By Scunthorpe teen sets sights on Formula 1
Alicia Barrett, 16, from Scunthorpe, has set her sights on British Formula 4 in pursuit of her eventual goal of competing in Formula 1.
Last season, Alicia battled 19 female drivers to be crowned European Women’s IAME X30 Champion at Varennes sur Allier circuit, France, and raced to sixth place in the hotly-contested UK Little Green Man (LGM) Championship.
She also won a X30 Ladies Champion title at Le Mans in 2017,
Alicia’s consistent performances in the UK’s major Junior X30 Karting Championships have made her the leading female driver against male-dominated full grids, and a stand-out candidate for the ground-breaking W Series for women.
However, to be a contender for a future W Series, Alicia needs to make the transition from karts to single-seater cars.
Alicia said:
“Racing has always been my passion and the W Series is the perfect steppingstone to a career as a professional racing driver.
“I am determined to prove my ability at the highest levels in the sport.”
At a time when most other female sports are growing exponentially, there are few females in karting despite the sport’s perception as the steppingstone to the higher ranks of motorsport.
Fewer women race single-seater cars at top level now than 10 years ago, and it is over 40 years since a female driver started a Formula 1 race.
Despite the tiny proportion of females in the junior single-seater formulae, Alicia’s goal is to embark on a Formula 4 testing programme and race in the 2021 British Formula 4 Championship.
Alicia continued:
“Running alongside the BTCC, the British F4 coverage is enjoyed by millions of fans on television and trackside and offers a high-profile platform for sponsors and partners.
“Being a female in motorsport at a time when this is attracting more attention and coverage than ever before, only enhances the benefits for sponsors, partners and fans even further.
“I am the first in my family to venture into the motor racing world and from my first time in a kart have been addicted. It’s about time we see more women competing at the top of the sport and my ambition is to be one of them.”
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