The FIA Girls on Track program has received a major boost ahead of this year’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, with Formula 1 team Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to support the Motorsport Australia-run program.
The program will take place on the Thursday of the Australian Grand Prix and will see 20 young girls experience a range of activities at Albert Park with a focus on career development and mentoring.
Included in their jam-packed schedule will be three hours with the Swiss team, where they will get exclusive access to the team’s garage.
As part of their visit with the team, the lucky participants will get a guided garage tour of both the team’s entries, watch crews practice pit stops and enjoy a meet and greet with the team’s two drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
As one of the women employed by Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, Partnership Manager & Sustainability Specialist Almira Tabakovic is looking forward to hopefully inspiring the next generation and to helping facilitate the three-hour exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN garage.
“Girls on Track is a fantastic initiative, and we are thrilled to be able to support it as inclusivity is some-thing we firmly believe in at Sauber Motorsport,” Tabakovic said.
“Not many people have the opportunity to get behind-the-scenes access to a Formula 1 team and we’re very excited to welcome these young women and hopefully inspire them to want to forge a career in motorsport.
“Of course, it’s easy to read about what goes on or see some of the work happen on television, but to see it up close and right in front of your eyes could ignite a spark.
“With our headquarters being based in Switzerland, we haven’t had many opportunities to get involved with the program, so we are more than happy to get behind it in this occasion.
“Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN has quite a few women working with the team, including Australian Krystina Emmanouilides, and it will be quite special for them to be able to share their stories with the group, so this will be a great opportunity for our staff as well.”
Photo: Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN
The special tour won’t be the only opportunity the girls will have to spend with Emmanouilides, with the CFD Application Engineer to also feature in an exclusive panel discussion alongside Australian rally and off-road star Molly Taylor.
Participants will also complete multiple activities throughout the day including a workshop delivered by Australian FIA Girls on Track ambassadors Jessica Dane, Shannen Kiely, Nadine Armstrong, Emma Notarfrancesco, Kate Peck, Romy Mayer, and Emily Duggan. The girls will also enjoy a special networking lunch with women within the industry.
Following on from the Australian Grand Prix, five lucky girls will then get the chance to directly engage, network and converse with the ambassadors and champions, as well as other women in motorsport, who will act as mentors for helping them pursue their careers.
The FIA Girls on Track career development and mentoring program and Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN tour will take place at this year’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix on Thursday 7 April.