The F1 women inspiring schoolgirls into motorsport

Brackley student grace would love to work in the wind tunnels of Formula 1

Primary school girls have been learning from women in motorsport to "broaden their horizons" and consider engineering as a future career.

The Northamptonshire-based Mercedes F1 team hosted a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Girls on Track event, showcasing careers in motorsport to primary school girls.

The event saw 42 girls, aged eight to 11, visit the Mercedes factory in Brackley, and participate in different activities relating to different career paths in the industry.

Jenny Fletcher, FIA Girls on Track UK programme manager, said: "We have so many women that are now working in F1 teams, touring car teams, and living their dream. I feel blessed every day to do what I do."

The organisers said that age group was particularly important because girls often believed they would not excel at maths, physics or science at GCSE level.

Grace, a nine-year-old student who attended, said the best thing she learned at the event was that "girls can do anything".

Imogen Tait, second from left, charity and community outreach activities lead at Mercedes F1, said events like this would have helped her realise her potential

Ms Fletcher added: "I never thought I would get a job in motorsport.

"I thought that I was a teacher and that was very much what I was going to be, but I put myself out there - and if I hadn't have done that, who knows where I might be now."

The event showcased different career paths, including STEM based activities - where they design, build and code a Lego F1 car - a well as learning about teamwork and reaction times, the media and TV production - and meeting and hearing the stories of women within the industry.

They also saw a show car display as well as winning trophies and driver kits.

Ms Fletcher said it meant "the absolute world" seeing the event in action, adding: "We're now seeing it [the programme] work."

Sophie Harrison, the inclusion and social impact programme lead at Mercedes F1, said the team hoped to become role models to young students

Imogen Tait, 27, the charity and community outreach activities lead at Mercedes F1, said: "An event like this would have allowed me to believe much earlier on that there was just as much right for me to be in this sport as anybody else."

Reliability engineer student Lauren O'Mahony, 20, said: "I think it's so important to give them that tangible part, as it really connects your learning to what you could do in the future."

Amy Scerri, 20, a composite manufacturing engineer student, said she had been to a similar event at school and wanted to give back.

"I think it's incredibly impactful to teach young girls what engineering is at a young age so that they can make informed decisions about it, because I only found out what engineering was almost too late."

Brackley caretaker Jodie Norman, who attended the event with a group of students, said: "I think it just broadens their horizons and they're not just narrowed to what they see or what what they 'should' be doing as girls."