There is one racing driver in Kent that harbours a slightly different dream to everyone else, she wants to be the first female driver in Formula One.
Unfortunately this season Laura Tillett isn’t pursuing her one true passion as she hasn’t been able to secure a race seat for the year.
In the ultra-competitive world of motorsport a lot of sponsorship is required to be able to achieve your dream as you move through the various stages of the sport.
The 22-year-old last season had the opportunity to race in Formula Renault which kicked off its 2013 campaign last weekend.
Speaking exclusively to Kent Sports News about that experience, she said: “It was a big change from racing karting for nine years, it is a completely different skill with the aero and it took me a while to adjust to.
“I loved learning again and seeing myself improve every time I hit the track. The experience in the Formula Renault was amazing and I can say there is no feeling like it.”
There is no doubt that the race ace from Sittingbourne was left convinced that she was in the right sport and wanted to experience more of the action.
She added: “After the season had finished I was itching to get back in the car again. It has been a part of my life, every day for the past ten years, the thought of not racing again is heart breaking. Unfortunately like many drivers, budget is a big problem and it has put a halt to my racing for the moment.
“I had learnt so much the past couple of years and it feels a waste to not be racing and to use all the things I have learnt to move forward in the sport.”
Laura took us back to the very beginning and just how it was that she became interested in and involved in motor racing.
She said: “I have always had an interest in racing especially karting, I would often go to watch my dad race from the age of 2. It was also a big help that my dad’s business, Tillett Racing Seats was a big part of the sport and would always keep me in the motorsport world.
“When I was given my first kart at the age of 11, I was addicted to the sport and dedicated all my time to it. The fact that it was a male dominated sport didn’t put me off in the slightest, I am very competitive and given the chance to compete in something against the opposite sex and beat them is a much better feeling than just competing against other girls.”
This drive is what makes Laura determined to be the first female to line-up on the Formula One grid alongside her male counterparts.
“It is hard to achieve anything now days in motorsport without the correct backing. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, you will never achieve without the budget. All drivers today have big funding and without that it can also put a stop to improving yourself as you can’t test as much as other drivers or not have the worry of the crash damage.
“Driver determination is also a big part of achieving because it will always give you a one up on your competitors, being a girl you have to always be one step ahead to stand out.
“To be the first women in F1 I would need someone to see the potential of supporting a girl driver and see that with the talent, big selling aspect and determination.”
Laura has a lot race experience from Karting through to Formula Renault which will hopefully stand her in good stead if and when a racing opportunity comes up.
She said: “I think that in today’s world it is harder for drivers’ previous karting results to play a part in their future as budget is such a big thing.
“A couple of years ago drivers would have always been pick up from high level karting and supported though to cars but today it rarely happens which is why so many people jump to cars so quickly.
“I am quite fortunate that I have a big name in motorsport and with the level of karting I competed in I hopefully have a good driving reputation. I can only hope that someone will recognise this when looking to support a girl driver as I did what I thought was all the correct steps (like Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button) to push myself and make it as difficult as I could to be the best.”
Laura clearly has a passion for racing and it is noticeable that she misses the buzz of being able to race week in week out.
She added: “It is very frustrating not racing or even driving a car, I have done this for so long that living a normal life is alien to me and I must confess, I don’t like it. I really miss racing and I am trying everything I can to make it happen again.”
It is clear that sponsors and backers are the key to being able to achieve your dream as a motor racing driver, and Laura outlined just what it will take to get back into racing.
She said: “I am currently looking to compete in the next level of Formula Renault which is the NEC or the Euro series. Both series cost 250k each and this is without additional testing. The difficult part isn’t just finding the budget for this year but to then find then same budget if not more for the second year, and it doesn’t get any cheaper.
“It is really hard to write down on paper, the possibilities that are there for sponsors as I am open to ideas. There is a massive opportunity to have the first girl in F1 with many great advertisement chances. It is also important for me to help any possible sponsor as much as I can. If anyone is interested in investing in something different then I would love for you to get in contact with me via my email or twitter and hopefully we could move this forward.
@tillettlaura
Finally we asked Laura in a male dominated sport whether she has found it difficult race drives because she is a girl.
She added: ““I have never had problems with getting into teams, I think teams like having girl drivers especially a talented one.
“Girls stand out on a gird of men and I think it gives teams that bit more publicity. I do believe that they assume we aren’t as good or aggressive as men drivers or have emotional moments all the time, but I know many girls that give as good as they get and I don’t think we should be thought of in the motorsport world any different than a man.”