“We’re all driving the identical automotive on the identical monitor. It’s who wins on the finish of the day.”
Ella Lloyd, 19, is becoming a member of one of many largest System 1 manufacturers on this planet and stated the illustration would get extra ladies into the game – each behind the wheel and behind the scenes.
An achieved athlete in snowboarding and present leaping, Ella, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf is becoming a member of McLaren for its 2025 F1 Academy season.
Regardless of her success, she nonetheless will get “combined views” from males within the sport and hopes her place and an upcoming Netflix series following a few of her friends, will assist overtake stereotypes.
Ella solely began driving two years in the past however has already competed in races everywhere in the world, securing 4 podiums in her final F4 season.
In 2025 she’s going to symbolize McLaren the place she will likely be one in every of 22 drivers aiming for fulfillment.
She stated: “Its an incredible alternative to be concerned with McLaren and to be on the event programme.
“It is a full feminine grid to attempt to promote females in motorsport, not simply in driving however as engineers and so forth.
“Its going to be a giant soar, not by way of automotive, however simply being in F1 and the media however I am prepared for it.”
The Netflix collection will observe a few of Ella’s friends of their races and private lives and will likely be produced by Reese Witherspoon’s firm Hi there Sunshine.
Ella isn’t within the programme however stated the illustration to get ladies in sport was essential for F1’s future.
“There isn’t that many females at a excessive degree so there aren’t many [women] to search for and say ‘I need to get into it,’ however F1 Academy is creating that.
“Seeing females compete, particularly on the F1 weekend, is certainly going to make younger females get into it.”
She stated, regardless of proving their place, ladies nonetheless struggled to get the help of a few of their male friends.
“I’ve been competing in opposition to males this complete 12 months on F4 and its been fairly constructive and I’ve had fairly a number of podiums so there isn’t a purpose we can’t be pretty much as good and even higher,” she stated.
“While you’re out on monitor they in all probability don’t like being handed by females however whenever you’re on the monitor overtaking you are all there to do the identical factor.”
Getty PhotosRegardless of this, she stated doesn’t really feel the stress: “My objective is to go to F1 however I’m simply making small steps every time I get within the automotive to edge my manner nearer and nearer to the objective.
“It will be fairly superb to get that prime [to race in F1] and it might encourage extra ladies to get into motorsports. Not simply driving however the mechanics and every thing.”
‘Mam nonetheless plaits my hair for races’
Ella places in loads of hours of coaching however stated she couldn’t do it with out her household, who come to each race and monitor day to help her.
They even have their very own particular routines.
“My mam plaits it in two plaits so it goes immediately between my backbone… She has at all times plaited my hair since so it is type of a convention now.”
Her father Chris Lloyd is a Paralympic skier who was paralysed from the neck down after a rally car accident in 2011.
She stated he has at all times inspired her sporting ambitions.
“My household are at all times there with me no matter I’m doing. I am unable to thank them sufficient.
“He [dad] nonetheless will get very nervous once I get within the automotive. I don’t assume he likes it very a lot simply in case one thing occurs.”
In a job with a lot travelling, Ella stated she at all times makes certain to go dwelling when she isn’t testing, however she admits she doesn’t “miss the rain”.
