The race to inspire women in motorsports—insights from Bianca Bustamante, Angie Mead King, Marlon Stöckinger, and more

Motorsports is not the only male-dominated sport where women have it hard. Palacios and Wong moved mountains of challenges in football and wushu respectively. 

Palacios was blessed to have been raised in a household where the mindset is there are no males or females in the world of sports, just athletes. “So, when I entered football, I didn’t think of it as a male-dominated sport. I just learned that as I was going through it,” she says.

Wong agrees with her. Wushu was initially male-dominated in the Philippines compared to other countries, but joining the national team taught her to break gender barriers. “As one of the few women, I rose to become team captain. My journey emphasises discipline, resilience, and being true to oneself, especially in a predominantly male environment,” she explains.

Both Palacios and Wong were introduced to sports at a young age in nurturing environments that empowered them to break through gender barriers. This approach can similarly revolutionise the future of motorsports by fostering inclusivity and diversity from the ground up.

Throughout his career, Stöckinger noticed a growing presence of women in various motorsports roles, even though he had only one female teammate. As he advanced through different categories, from karting to Formula 1, he observed that women were excelling in many areas previously underrepresented on television. 

“My press officer was a woman, I had a data engineer who was also a woman, and we had mechanics—all different fields within motorsports where women had been excelling,” he shares. “The beauty now is that there’s finally a spotlight being put onto women in the sport.”

Stöckinger believes that talent knows no gender and that female drivers have shown they have “just as much talent and as much reason to be able to compete with anybody.” He advocates for conversations that recognise the potential for women to compete at all levels, including the F1 grid and eventually become world champions.

All the panellists agree that having support, whether emotional or financial, is invaluable to an athlete. Palacios notes, “It’s so nice to see more support coming in and that young kids now aspire to be like us.” King offers her two cents: “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go with someone. Having support, like a training partner or someone to cheer you on, can work wonders.”

Bustamante resonates a lot with this, stating not many people support you early in your career. “No one really believed in or supported me until I started winning or achieved some success.” Motorsports is one of the sports in the world where you need money to do everything. “It’s not like you can get a ball and you can dribble and you can practice, or you can play when you hit the racket,” she explains. “You can’t drive without financial support.”

King echoes Bustamante’s concerns. “Without corporate sponsors, you can’t run the car, you can’t even look at it, because in motorsports, the faster you want to go, the more expensive it’s going to be.”

She hopes companies like GoTyme Bank can help Philippine motorsports get back in the game. “We used to have the Touring Car Championship come to Subic years ago, and we had drivers from Indonesia, Malaysia, and China, and they would bring their touring cars here to compete. We don’t have that anymore. So, I’m hoping that the future racetrack of Ramon Ang can bring international racing again into the Philippines.”

Villanueva, a representative of the corporate sector, stresses their commitment to recognising and supporting the stories athletes want to tell. The role of corporate sponsors is to support passionate people like these athletes, “and we’re lucky to be part of it,” he says. “Sports is one of the most unifying human truths, and we would love to continue supporting all of you.”

“If you have that inkling, if you have that drive, if you have that sudden thought that the sport interests you, just let your passion drive you,” says Stöckinger. Palacios echoes this sentiment, emphasising the importance of dreaming big: “No dream is too big, especially if you have that passion—that grit. It will take you to places you’ve never seen before.”

King provides a practical perspective, highlighting the importance of utilising available resources: “Finding the women needed for the sport would be one thing, right? But I believe simulators are a huge thing in terms of learning. You eliminate a lot of the ‘wasting time’ on track. So, doing sim racing is a big thing. Joining grassroots club races is another thing.”

The journey toward gender inclusivity in sports is ongoing. With increasing support, visibility, and opportunities, there is hope for a more equitable future where all athletes, regardless of gender, can thrive and inspire the next generation. By pursuing their dreams with passion and utilising every available resource, athletes can break barriers and redefine what is possible in the world of sports.

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