The female presence in motor sports, traditionally considered to be male disciplines, has been increasing considerably in recent years. Spain has a number of female riders who are breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations, both in motorcycling and motorsport categories. In parallel, the world is in full transition towards the decarbonization of the economy. Motor sports are no strangers to these changes and are integrating new sustainability policies into their competitions. Among them, the creation of hybrid or 100 percent electric vehicle championships such as Formula E or Extreme E stands out. In a meeting organized by La Vanguardia and Acciona, the professional drivers Laia Sanz, Sandra Gómez, who is also president of the women’s commission and Marta García together with Nira Juanco, journalist and deputy director of Formula 1 at DAZN who was also the first female journalist to report on the world of motorsports, discussed the new role of women in this discipline and their contribution to the fight against climate change.
The conclusion reached in the talk that took place in the Casa de les Punxes, a building in Barcelona designed by the modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, is that apart from having to continue demonstrating in their day to day that they they can also report and compete on equal terms; All of society in general and the motor world in particular must reflect and move forward to make the planet a more sustainable and equal place. “Being a pilot is not a decision that is made from one day to the next. You are growing and moving up in category. At home they always supported me, although it is true that they were a bit scared the day I wanted to go from trial to hard enduro. And I said ok let’s try it. And I will fail but little by little I am sure that we will improve”, says Sandra Gómez, one of the most important offroad motorcycling pilots in our country. Gómez She was Superenduro world champion, third in the world in the trial world championship and the first woman to finish one of the most extreme tests of hard enduro among many other decorations that fill her track record. In 2022 she contested the Dakar for the first time. Apart from her sporting success, Sandra is also part of the female motorcycling commission that since its creation in 2014 fights for equal conditions for both female pilots and for them to have access to positions of responsibility. “Hopefully one day this commission can cease to exist. There are more and more girls who are interested and who want to compete, but positions of responsibility must be promoted more. There is still a lot of boss with a mentality that is not the one they should have, ”adds the rider from Madrid. “Now it is true that there are more female engineers on the circuits. In journalism there is also a lack of women leading positions of responsibility, but we will get there. All barriers are being broken little by little”, adds Nira Juanco, journalist and deputy director of Formula 1 at DAZN who, since 2009, has been part of the Formula 1 broadcast team at Antena 3.
Next to him sits Laia Sanz. She is undoubtedly one of the most popular and recognized Spanish pilots. Sanz has competed for 11 years on a motorcycle in the Dakar, the toughest rally on the planet. In addition, she achieved an absolute ninth place in 2015, the best result in the history of the Dakar achieved by a woman on motorcycles. In 2021 she did it for the first time in her car A new adventure that, even so, does not make her leave motorcycles definitively, neither trial nor enduro. The support of her family has been her great strength. “I was little when I started racing a motorcycle. And he did it with boys. For me it was very normal. I think my parents were vital, they educated my brother, who is older than me, and me equally. They gave us the same chances. My parents encouraged me to start competing. The shock came when I said that I wanted to go to the Dakar because it was already something much more dangerous. But they have taken it well… based on tilas but well. They like to see me happy, ”says Sanz that she also competes with Carlos Sainz with Acciona in the Extreme E, a revolutionary mixed 100 percent electric off-road competition.
Marta García is in love with motorsports. “I started competing in karting races when I was 10 years old. And yes, I was surprised to hear very macho comments from some parents. If they saw that her son was behind me, they would say: ‘How could it be that the girl won you?’ And when I was 10 years old I thought “And why not?” Little by little I have had to earn respect for being a woman, although it shouldn’t be that way, ”says the Valencian pilot who in 2019 competed in the W Series, where she achieved a victory and finished the drivers’ championship in fourth position.
In 2021 he was unable to participate in the last race of the season. Anxiety prevented him. “I think men don’t talk about anxiety as much. In my case I decided to talk about it because I think it is something that should stop being taboo. You have to learn to channel the pressure”, says Marta. “I felt brutal pressure when I started to dedicate myself to motor journalism. But above all because I put it on myself since when the possibility of her being a Formula 1 reporter arose, no woman in Spain had done it before. I knew that she would receive criticism for the simple fact of being a woman. Luckily there was no Twitter, although Google did exist and comments from anonymous people”, concludes Nira Juanco.
Were we happier without social networks? “It can”, conclude the four speakers with a smile. All of them have decided to disable notifications from their social networks. “There is always the typical comment from an anonymous person who messes with your physical appearance. But you have to learn to laugh and transform that bad feeling into motivation”, says Sanz, a pioneering pilot who opened many doors to the rest. “I am older than the rest, I was a weirdo. That for the sponsors was a good thing. And although I have had a bad time because I have had to open the way, it is true that at some point it has benefited me, ”adds the rider from Corbera de Llobregat, respected and admired by all her colleagues who continue to have a hard time finding sponsors . “We are not seen the same as them.
It is still a very masculinized world,” says Sandra. “The case of Formula 1 is even more complicated. To compete in a Formula 3 championship you still need a million euros and not just anyone can pay for that”, reflects Marta.
We must also reflect on climate change. Among the competitions that watch over the environment, the aforementioned Extreme E and Formula E stand out. The founding mission of Formula E was to achieve a better and cleaner world through street races through the most emblematic cities of the world to show what sustainable mobility is capable of doing and thus bring electric vehicles to the fore. The Extreme E is a groundbreaking 100% electric off-road mixed race that takes the championship to 5 of the places most visibly affected by climate change. It is also the first totally egalitarian motor competition, being made up of mixed teams in which the male and female pilots have equal importance. Acciona, which in 2017 led the first team to complete the Dakar rally with a 100 percent electric vehicle, puts its grain of sand in the Extreme with the aim of helping society become aware of the effects of climate change and the need to speed up the transition to a low-carbon economy. “The Extreme E is a very interesting and innovative competition that sends very powerful messages. Young people are increasingly aware that a message of equality and sustainability must be sent”, explains Laia Sanz, who is participating in this championship together with Carlos Sainz through Acciona. “There are 10 teams. All material travels by ship. And when it comes to teams of two, regardless of gender, we all have the same importance. Each pilot takes one lap. This year with Carlos Sainz we have started very well. We achieved second place in Saudi Arabia with Acciona and we hope to continue like this”, says Sanz.
“In the world of offroad motorcycling we are still a bit behind. In the trial we are a little behind because they are somewhat sensitive to changes. But I have been invited to an electric motorcycle race and I want to try it”, says Sandra Gómez. “If they gave me the opportunity to participate in Extreme E, I would do it without thinking about it. I find it a very interesting competition. I participated in a regularity rally with hybrid cars. Then there is also Formula E which also has its magic. We are changing a little more each time to move towards a more sustainable world and these competitions help a lot”, says Marta .García. “Yes, although it may not seem like it, Formula 1 has also taken steps forward. It started in 2014 with the introduction of hybrid engines. There were certain detractors because the engine sound so characteristic of F-1 cars was not the same. But you have to adapt and we have all got used to the new sound. Now, facing the year 2030, they plan to make 100 percent sustainable biofuel cars. Also in people’s daily lives, we must promote the creation of more charging points”, says Nira Juanco. “You go to Senegal and of course there are no charging points”, reflects Laia Sanz who has good memories of her first participation in Extreme E in 2021. “This year it is being easier because we know the system better. Now we will go to Sardinia and then we have Uruguay and Chile. I’ve been to South America with the Dakar but never with the Extreme E. We’ll see what’s in store for us”, says Laia. They are all clear that countries must continue to move forward to improve in terms of sustainability. “The country that caught my attention the most participating in the Extreme was Greenland. Regardless of the podium we achieved, the melting ice you saw due to pollution hit me a lot. “I am very impressed by Romania because of the amount of garbage there is,” says Sandra Gómez. “We have to start by being sustainable in our day to day”, reflects Marta. The three pilots agree that society is making changes in this regard and the motor world should not be less.
