13 year old Andie Stewart is aiming to steer towards the top of the podium as she takes on the world of Motorsport.
The racer is already leading the way on and off the track for Women in Motorsport by being selected for the F1 Academy and Motorsport UK Girls on Track Initiative.
In recent months, racing has taken Andie across Europe from the Champions of Future Academy British Series, the IAME Euro Series in Belgium, the ADAC Championships in Germany and Champions of the Future international in Valencia.
It has even led Andie to mix with the top F1 stars as she presented Ferrari driver Sir Lewis Hamilton with his 3rd place sprint race trophy at the British Grand Prix in July.
It’s now been a six-year journey which all started thanks to family influence and the love of watching races up close. Staying behind the barrier didn’t last long with support and guidance from Dad and Grandad.
Andie said: “It all started because my Dad and Grandad had both been in motorsport, so it was in my blood and I started first properly racing in 2020.
“I’ve been racing ever since my dad said ‘do you want to go in the car?’ but before I had been going to all his races watching and trying to learn from him. Anytime I went on track, he was watching me, giving me advice and I found that inspirational.”
Male allies is a key part of our Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong campaign which encourages women of all ages and abilities to get involved or return to sport.
Dads, parents and guardians can all prove crucial in the support of young girls getting involved in sport and it is no different with Andie who has Dad and Mum, Drew and Nicola, as massive supporters behind the scenes.
Andie added: “I am really grateful to have my Dad because he is the person who has dragged me along this whole journey because there’s definitely been a couple times where I’m like, oh, I should have done this or I should have done that and then I’m sad.
“But my Dad is always there saying do you know what you need to do? You need to think about that, fix it next time. and keep going.”
Don’t let her age fool you, Andie knows she is already a role model in the sport and wants to lead the way for other girls in Northern Ireland to see there are opportunities in Motorsport.
Women’s sport is continuing to grow with more eyes seeing top level female sport than before and this is something Andie is keen for her sport to make the most of, she said: “Recently there’s been a lot of little girls growing up in sport and I feel like our sport definitely needs more females and that’s important to me.
“I hope I am a role model to other girls because it helps me know I’m showing women and girls what is possible. To be able to get a feeling for this, you must sit in the car and when you feel that feeling you just got to tell somebody.
“The best way to get involved is watching races on TV like the F1 Academy or even come to one of your local tracks to watch. Also, go and talk to people who are in a position where you want to be in the future.”
To find out more about the Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong campaign please visit: https://beseenbeheardbelong.co.uk/