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7 May 2019
Guided tours around the brand new Mercedes W10 Formula 1 car, learning how to change a tyre in the pits and workshops with ITV F1 presenter Louise Goodman were just some of the hands-on activities on offer last week as more than 100 girls from schools across Cornwall took part in special workshops as part of Dare to be Different day at Truro High School.
The event celebrated the school’s recent ground-breaking recognition as a Motorsport UK club.
The day saw 11 and 12-year-old girls from all across the county heading to the school to try out everything from designing a race car chassis to coding speedometers and learning how to deal with a medical emergency trackside.
Following its first lap around the track at Silverstone this February, the brand new Mercedes W10 Formula 1 car also made a pit stop at school as part of the day which included guided tours of the vehicle by F1 performance engineer, Cristiana Pace. Recently unveiled for the 2019 season, Lewis Hamilton hopes the car can fire him towards a sixth world title out on the track.
Led by Truro High staff and the team from Dare to be Different, the day aimed to inspire the next generation of female motorsport professionals to break the glass ceiling and take the lead out on the racetrack.
Dare To Be Different ambassador and television broadcaster Louise Goodman was also on hand in her first official role as Club President.
Louise said,” It was great to meet some of the girls who are part of Truro High School for Girls Motorsports Club – the first school club in the UK to be officially recognised by Motorsport UK – and to work with the Year 7 girls who came along to the Dare To Be Different day giving them a hands-on experience of just some of the opportunities that motorsport offers.”
“They really threw themselves into the challenges and hopefully had a lot of fun along the way. And they can now say they were right there when a Formula One car came to Cornwall for the very first time!”
Student motorsport ambassadors from the school’s Greenpower race car team were also involved in leading the workshops.
Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Matthews, said: “I’m a firm believer that if our girls don’t see it, they can’t be it so it is vital that we give them these opportunities to try new things and to know that any career is open to them.”
“Days like this have great value for all girls, not just those with designs on being racing drivers, because they encourage creativity, collaboration, problems solving and the ability to make mistakes but to pick themselves up, reflect, and learn from them.”
The day was a celebration of the news that Truro High is the first and only school in the country to be recognised as an official motorsport club by Motorsport UK.
As a result of being recognised, the school can now take part in events organised by other recognised clubs including being able to train as race marshals. This will enable them to work at races all over the world and even go all the way to operating trackside at international Formula 1 events.
