SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well Lydia, that's uh a wrap as they say for Donington Park, the opener uh of the season, which um I think it's probably fair to say has been a little bit of a roller coaster for you.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

It has, I think we've had a bit of everything. I've you know I've had a top ten finish or top seven finish actually. I've had a trip to the medical centre, I've met Dr. Traff, um I've been in the barrier, so yeah, it has been um has been a bit of a tumultuous weekend, but lots of lots of different things going on, but I've I've learnt a lot and obviously the incident in race three was totally unavoidable from my side, so I I suppose I can take away I couldn't have done anything differently in that incident, and um yeah we just move on to Alton Park and hopefully the experience we've gained this weekend takes us through into the season.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

We should uh just importantly qualify that your trip to the medical centre said you're okay.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, I didn't even need to go, but apparently I had to go, but yeah, I'm absolutely fine. I think so. Yeah, yeah, but yeah, absolutely fine. But um yeah, to be fair, I I did a trip with them with the medical team in January for extrication training, so I know them all, so it's quite funny when I go in there because a bit of banter, but yeah, it's it's um yeah, I'm fine.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

A fairly late entry uh for this season, as we've talked about, because of raising funds. Motorsport is expensive, and you've worked incredibly hard during the winter to put yourself uh on the grid. Um, and a big learning curve throughout free practice qualifying uh and the races, but uh that that's an upward trajectory for you, isn't it? We'll talk about you know the last race in a moment, but the the rest of the weekend's been a positive trajectory for you.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

I think even the last race, to be honest, was a positive. I uh it obviously the races today didn't go quite as well as they did yesterday. I think yesterday we were all quite shocked at how well it did go, but it's it's just a learning experience. I've had very limited time in the car, so every lap I'm just learning more and more about it. I'm learning how it performs on a new tyre and how it performs on an old tar, and when the tires overheat, how how to deal with that. So I think every lap I've I've gained experience that I wouldn't have had if I wasn't here. So I think it's it's not been a bad weekend. Obviously, the results haven't been brilliant, but I don't we couldn't really expect much anyway because we were so last minute as you've said. So I I'm perfectly happy. I know I've had an on-finish, and it obviously wasn't the way I wanted to finish the weekend, but I'm I'm more than happy.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

And that that was in the last race, and unfortunately ended up uh in the barrier with some damage to the car.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

Unfortunately, so yes, the uh the Porsches at the front end of their cars are made up of hemp panels, which for people that don't know is basically a plant-based product, but unfortunately very expensive. Uh and I've I've done a bit of damage to most of the panels on the front end of the car, unfortunately, but it's just one of those things I couldn't avoid it. But obviously, with the budget constraints that I am already under, we could have done without it, of course, but it's um it's just one of those things, you know, you go racing and you know the risk, and you know it was a relatively small accident, but it's just the the panels don't take a lot of impact before they're broken, which is a shame.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Uh a lot of people may not realise how finance within motorsport works, and obviously covering for damage repairs and all this of it is an incredibly expensive business, which is why you need to keep finding people to support you. And your your aim is not to damage the car, as you've said to me on more than one occasion. But these things happen as a as a part of racing. So, how important is it for you and what is your message out there to people who may uh be looking forward to uh to sponsoring you?

SPEAKER_01 3:13

Well, of course, uh I think motorsport is obviously is no secret a very expensive sport, and there's a lot of people on the grid spending a lot of money, so to keep up you have to kind of try and spend the same amount, but obviously I'm very much sponsor-funded or partner funded, uh, and I don't have any personal money to put into it. It is all my partners that get me to the track ultimately, so without them I don't go racing. And of course, with with the with the damage, it's not something that you want to have, but you do have to allow for it a little bit. Unfortunately, because I was so last minute, I don't have a huge down, or I have no damage budget, so we've already eaten to a little bit of our season's cost, but uh it's just one of those things. But from a partner point of view, I think obviously we're racing on the toker package, we've got the live ITV4 coverage, it's a huge platform to be on, and with Porsche, it's so well backed from a manufacturer point of view that they're putting so much media into it as well. The benefits are endless when it comes to being a partner. We've got some fantastic hospitality on offer, so it really is it's more than just a sticker on the car, which I think is what it was 10 years ago. It's evolved so much more than that, and um, people are really getting behind this the story. I think on social media it's been it has been quite a story because I think people thought that I wasn't going to make it, and luckily, thanks to my partners and my team, I have. Uh so people are really getting behind it, and I think from a partner point of view, there's a lot of exposure to be had.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Your journey in the last few years has seen you move from things like the minis up to the Porsches, um, and also you've had to become much more of a businesswoman, haven't you? Because you're now much more involved in raising that sponsorship, having those negotiations and those business discussions with the people who are going to help you go racing.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

I see it as a brand. I I'm trying to build myself as a brand as much as I can, but yes, you're you're completely right. It is one of those things where it is a business, you get it's not a hobby anymore, it's a very much a glorified hobby. A lot of my spare time is into you know, either finding time on track and looking through data or trying to find partners to fund it. And um, yeah, it's it's no secret that motorsport is very expensive. Every step that I've made within my career just ultimately costs more, obviously, because you're climbing the ladder. And to be fair, I can't believe that we're still we're still hanging on in there in all fairness. You know, I mean in January, February, I thought it was all over. A few years ago I thought it was all over. Somehow I always managed to find some really supportive people that make it happen, but I'm very fortunate to have everyone on board and very lucky, but yeah, it's uh it is more of a business and you have to treat it like one.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

You have an eclectic range uh of sponsors as well. We should mention those because it's not just people who are involved in motorsport who get involved in sponsorship because, as you've already mentioned with the ITV coverage, they see the opportunity as part of their marketing efforts as well. So, I mean, who are your sponsors?

SPEAKER_01 5:49

I've got a yeah, you're quite right, I've got a very eclectic mix. I don't have any what any two cup partners that do the same thing, which is really nice. Um, but we've got people from sort of uh tree surgeons to website companies to cherry picker um salespeople, it's it's absolutely ridiculous, really. The group of people that we have, but we bring them all together and it's lovely because a lot of the people that we get involved aren't naturally motorsport fans, but we get them involved and they they almost like the inclusion and like diversity element to it, and I think they love supporting sort of a female sports person, I suppose. Um, and that's nice and it's it's great for their brand as well. So, yeah, we've we've got a nice range on the car, and it's it's lovely. And behind all of these big companies are just people that love to see people do well, and it's that they're putting their efforts into them, and it's it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Just give us some names because it's always nice for them to hear their names as well, isn't it? The people who support you.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Absolutely, yeah. So I've got a couple of new ones for this weekend, which were Circadian and Phoenix Great, and then a lot of my partners that are on the car were from last year. I'm really lucky to have uh continued those partnerships. Um, so they were Higher Safe Solutions, Great Oak Tree Land Services, UPAC, Planner, Simple Click, B4 Secure, UKFR and RDP Accountants, and I also have a lovely suit from R G Raceware.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

What people listening won't realise is that to remember all those, you had to read your own jackets, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Well, you don't want to miss anyone. I'm very fortunate that I've got a lot, um, obviously, so it's it's nice to have so many uh so many companies on board putting putting in, so yeah, it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Well done this weekend. We'll keep our fingers crossed for a uh a trouble free uh next outing. Well done.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Thank you so much.