Valencia plays host to the most diverse FIA Motorsport Games ever
The third FIA Motorsport Games, hosted last week in Valencia, has been confirmed as the most diverse round of the games so far.
FIA Member Clubs from 82 nations were represented across 26 competitions during the four days. Of the 646 competitors, 106 were female competing in 20 categories.
Micahela Dorčíková from Slovakia won gold in Auto Slalom alongside her teammate, in Karting Slalom, Maja Braun took home team gold for Germany, and in Karting Endurance Justine Strauven was part of the Belgian team who took the win.
In Historic Rally, co-driver Ida Lidebjer Granberg won bronze for Sweden on the Tarmac, and Anna Graham helped secure silver for Great Britain on the gravel as part of an iconic father-daughter duo, while Veronika Havelkova brought back the bronze for Hungary.
A key focus was also on the next generation of female motorsport greats, ensuring equal opportunities for equal talent.
Six young women aged between 8 and 12 competed in the Cross Car Mini category having been selected following a global search. Representing six nations, they won their seats by showing exceptional talent and promise with Merel Hoogstra (8 years) representing The Netherlands coming in second, and Ava Cabral (12 years) coming in third for Canada. Merel, alongside her fellow competitor Lena Straub from Germany, were the two youngest competitors at the Motorsport Games. The future is certainly bright!
Hosted at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the FIA Girls on Track day immersed participants in the world of motorsport. The programme is committed to empowering women, breaking barriers, and promoting gender equality in an innovative, engaging, and positive manner, and aims to be a driving force behind women’s participation in motorsport. The activity in Valencia offered participants the chance to explore their career prospects and discover more of the opportunities that the world of motorsport has to offer.
Female racing stars also joined forces with the United Against Online Abuse campaign, founded by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The young women participated in six interactive workshops designed to equip them with practical tools to protect themselves online and share resources and knowledge as they begin their motorsport careers.
Burcu Çetinkaya, Rally Driver and Chair of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, said: “I am inspired to have seen so much female talent over the last week. The passion and commitment shown by these young women is exactly why we are so committed to growing opportunities and ensuring accessibility in motorsport, and I look forward to seeing their careers continue to flourish.”
Not only were gender demographics represented, but nations from around the world benefited from the large variety of categories being contested, with emerging nations taking part and proudly waving their countries flags. Of the 82 nations competing, 17 were doing so for the very first time.
The FIA encourages diversity across the board and are continuing to build better and more accessible pathways into motorsport and mobility, using both of these key spaces as platforms to foster gender and global equality.