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Women in Motorsport: Claire Williams and Susie Wolff

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 22 Sep 2013   Posted by Cheryl Tay


In the six decades of Formula One history, there has only been five female drivers. Currently, the closest to a Formula One female driver is Susie Wolff, 30, the development driver for the Williams F1 team. However, while the next female F1 driver may not be coming along anytime soon, there has been an increasing female present in motorsports in general.

For example, we have the first female F1 team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, heading the Sauber F1 team. Then there is also Claire Williams, 37, daughter of Sir Frank Williams, with her appointment as the deputy team principal for the Williams team.

While some people might say that Claire got there through the personal connections, it was actually completely unplanned.

Speaking at the Women in Motorsport Singapore conference on Thursday evening alongside Susie, Claire said, “I never thought I would be in this position. As children, we were never given the impression and it was never on the cards. I was fine going out to make my own way and never had any expectations. To be honest I wasn’t aiming for a career in motorsports. To be honest, I did not necessarily know what I wanted to do and it was by luck that I got my first press job in motorsport.”

Claire’s motorsport career began when she joined Silverstone Circuit as a press officer in 2000. She later joined the Williams team as their communications officer in 2002 and was promoted to head of communications in 2010. After Williams floated on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in March 2011, Claire took on an additional role as head of investor relations. She was appointed Director of Marketing and Communications in April 2012 and in March this year, Claire stepped up to her current position.

Claire Williams_new-herowide

Motorsports is a male-dominated world, but Claire has never experienced any discrimination nor feels any disadvantages.

“If you are good at your job, then gender doesn’t come into it. Gender shouldn’t matter as long as you do your job to the best of your abilities,” she explained.

While it is largely male, there is a place for women in motorsports.

“There is this perception that Formula One is very male-dominated but when you walk down the paddock, there are copious amounts of women. The numbers are growing! Five years ago we didn’t have any female engineers at Williams but today we have eight. The balance is changing and with the likes of Susie and Monisha, we hope to inspire more women to come into F1. Not just as press officers or marketing, but on the engineering side too,” Claire added.

More initiatives are being taken in modern times to encourage more women into motorsports. For example, the FIA Women & Motor Sport Commission (WMC) was created in December 2009 with “the aim of creating a sports culture which facilitates and values the full participation of women in all aspects of motor sport”.

Women in Motorsport ambassador Susie emphasised on the importance of support and sticking together.

SetWidth638-Screen-shot-2013-03-11-at-13.13.36

“We are not just getting more women to drive, but getting women into motorsports in general. We are not creating a feminist movement and saying we want to show the men what we can do. Rather, we are sticking together to support each other. I love to see other successful women! Sometimes women are the worst in criticising each other, so really, the role of WMC is to show women that there are many possibilities in motorsports,” Susie explained.

Susie’s racing career started with karting at the age of eight – where she then went on to win numerous awards for being the top female karter in the world – before progressing to Formula Renault, Formula Renault and Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). In April 2012 she was confirmed as development driver for the Williams team.

In July this year, she got her first real challenge when she went for the Formula One Young Drivers Test at Silverstone. She ran on the final day, driving 89 laps in total and was ninth quickest overall with a time of 1:35.093 seconds, 2.2 seconds off the top time posted by Sebastian Vettel. On the combined timesheet, she was 23rd overall, about a second off Williams race driver Pastor Maldonado.

Married to Toto Wolff, executive director of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team and also a 16% stakeholder in the Williams team, Susie often gets comments about how she got to where she is because of her husband.

However, she does not let that bother her.

She mentioned that women naturally have 30% less muscle than men, which means women have to work harder at their physical fitness.

Certainly, it has not always been easy for Susie and she nearly gave up at certain points of her career. She shared how she broke her ankle in 2006 and lost her drive in Formula 3 after losing a sponsor. At that time, she was “very much on the brink wondering whether it’s time to quit”, even struggling to pay her rent at the end of the month. She had left university to go racing and she was almost at wit’s end, but something inside her told her to keep going. Boy was she glad she did not quit, as her life changed tremendously in six months when she became a works driver for Mercedes-Benz and raced in DTM.

“Things can change very quickly, so don’t give up, believe in yourself and in your dreams,” she advised.

Although she feels that she should have left DTM earlier, Susie is happy with where she is now.

“I don’t have any plans as I’m a great believer in taking the path that life takes you. I don’t see myself racing in my late 30s, as we hit our peak at some point. I love what I do now and I still feel there’s more to achieve but I do want have kids in the future. I definitely don’t want to have kids in the next two to three years, as I’m too egoistical now to have kids and I’m travelling too much. I don’t worry about it too much or have a timeframe as the path will become clear,” she elaborated.

Likewise, Claire wants to get married and have kids in the future, but she will probably need help when that time comes. Fortunately, her boyfriend Andrew Murdoch works in Formula One too (as Pastor Maldonado’s race engineer) so they get to see each other often.

Ultimately, as a woman in motorsport myself, I do agree with Claire on the part about how gender should not matter even in a male-dominated industry. To add to that, I think it takes a lot of courage for them to step up to major roles in Formula One and hopefully we will see more women taking on senior management positions in the sport soon.

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Written by Cheryl Tay

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  • About Cheryl Tay

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    First establishing herself in the world of cars and motorsports, Cheryl Tay is a sports and fitness blogger who advocates living an active and healthy lifestyle. Founder of body image movement Rock The Naked Truth, Cheryl overcame over a decade of eating disorders and is now passionate about helping people with similar struggles. She also has a running club ROCKrunners and a tri-enthusiast club ROCKtri.

    Rock The Naked Truth encourages others to be comfortable in their own skin and to learn that there is more to life than just being a slave to the numbers on your scale. Truly, life has more meaning than just forcing yourself to look good - it's most important to be happy and feel good about yourself!

    Previously...
    > Fitness columnist for Yahoo! Sports
    > Founder of ELITE (fitness competition)
    > Motoring writer for TODAY
    > Columnist for Rev / Run magazines
    > Official photographer for ONE Championship
    > Media manager for Formula Drift Asia
    > PR manager for PETRONAS Syntium Team
    > Business development for Kartright Speedway
    > F1 youth speaker for Singapore GP
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  • cheryltaysg

    Work hard but remember to set aside time for leisu Work hard but remember to set aside time for leisure too! It has taken me 35 years to find a decent work-life balance, between work, play, fitness and personal.

I used to be a full-on workaholic, working every day till late, eating rubbish and not exercising. And then I was trying not to eat so I could be skinny. And then I would fall very ill when my body snaps because I wasn't resting enough.

I've since learnt that we need to take care of ourselves properly, because work is important yes, but the effects of overworking and too much stress are very detrimental, especially in the long term.

Quality of life, always remember to enjoy quality of life!

P.S. Little Oli's face is everything!

#beachday #bikiniempire
    Been a while since I’ve gone on the ground to sh Been a while since I’ve gone on the ground to shoot and report on sports! I love watching sports and this has been such an amazing experience.

I can't help tearing up when I see dreams being made and broken. These SEA Games athletes are fighting so hard and leaving nothing behind. You can see the highs, the lows and the unexpected.

The emotions in sports are so raw and pure, and that's why I love sports. You can't cheat the feelings.

Go Team Singapore!!!

#sportplussg #seagames2021 #seagames #sportphotography #teamsingapore
    TOP 5 TIPS TO SAVE WATER! Tip #1: Cut your shower TOP 5 TIPS TO SAVE WATER!

Tip #1: Cut your shower time by 1 minute and save 9 litres of water.

Tip #2: Save 11 litres of water when you rinse your teeth with a mug instead of using a running tap.

Tip #3: Use reduced flush for liquid waste and save 1.5 litres per flush. 

Tip #4: Save 14 litres when you wash vegetables and dishes in a filled sink instead of under a running tap.

Tip #5: Do not use the washing machine for just a few pieces of clothing.

Did you know that the BMW Group powers production of two of their electric vehicles, the BMW iX and BMW i4, entirely with regional green hydroelectricity?

We recently went down to the NEWater Visitor Centre and learnt a lot about water conservation. There are also a lot of mind-blowing facts - pre-COVID, we use 145 litres of water per person per day (as seen in this photo), but during the pandemic when everyone was home, that number went up to 158 litres 😱😱😱.

Watch the video to learn more mind-blowing facts!
    Got to hang with @sweetvarnvarn this week! She is Got to hang with @sweetvarnvarn this week! She is really fun, friendly and I wish we had more time to go out and play. Next time! Perhaps I need to go to Thailand hmmm...
    WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE FOR OUR WEDDING! This is s WE FINALLY HAVE A DATE FOR OUR WEDDING!

This is super exciting, after all the hurdles we have had to overcome. From being turned away by venues, to not being able to do a wedding because it has to be ROM registered due to COVID-19 restrictions, to finally, finally being able to hold our wedding because private events are now allowed.

YAYYYYYY!!!

Our union may not be legally recognised in Singapore, but we still want to get our nearest and dearest together in the name of love. Can't wait to celebrate our love and share this special occasion with y'all!

P.S. for those asking, we will get our paperwork done somewhere overseas at some point.

#TaykeMeHuangMoreTime

Gown: @thegownwarehouse
Suit: @stitchedsg
Makeup: @clarasongmakeup
    What a wet weekend! Got drenched while riding yest What a wet weekend! Got drenched while riding yesterday and then ran in the light rain today.

But I didn't mind today's run at all because it was a bagel run! That is, we ran from home to CBD to get breakfast. Today we got bagels!

And then cabbed home, not run home, in case you're wondering lol.

#RoadToBerlinMarathon #wetweather #runintherain #runtobreakfast #iloverunning
    Bikini Empire beach day, extended pack! Thank good Bikini Empire beach day, extended pack! Thank goodness we had such good weather yesterday and also happy that we don't have group size limits anymore!

I love that we can bring our dogs to @olabeachclubsg so that they can hang with us, nawwwwww.

Swipe to see all the nonsense we were up to!
    If you know me, I love my snacks - A LOT. And some If you know me, I love my snacks - A LOT. And sometimes the guilt does get to me. So I'm glad that I have found plant-based snacks, without the guilt, with the same pleasure. This really helps as I'm trying to cut down on the bad stuff as my training picks up. These Nuggets, Bites and Strips are from FIRST PRIDE and are entirely made of plants. Best part, they taste like the real thing. Whuuuttttttt!

These have a three-step coating so it has maximum crispiness, meat-like texture made from plants so they feel like your usual nuggets and they have 0% trans fat. You won't even realise they are made from plants honestly. In addition, they make for a good source of protein and fibre.

Available at FairPrice, CS Fresh, Giant and RedMart, these are going at a promo price of $6.95 per packet (from 12 – 25 May). More details at @firstpridesg!

#FIRSTPRIDESG #SOOOGOOD
    New HM PB!! Put on a little bib for the first time New HM PB!! Put on a little bib for the first time in over two years for the Shufflers invitational half-marathon event and omg I was feeling a bit nervous, so silly.

It was more of a time trial than a race for me (because I wasn't gonna win) so I just focused on pacing and running my best.

Man, it really hurt! I haven't been running this distance much, so by the 18km mark my legs started to fade and I could see my pace dropping.

But I've already come so far, so I just sucked it up and somehow managed to make it to the end.

Really happy with my time - my fastest HM ever I think. Woohoo! Thank you to the organisers for the effort and to the volunteers who made this event run so smoothly.

Woke up this morning with sore legs but with a silly grin on my face, because I've missed this feeling!

144 days to Berlin Marathon.

#roadtoberlinmarathon #bmwxcheryltay #halfmarathon
    It costs $0.00 to be grateful for what you already It costs $0.00 to be grateful for what you already have. Stop looking for greener grass - the grass is only green where you water it!

#showgratitude #beachday
    You probably have seen this photoshoot that I rece You probably have seen this photoshoot that I recently did for @shiseidopro_official, where I was very fortunate to have had a team of professionals glam me up for this.

1 hair stylist, 2 make up artists, 2 stylists, 1 photographer + assistant, and of course the client team and the agency team. Totally made me feel like a superstar for a day!

You know what? The younger me would have killed for this opportunity.  I suffered from various eating disorders so I could become skinny and I really, really wanted to become a model.

Swipe to see my journal entry where I talked about how badly I wanted to be one and get in print ads and do TVCs, how I still felt I wasn't skinny enough, and how insecure I felt about myself. It's crazy!

Oh if I could talk to my 21-year-old self I would tell her how amazing she is and how she doesn't have to be skinny and become a model to prove her self-worth. Somehow I kept thinking that if I became thin, I would be better accepted and being a model would validate my existence. No gurlllll you already are enough!

BONUS - swipe to see some of my photos from my modelling days back then. WHO IS DIZ?! I did get some jobs here and there, but they weren't big jobs. @thehuangergames had a good laugh at these pics, but hey we were all young once ok!

#rockthenakedtruth #loveyourself #bodypositivity #selfworth #theyoungerme #throwback
    I used to hate my legs, thinking they were thick a I used to hate my legs, thinking they were thick and huge and ugly. I hated how my shorts would keep riding up between my legs because I have no thigh gap. I hated how I looked terrible in short shorts because my legs just looked fat.

But now I'm proud of these legs. They can do so many things and right now they are training for a marathon, on top of achieving many other things that I like to do like cycling and swimming and wakesurfing and taking long walks.

So don't hate your legs or any part of your body. It's yours!! It doesn't have to look a certain way because who gets to decide how it should look?!

#thiccplease #rockthenakedtruth #nothighgap
    This is probably the best and only proper photo we This is probably the best and only proper photo we got that day, because with @jyanyoga and @constancelaujm always goofing around, it's hard to get a decent pic.

Swipe to see what I'm talking about.

Still, always happy for time spent with these siao zhabors!

#beachday #bikinigirls #sunsandsea #blueskies #fitgirls #bikinitime
    I'm always up for anything interesting so when @sh I'm always up for anything interesting so when @shiseidopro_singapore gave me this opportunity to get creative with my hair, I was like, BRING IT! Totally loving this split-coloured hair with the magenta shade that is new to their ULTIST by PRIMIENCE range.

This hair colour formula is developed for Asian hair and has COLOR-in-CORE Technology that locks the colour into the core, so it really brings out the shade you want. I also like how my hair does not feel dry at all, which is a big thing for me when I colour my hair.

I get that some people cannot be too wild with their hair because of work, but a shade like that is not too loud and probably more palatable for the office? So, go on and get creative with the new trend shades from ULTIST - and ask for a split colour like mine!

#ShiseidoProfessionalSG #PRIMIENCE #ULTIST #BeautyStreamSS2022 #SpectralAllure 
#TogetherWithBeautyCreators #BeautyCreators
    The latest Honda Civic, which is in its 11th gener The latest Honda Civic, which is in its 11th generation now, is something I was curious to try as this is the successor to the Civic that I currently own.

For starters, the new Civic has a cleaner look but the interior is where the difference is greater. The cabin ambience feels more upmarket now, with premium features like wireless charging, a bigger 9” screen that sits atop the dashboard and a honeycomb mesh that runs through the dashboard and conceals the aircon vents.

One thing that stood out is its 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that is now the only engine variant that the Civic is available in, in Singapore. Mine is the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, so I’ve really missed driving a turbo with its quick pick-up.

But I feel the biggest thing to note about this 11th-gen Civic is the range of safety tech features. It has adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist to prevent you from veering out of your lane, collision mitigation braking that alerts when you get too close to the vehicle ahead, and something called the LaneWatch system which essentially is a camera under the mirror of the passenger door that shows you what is in your blind spot when you are turning left. With all of these, you have less excuse for bad driving behaviour.

I definitely enjoyed this zippy drive and I had a lot of fun!

Engine: 1,498cc turbocharged inline 4
Power: 129PS at 5500-6000rpm
Torque: 180Nm at 1700-4500rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable
0-100km/h: 10.5 seconds
Price: S$143,999 with COE*

*A low downpayment option is available, starting from only S$14,400. You may leave your details at https://bit.ly/11-CivicSG to find out more.

#HondaCivic #Civic #Builtaroundyou #KahMotor @honda_sg
    Rented a motorbike for a week just for fun, before Rented a motorbike for a week just for fun, before I start my Class 2 lessons next month. Oh how I've missed the feeling of the wind on my face! And of course it has to be a sports bike. Can't afford a sports car so sports bike it is!

Taking my motorbike licence at such a late age in life feels like some kind of mid-life crisis for a need for speed you know hahaha. I first took 2B lessons in 2010 but gave up then, which I regretted, but it's ok NEVER TOO LATE!!

#motorbike #bikergirl #yahamaR3 #sportsbike #class2a
    We finally got blue skies for wakesurfing! OK in t We finally got blue skies for wakesurfing! OK in this photo the cloud cover came but I swear there were blue skies, just swipe to see the rest of the photos haha.

I am really grateful for my life, that I get to do this; for my friends, whom I can do this with; and for my body, that allows me to do what I want.

🙌🙌🙌

#wakesurfing #blueskies #watersports #dreamwakeacademy #fitgirls
    Saturday night boxing! Was wondering if I would r Saturday night boxing!

Was wondering if I would run into any friends there and I'm glad I did yayyyyyyy.

#boxing #superdrysg #fjbenjaminsg #fitnessclass #workoutime #fitpeeps
    After two rained-out Saturday mornings, we finally After two rained-out Saturday mornings, we finally made it out to ride with @teamfugu!

It's been a full Saturday for me from 4am to 10pm and I'm ready for a good sleep. Tell you more tomorrow!

📷: @tubberchubbs
    Excited to announce that I'll be racing the BMW Be Excited to announce that I'll be racing the BMW Berlin Marathon this year!

2022 is the year I'm on a mission to do better - for myself, the environment and those in need.

I'll be representing BMW Group Asia in the BMW Berlin Marathon, which is a World Marathon Major and the exclusive slots are usually via ballot. It will be my first WMM and I'll also be raising funds for the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

I recognise that environmental and social sustainability are essential for our future, so to do better for the environment, I'll be embarking on beach clean-ups and other conservation activities with BMW Group Asia and you can join us too. Stay tuned for more updates on how you can do your part.

It's gonna be an exciting year, I can feel it!!

Come on, do it with me and make this year YOUR year as well. Time to set some goals!

Shot by @jerrytangcl
Edited by @thehuangergames

#berlinmarathon #bmwgroupasia
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