Inspired 18-year-old racer Alicia Barrett, of Southwell, reaches finals of Formula Woman

A teenager’s driving skills saw her trump over 800 entrants from around the world to reach the final 11 of the international Formula Woman competition.

Alicia Barrett, 18, of Southwell, who has been competing for a sponsored McLaren seat, was pipped at the post in the finals of Formula Woman.

Having reached the final 50 a fortnight ago, Barrett impressed judges with her pace at PF International Kart Circuit and Croft before travelling to Sweden for a shootout on the ice against ten other female drivers as part of the final challenge.

Barrett said she had no regrets and was pleased with her performance.

“I was proud to be the youngest finalist but disappointed not to clinch one of the sponsored GT4 seats,” she said.

“At Croft I was in the top four on time and I was really happy with that because the people in front of me had raced in cars before.

“We only had the chance for one flying lap, and that decided whether you went through or not, so it was a lot of pressure on the day to set one lap time.

“And even with the ice driving in Sweden, which was insane, they didn’t tell us our times or where we were in relation to everybody else.

“But I felt I was quick on the ice lakes so I was pleased at the time, I don’t think I could have done anything more.

“I didn’t feel like there were moments where I thought ‘oh, I’ve messed up here’.

“I gave it my all and I am glad I can walk away from the experience with lots of positives.”

During the competition Barrett was tested on a range of skills including driving a variety of racing cars on track, kart racing, driving on ice, simulator driving, fitness, media skills and racing knowledge.

She now hopes to make the jump from kart racing to car racing

The Southwell driver, who only passed her driving test in September, enjoyed European success in kart racing and was 2017 X30 Ladies Champion at Le Mans and 2019 European Women’s IAME X30 Champion at Varennes sur Allier circuit, France.

Though, due to a lack of funding, she was unable to continue her karting during the pandemic or make the transition to car racing.

“I want to aim for the GT Cup — which was the Formula Woman prize — but what I do next all comes down to how much sponsorship and support I get,” she said.

“Finding the necessary backing and openings in the current climate is not easy but my progression in Formula Woman has resulted in lots of valuable exposure and experience, so I hope I can use this as a springboard for the future.”

“My end goal is to be competing in GT Cup within the next few years and, in the meantime, I want to get as much seat experience in a car as possible.”

If you would like to support or invest in Barrett’s motorsport journey, you can do so by contacting her directly through either Instagram (@aliciabarrettracing) or Facebook (@aliciabarrettracing).