Today, as a slightly early celebration of IDWGS 2024, our 1st, 2nd and 6th Form girls were incredibly lucky to hear from Eliza Seville, the Formula Women’s Champion, about her fascinating journey into motorsport. This is one of the few sporting activities in which men and women can compete alongside each other on equal terms, and while in recent years, the number of women involved across all sectors of motorsport has increased, we have yet to see women compete at the top end of motor racing (Formula 1).

After gaining her qualifications at The National College for Motorsport, Eliza started her career as a motorsport mechanic with Aston Martin racing privateer, TF Sport. She has travelled the world, contracting with various race teams, and gaining experience with a range of racing cars. In 2021 she entered the Formula Woman competition and came in the Top 10 out of 800 international entrants. In 2022 she took the championship! 

Oratory students heard about her education and her experience as the only woman in the pit lane, how the numbers of women mechanics, engineers and drivers are very slowly increasing, and about her exciting plans for the future. We will be following her career closely (@SevilleRacing) and look forward to inviting her back to speak to our 4th and 5th Form about future career pathways.

Gender equality is a priority for The Oratory, and the support of young girls, their education and their full ability to make their ideas heard are levers for development. We are proud of the fact that more than 50% of our 6th Form girls take at least one science subject at A Level. As UN Secretary General, António Guterres, says “We can all do our part to unleash our world’s enormous untapped talent – starting with filling classrooms, laboratories, and boardrooms with women scientists.”