Q&A: Chair of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission
The global labour force participation rate for women is just under 47%, compared to 72% for men according to the International Labour Organisation.
In many fields, including STEM, women’s representation drops further, particularly at senior levels.
The global motorsport industry generates nearly US$188bn in annual gross output and supports millions of jobs according to EY-Parthenon research.
A significant portion of motorsport fans are women, but participation across all roles remains low.
Burcu Cetinkaya Bonnet, Chair of the Women in Motorsport Commission at the FIA, is looking to change this.
She shared her expertise with Sustainability Magazine.
What unique challenges do women and girls face in motorsports?
The biggest challenge is a lack of representation. As we know, not many women make it through the pyramid – whether that’s as a result of lack of opportunity or poor funding for female motor sport.
It is not easy to enter a room and be the only woman there – or to take on a new sport without having someone to look up to or inspire you.
That is something that I am always thinking about in my role as the Chair of the Woman in Motorsport Commission. Being present and visible can be so powerful and make a genuine difference to those considering a career in the space.
How has your career in motorsport been impacted by your gender?
At some competitions, I felt that I had to do more to prove myself as a female competitor. But for the most part, my gender has not been a barrier to success.
I’ve won the Turkish Ladies Rally Championship eight times, and I am really proud to have been the only woman to be on the general classification podium in Turkey, receiving the WRC Abu Dhabi Special Award in 2010 in the World Rally Championship by placing 12th overall. I finished the Qatar Rally Championship as vice champion in 2012. But I don’t want to be in a minority – I want to see other women go on to achieve these kinds of accolades.
I recognise that my experience has been very unique. For many women, a career path in motor sport can be challenging, with barriers such as low funding, poor sponsorship or even discrimination. It’s vital that both men and women come together to tackle these challenges and ensure equal opportunities for everyone within our motor sport ecosystem. That is what the Commission is dedicated to doing – but we need more voices and more action to drive real change.
Off the racetrack, being part of women in motor sport communities has allowed me to connect with some absolutely brilliant athletes, engineers and teams behind the scenes and I love working with these amazing people to shape a more inclusive future for our sport.
What is the FIA doing to address these challenges?
The FIA is committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive future for our sport.
Our Women in Motorsport Mentoring Programme helps to connect established mentors with those looking to grow or build a career in motor sport. To date, we’ve brought over 400 mentoring pairs together and helped hundreds of women to learn more about the range of career pathways in the sport. Being a driver is just one of many amazing routes into this industry.
Our FIA Girls On Track scheme enables girls aged 8-18 to learn first-hand about the breadth of roles they could pursue in motor sport and to network with women who are already established in the field. We host events alongside several Championships – including World Endurance Championship, World Rally Championship, Formula E and with Formula SAE (Formula Students).
The FIA Women in Motorsport Commission contributes to all 10 FIA sporting committees, helping to shape the conversation across every discipline as we look to the future of our sport.
What are the impacts of the FIA Girls on Track programme?
We know that change starts at the grassroots level. If we can inspire young girls today, then we can help to build a more inclusive motor sport for tomorrow as the next generation of talent comes through.
The FIA Girls On Track programme has grown significantly over the past year. In 2024 we hosted 25 events in partnership with Formula E, as well as at the FIA General Assemblies in Kigali and the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia. In total, the programme opened up access to over 2,500 girls for behind-the-scenes action and learning opportunities.
This year, we are going even bigger. We have partnered with the World Endurance Championship, the World Rally Championship, KUMHO FIA TCR WT and Formula SAE to roll out a more expansive roster of events. And just recently, we launched our FIA Girls On Track Esports Cup, a talent detection programme designed to help us find the next female motor sport star through Esports competition – an exciting new venture which also integrates innovation and technology.
Where do you see women in motorsports in the future?
I look forward to the day when we achieve parity within motor sport at every level from grassroots to professional racing. We are seeing positive change already within our initiatives and in the teams I work alongside every day.
I’m particularly grateful for the leadership of our President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has made big strides forward in driving equality within our sport, including by making two of his seven female sporting vice presidents women. We are focused on driving this trajectory forward and continuing to open up the industry to the amazing female talent coming into motor sport.
