MotorSport

Without any previous motorsport background, Cristiana Oprea started rallying at the age of 23, participating in the Dacia Cup, the grassroots series in the Romanian National Rally Championship. Since then, she has become a trailblazer for women in motorsport, both as a rally driver and the founder of Femei in Motorsport, a platform dedicated to women in Romanian motorsport. She is the first Romanian woman to compete at the World Rally Championships, as well as the European Rally Championships where she finished on the podium.

On the show, Cristiana shares about her journey into motorsport, which began as something unorthodox and unexpected. While studying architecture and urban planning, she found herself behind the wheel of a rally car and knew her purpose was in motorsport. Using sport to break through gender stereotypes, Cristiana shares with us about her platform Femei in Motorsport, which highlights the contributions and work of fellow female racing drivers in the history of Romania. Taking us deep in to her experiences of bullying, sexism and the impact this has had on her life and her mental health, Cristiana’s openness on this reality is a story shared by many women in sport and one that needs to be spoken about. Cristiana imparts the wisdom she has learnt through her challenges and the decisions she had to make to succeed beyond the impact of bullying. Touch the inspirational story of rallying through Cristiana’s eyes and experience the truth about being a woman in sport.

This week I am so excited to once again catch up with motorsport driver Chloe Chong, who was the youngest driver in the Formula 1 Academy in 2023. Racing with Prema Racing last year, Chloe made the transition from karting and progressed throughout the season to have her sights firmly set on the future with F1.
On the show we discuss Chloe’s takeaways from the F1 Academy, as well as the challenges and highlights from the season. We talk about her collision in Barcelona which left her with a sore wrist and only one good set of tyres for the final race day. And we also get in to her meeting with Lewis Hamilton and the now – famous bolt he fixed on her car. There was something specific Chloe had to tell the Formula 1 icon and she shares this on the show. Also, Chloe shares her tricks on how to sleep anywhere (a superpower in my opinion!), and what her and her team mates got up to between races. We also talk about music, and the songs we love. How is Chloe juggling racing and school work? What are her plans for 2024 (a lot will be unfolding in the next few weeks? And of course, I needed to know how is Ellie? Tune in for this enjoyable, behind the scenes conversation.

Morongoa Mahope is a trailblazer and inspiration. She is the first black female superbike racer in South Africa, taking on the tracks and the guys. She is an ambassador for BMW Motorrad, Woolworths and in 2021 she was chosen to be an ambassador for Ducati SA.
On this episode of She Speaks Sport, we talk about the moment Mo found herself sitting in traffic listening to the sound of a passing motorbike. That sound stirred a passion, that passion stirred action and she bought her first motorbike at the age of 30. Three years later she took part in her first race. She shares the memories of that first race, the challenges she has faced, how her three girls feel about their mom racing a superbike and the dreams she has for the future. We also unpack the question of equality and representation for women in biking, along with the question of access, sponsorship and resources as challenges to overcome.

On the show today, I am joined by racing driver Chloe Chong, who has made her debut this year as the youngest driver in the F1 Academy for the Prema racing team.

Chloe started karting at the age of 6 and was selected for the FIA Women in Motorsport Girls on Track Rising Stars, where she made it to the finals to compete for a place on the Ferrari Driver Academy in Maranello. In march this year she was announced as one of the PREMA drivers for the F1A. Chloe shares with us how she found her passion for racing, and how she counts learning and gaining experience as the key components to racing. We also discuss her position in the races at Spielberg and Valencia, and how she handles gender stereotypes and the individuals who insist that “girls can’t race, they should be cooking.” In the second half of the show, racing champion Fabienne Lanz joins Chloe and I to chat through Chloe’s experience as a Rising Star.

What are Chloe’s dreams for the future, and how is the sisterhood and camaraderie between the racers in the F1A? Chloe answers these questions and so much more on the show, tune in and get excited about the inaugural season of the all-female racing series, the F1A!

On the pod today, I am joined by champion racing driver Fabienne Lanz to talk about her upcoming 3-day, racing camp for teen girls and how one girl will win her spot at the camp.

From real kart racing, to simulators, mechanics and food, this camp is for young teen girls who are newbies and experienced racers. Entries for this competition are open until the 22nd of May so tune in and find out how you, your daughter, granddaughter or goddaughter could win her space in this once in a lifetime opportunity for teens. The camp will take place during the school holidays in July, so this is the perfect way to spend some holiday time!