This has been a year when sport couldn’t stay contained in its ‘bubble’, and many figures across motor racing have made their stances clear over greater issues such as the ongoing fight for equality.
Part of The Race’s contribution was our Hidden Voices podcast series.
Presented by Claire Cottingham, it focused on motorsport trailblazers whose stories put the spotlight on diversity – and its challenges – in the industry.
“Hidden Voices uncovered untold stories that showcased diversity in motorsport, the challenges that these brave people have faced and how things have improved over recent years,” said The Race’s founder Andrew van de Burgt as he picked the series as his favourite part of our 2020 content.
You can check out the whole series here, and we’ve also selected a few episodes below for you to enjoy again or sample for the first time.
The DTM trailblazer who lost an F1 chance
The series opened with Ellen Lohr – still the DTM’s only female race winner – sharing tails of her rise, including the obstacles she faced and the Sauber Formula 1 test chance that she was on the brink of before Karl Wendlinger’s horrific Monaco 1994 crash forced a change of plan.
Charle Martin on how her transition was received
Groundbreaking transgender racer Charlie Martin spoke candidly in episode four about the reaction in paddocks as she returned to motorsport following her transition, revealing the pain of being snubbed by a close friend and mentor but also the “pivotal” support she received from rival racers.
“A driver called me a fat f*gg*t”
Ahead of his return to F1 in a new role with Aston Martin, Matt Bishop recounted his experiences of being the only openly gay man in the F1 paddock in his time as editor of F1 Racing and then as McLaren’s communications chief.
Other episodes of the series include:
MotoGP helmet technician Francis Bradfield on the lack of racial diversity in his paddock
Tetraplegic racing driver Nathalie McGloin on taking on able-bodied rivals and surprising Kimi Raikkonen on an F1 podium
Spacesuit Media on the challenges of making a mark in motorsport as a non-white-owned business
W Series rookie and Grand Tour test driver Abbie Eaton on how female driver coaches are received and how her sexuality has been received in motorsport
