a year younger than Hamilton was when he won his first Renault Championship at the age of 18. “We raced in very similar cars so being a year younger than him is pretty cool!”
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Relates stories:
Motor Racing: Powell sets her sights on gold
Schoolgirl racerAlice Powell’s diary
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Motor racing is one of the few sports where men and women can compete alongside each other, yet it is still very rare to see a woman on the track. Only five women have ever graced the track of a Formula 1 World Championships and only Lella Lombardi, managed to win a point in the World Championships and that was back in 1975.
Fast forward 35 years and Powell is intent on changing that. So what are the biggest challenges facing women looking to break into the elite world of F1? “As you move up the levels, fitness becomes the biggest challenge. I don’t like saying this, but men in general are fitter than women. We’ve got the brains and the knowledge so it’s the training that women need to keep up with.”
Many people may not realise the level of fitness required in motor racing but judging by Powell’s rigorous training regime, it’s a lot harder than many may presume. “I train at Renault F1 where they test reaction times and the g-force. We use a neck machine to build up the muscles alongside running, skipping, boxing and swimming. I train between 5 and 7 days a week, so it’s pretty hectic.”
Keeping up with the tough physical demands of the sport is one thing, having the metal drive is another. “When I used to do karting, there would be dads there who would say ‘come on, you can’t let a girl beat you’ which just made me want to beat them even more! Now that I’m older and have won the Championships, they can see I’m not to be messed with!”
Powell’s dedication to the sport is clear, leaving school after year 12 to pursue her dream. “Leaving school made me more relaxed, before I left it was really hectic trying to fit everything in. I do miss my friends though but everyone, including the teachers, are all really supportive. Everyone is pretty busy with A Levels at the moment but I still get texts asking how it’s going and to congratulate me which is nice.”
So after a tremendous finish to the season, Powell has her eyes set firmly on the future. “Next year I am hoping to do the Formula Renault UK Championship which uses bigger, faster cars than what I’m on at the moment. It’s going to be shown live on ITV4 as well which is great. Long term, the goal is to make it to F1 in four years or so. The drivers getting to F1 are much younger now, they tend to be 21 or 22 as opposed to 25. If I don’t make it, I’ll still be involved in the sport some way but F1 is my ultimate goal.”
Judging by her recent performances, it certainly seems like she’s got what it takes and fingers crossed we’ll be seeing her gracing the tracks of Montreal, Singapore and the like. Move over Hammilton and Button, here comes Alice Powell!
Kirsty Page, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
