Scotland’s Susie Wolff made strides as a trailblazing racing driver in a male-dominated field – but it’s now off the track where she’s aiming to accelerate change

Lead image credit: F1 Academy LTD / Parc Fermé

It’s hard to imagine an event that matches the high-octane thrill of motorsport. The exacting skill, emotional twists and turns, speeds often exceeding 200mph – and the jet-set association. Think Formula 1, and who doesn’t visualise grid glamour, A-list celebrities taking in a Grand Prix and champagne-drenched podium celebrations.  

If watching it unfold trackside – or on Netflix’s hit series Drive to Survive – gives an unparalleled buzz, how electrifying is it to occupy that coveted driver’s seat? Of course, there’s a thin line between electrifying and terrifying when you’re hurtling round a track experiencing a unique level of G-force. 

Breakneck speed coupled with masterful precision – and an abundance of inner drive – brought Susie Wolff to her standout status as Scotland’s greatest female motor racing driver. Once named the best female kart driver in the world, in 2014 she became the first woman to take part in an F1 race weekend in 22 years. After trailblazing on the track for several decades, she is now passing the baton to the next generation as the managing director of F1 Academy. The great racing hope for young, female drivers hoping to progress through motorsport’s ranks, it’s the ultimate exposure to the realm of elite racing. 

When we chat, Wolff is fresh from appearing at this year’s Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York. Although primarily based in Monaco with her family, Wolff’s life involves a lot of whizzing round the planet. 

“I don’t really love routine – and there’s not a lot of it in this job. This week we have a test programme in Navarra in Spain, with 18 young rookies trying out for the grid next season. In between, we have meetings around the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. The disadvantage of racing sometimes is that you can be in Shanghai, let’s say, but you only really see the hotel, the airport and the racetrack. It’s a fast-paced way of life, but we’re used to it.” 

Let’s backtrack briefly. I’m always fascinated by what it takes to reach stratospheric levels in a chosen passion – particularly in a male-dominated industry, with no obvious signposting from those who have gone before. What fuelled that determination, and where did it all begin?  

“In Oban, Scotland!” she says, with a nod of pride. “I had two parents that really supported each other. My dad lifted up my mum. She raced bikes, she had her own business, and I grew up seeing a mother who achieved on her own. My brother is 18 months older than me, but my parents never differentiated between son and daughter when it came to opportunities – whether that was motorbiking or jetskiing. 

“I wasn’t a tomboy. I loved pink, I loved Barbie, and had my pink Motocross [motorcycle racing] boots. My dad was always someone that believed with hard work, you could make anything possible, and growing up in that environment made me want to realise my dreams. My parents never shied away from the tough moments either, and that gave me a lot of resilience. It built up that grit that’s required when things aren’t going your way.” 

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