FIA Girls in Motor Sport Fee helps subsequent era of feminine karting expertise
The Fédération Internationale de l’Car (FIA), the worldwide governing physique for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has right this moment introduced that the FIA Girls in Motorsport Fee will assist two younger feminine drivers to compete on this season’s FIA Karting Academy Trophy.
Emma-Rose Dowling will race within the OK-Junior class (12–14-year-olds), whereas Eva Dorrestijn will race within the all-new senior age group (14 – 16-year-olds). The senior age group has been newly established this yr, and the WiM Fee has expanded its assist to this bracket to additional encourage younger drivers on their journey in the direction of skilled competitors.
The competitors is a serious alternative for any aspiring race driver – with former opponents together with F1 stars Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Esteban Ocon.
Dowling and Dorrestijn may have entry to mentorship and assist from WiM Fee members, in addition to the chance to have their outcomes shared with a longtime international Fee.
Initially from South Africa, Emma-Rose Dowling is at the moment Championship chief for the Junior Max Rotax Sequence Championship in SA, and a competitor within the Champions of the Future Sequence (OK-N Class). She beforehand competed in Mini Max (Rotax Sequence) and Mini ROK (ROK Sequence), the place she scored 15 podiums and eight wins. Emma-Rose has been an integral member of the Toyota Gazoo Junior Racing Academy since 2022, and in July 2024, she was the one South African to be nominated to attend the Iron Dames Younger Skills choice course of.
In the meantime, Eva Dorrestijn is a 15-year-old Dutch driver. In 2024, she positioned eighth within the IAME Sequence Benelux, and was named IAME Benelux Finest Woman. In 2023, she was a finalist for FIA Ladies on Monitor Rising Stars, the FIA’s feminine expertise improvement programme which propelled Maya Weug, Aurelia Nobels, Alba Hurup Larsen and Doriane Pin, amongst others, to skilled careers.
The FIA Karting Academy Trophy season will begin with senior races on the Kartodromo Worldwide do Algarve, Portimao, in Could, adopted by junior races in Valencia later that month.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, commented: “The FIA is dedicated to creating alternatives for feminine drivers at each stage – from grassroots to skilled competitors. Constructing an inclusive setting is important to the long-term success of motorsport. Initiatives like these assist us to seek out, promote, and champion the easiest expertise – and be sure that our sport continues to develop in accessibility, providing the chance to younger folks from a spread of backgrounds, and permitting us the chance to nurture their expertise and obtain recognition.”
Burcu Cetinkaya, FIA Girls in Motorsport Fee Chair, stated: “I am actually excited to be celebrating these younger drivers, and the Girls in Motorsport Fee is raring to assist them in constructing their stellar karting careers by way of to even better skilled alternatives. The Fee was impressed with the extent of expertise displayed within the choice course of, so each drivers deserve actual congratulations for this achievement. We stay up for following their progress.”
