Women have made a name for themselves across motorsports as their determination, skill, and passion break down barriers and shatter stereotypes in this high-speed field. Here are some powerhouses to keep your eye on this racing season.
One of the world’s leading female athletes, Ana Carrasco became the first woman to score points in the 2013 Moto3 World Championship at the age of 16. Not shy of setting the record, Carrasco became a world motorcycling champion in her 2018 season at the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship, the first woman ever to do so. After proving herself in the SSP300, Carrasco returned to Moto3 in 2022 and she will race for the BOE SKX team in this year’s Moto3 championship.
Another notable motorcyclist to watch is 26-year-old Maria Herrera. In 2021, Herrera entered MotoE as the only female rider in the electric category. She ended the 2020 season of MotoE with two top-10 finishes and closed out the 2021 season in the points at the double header in San Marino. Herrera made history in 2022 as part of the first team comprised of only women in a Grand Prix, in collaboration with Angeluss, and the MTA Moto3 team. In the 2023 MotoE electric series, Herrera will compete for the Aspar team for the fifth consecutive season.
Professional U.S. racing driver and mechanical engineerSabre Cook realized her passion for motorsport when she began karting at the age of eight. This quickly transitioned to racing in Formula Enterprises, Spec Racer Ford, and USF2000 in 2017, and since then, she has gained international recognition for her skill. At Circuit of The Americas in 2021, she became the first female driver in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama to have a podium finish. Cook was named as the first recipient of the Porsche Motorsport North America and Deluxe Corporation’s new female driver development program and secured her spot in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup after her win at the all-female driver shootout hosted by Kellymoss. Catch her take to the track for the Porsche Cup’s support race during the 2023 Formula 1 Lenovo United States Grand Prix.
Chloe Chambers began racing karts at 8-years-old and 9 years later she competed with the Jenner Racing team in W Series, the Formula racing series for women. After its 2022 season ended abruptly, Chambers ensured her racing career persevered, joining the 2023 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship with Giles Motorsport. In the New Zealand-based series, Chambers made history, becoming the first woman to start from pole position and win a race in the 18-year run of the series.
A fan favorite in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, Filipino driver Bianca Bustamante is a force to be reckoned with. Just last month, Bustamante signed with PREMA Racing for the recently launched F1 Academy in its inaugural season. Formula 1 is using this program to provide women in racing a platform and opportunity to grow their skills on and off the track, which Bustamante believes will bring her “one step closer to [her] F1 dreams.”
Another woman in the motorsport world is British race car driver and seven-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Pippa Mann. Not only is Mann the first female racer to score points in a World Series by Renault, but she is a co-driver in various endurance racing series across America and a race-winning coach. In 2021, her and her teammates won their class in the ADAC Total 24-Hour race in Nürburgring. Mann, among other female motorsport competitors, is an Athlete Leader of Shift Up Now, an organization with a mission to ensure more female drivers are given the opportunity to earn top seats. Motorsports covers a wide range of series, vehicle types, and tracks, but each requires serious skill and strategy that knows no gendered boundaries. These women are just the beginning of a powerful movement in the racing community.
