Two FIA Girls on Track alumni have turned their passion into profession, securing roles with Porsche Carrera Cup Australia driver Harri Jones at Jones Motorsport.

Queenslanders Emily Stone and Jemma Warburton have been recruited by the two time Porsche Carrera Cup Champion and team principal Jones, to support the family-owned race team’s Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche Carrera Cup Championship campaigns.

Emily has joined as a junior engineer for the team’s Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge program, where she will assist the team in collecting data to help optimise racing performance.

For Emily, her passion for motorsport began when she was studying at university.

“I got into motorsport by joining a university club, which I have been a part of for four years,” Emily said.

“I then discovered and applied for the 2023 Girls on Track program at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix where I first met Charlie Barlow [Development Manager, Motorsport Australia].

“I contacted Charlie after the program to see if there was any chance to gain work experience within a motorsport team, which is how I am here now.”

Jemma is a full-time apprentice mechanic at Jones Motorsport, fulfilling her goal of working within a motorsport team.

“I first started gaining experience by working with smaller teams,” Jemma said.

“At the start of this year, I saw Charlie post that Jones Motorsport were looking for a full-time apprentice mechanic, so I contacted her and was lucky enough to be accepted.”

Originally, Jemma was interested in motorsport media but then discovered she truly enjoyed the idea of motorsport mechanics.

“I have always had a passion for taking photos,” Jemma explained.

“When I decided I wanted to work in motorsport, I had seen a female mechanic working on a car at an event and thought that is cool, I want to do that instead.”

Like Emily, Jemma began her motorsport journey through the Girls on Track program.

“I started off by going to a Girls on Track media session that I found on Facebook,” Jemma said.

“Whenever there was a Sydney program, I would go to meet people and gain as much experience as possible.”

Emily and Jemma both stress to young, aspiring women the importance of putting yourself out there to begin a career in motorsport.

“I joined my university motorsport club and the Girls on Track program on a whim,” Emily said.

“When you see an opportunity, you should just go for it.”

“My advice is to start small,” Jemma said.

“Start working in small teams to gain experience and then build your way up to larger teams.”

Harri Jones shared his thoughts on Emily and Jemma’s commitment to the Jones Motorsport team.

“Over the last few years witnessing the Girls on Track program and seeing how many passionate young women are eager to get into motorsport, I thought it was a great opportunity to give these girls experience within a motorsport team,” Jones said.

“We desperately needed staff, and these girls wanted jobs, so it seemed like a natural fit.

“It’s been such a pleasure having Emily and Jemma on our team, and in a short period of time, they’ve become integral to our operations.”

Jones is impressed with how well the girls have adapted to their roles.

“What these girls bring is a passionate approach to their work, along with a lot of initiative,” Jones said.

“We can trust them to handle tasks independently, and they deliver exactly what we ask.

“Both of them are adding real performance to the team, and overall, that’s helping us achieve results on track. They’ve been a fantastic addition.”

For those inspired to pursue a motorsport career like Emily and Jemma, Jones’ advice is to put yourself out there.

“For anyone interested in motorsport, male or female, don’t be afraid to reach out,” Jones said.

“There are so many teams in Australia eager to hire staff, with many pathways for mechanics, engineers, and media roles, even within grassroots motorsport.

“If you start small, you can work your way up, with opportunities to progress to Supercars or even Formula 1.”

The Girls on Track – Empower program is the perfect pathway for those who aspire to have a career in motorsport.

This initiative targets young women aged 18-22 years old, offering participants exclusive insights into the teamwork, event coordination, and innovation that drive the motorsport industry.

If interested, join the Girls on Track mailing list to receive information on upcoming events in your area.