Racing Pride’s Autumn Reception

By Teagan Crump

On October 25th, I attended the Racing Pride Autumn Reception at Silverstone Museum. The theme of the evening’s discussion was ‘Pride, Allyship, and how you can help shape the future of motorsport’. 

Image: L.A. Wilshaw/ Racing Pride

The evening started with a panel hosted by Chris Stevens and Matthew-Harriet Randall (Racing Pride CEO) with guest speakers Laila Fadli Dokkali (trackside engineer, former Mission 44 scholar, F1 Simulation Engineer and Drive Systems Mechanical Engineer), Jane Sophia (motorsport marshal) and Helena Hicks (PR Specialist at Honda Racing UK and Females in Motorsport Founder).

The speakers all offered unique and interesting perspectives into how allyship and pride have affected their careers, and how they have shaped them as people. The fact that all of the panelists had different perspectives and experiences opened many audience members’ eyes into the fact that some areas of motorsport are still deeply rooted in homophobia and misogyny. An example of a lack of inclusivity is the fact that Formula One and Formula E all race in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community is criminalised.

When the speakers concluded, the attendees were given a private, exclusive tour of Silverstone Museum and a chance for photos. During the tour, I held conversations with some of the Silverstone Museum staff, who were very insightful and happy to discuss their roles and experiences. We then moved into the final room of the museum, where we were greeted with snacks and drinks before networking with other Racing Pride members.

Overall, it was an incredible evening, and offered incredible insight into the struggles that LGBTQIA+ people face, and how we can work towards improving inclusivity and allyship.

Thank you to Racing Pride, Richard Morris and Matthew-Harriet Randall for the invite and an incredible evening!