It didn't take long for the latest series of Drive to Survive to dominate the Netflix charts – and we're not surprised. It's packed with enough drama to give Love Island a run for its money, but it's been called out for its shocking lack of women's representation, despite reports that the show significantly increased female viewership of Formula 1.
“I don't think we should underestimate the incredible job that Drive To Survive has done in raising awareness across the sport, especially across the female audience,” says Jessica Hawkins, an F1 and pro-stunt driver at the top of her game.
She explains that female representation within F1 isn't shouldn't solely be Netflix's responsibility, telling GLAMOUR, “For the most part, it's something that the stakeholders within the sport need to address. If women aren't well represented in the paddock, then they won't be well represented in the content that the sport produces.”
“Basically,” she concludes, “We're all responsible for pushing better female representation across almost every industry.”
It's hard to argue with that.
Here, she speaks to GLAMOUR about her journey into the sport, how F1 can be more inclusive of women, and of course, Drive to Survive.
GLAMOUR: Hi Jessica! First things first, can you tell us about how you got into motorsports?
Jessica Hawkins: I was always a sporty kid. My parents were separated from since I can remember, really. So, I used to go and spend every other weekend with my dad, and we used to go and play different sports, lots of different sports. And in the distance one day, we were playing golf, and I saw a cart track. And I didn't really know too much about what carting was, but I begged my dad to let me have a go.
Luckily for him, I was too small at the time. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of me going carting. But then we went back a few months later, and they'd moved the height restriction down, much to my dad's despair. I had a go and absolutely fell in love with it. And I've never, ever intended, or it was never supposed to happen, that I'd still be here 20 years later having made or making a career from it.
I'm not quite where I want to be just yet, but I'm very proud of where I have come. And a highlight of my career was obviously signing for Aston Martin Formula One team a couple of years ago. So yeah, it's been a wild journey.
From an outsider's perspective, Formula 1 seems to be very male-dominated. What needs to be done to attract more women to the sport?
We're seeing a lot more females within the sport than there were when I first started. When I first started, I could've counted on one hand how many women were in the sport. And now there are so many more involved, whether they're drivers or engineers, mechanics, etc. There's so many more females within the sport.
But yes, I think we do need to do more to get the ratio closer to 50/50. But I think we are on that journey. I think a massive driving force behind that has been W Series. They've been a huge help to the battles that we're fighting. Obviously, Aston Martin giving me my role within the sport has given the younger generation a figurehead to look at so they're aware of motorsport as something for them that they can get involved in.
I don't think we're quite where we need to be yet, but we're certainly heading in the right direction.
Are there any misconceptions about your industry, particularly as a female stunt driver?
I don't think so. Men and women get treated the same. It's high pressure whether you're male or female. Yeah, I guess with the stunt driving comes the possible risks, but everything... You're working with such talented people and working with such thought-out and planned exercises. So, I don't think there are any misconceptions, really.
Have you watched Netflix's Drive to Survive? What do you make of it?
I have watched it. I think firstly, not only has it increased the female audience, I think it's increased Formula One's audience, male and female. I think the viewing figures have grown massively, and everybody – maybe I'm biased – but everyone sees Formula One now as the great sport that it is. And we've got way more people, including women, that have fallen in love with it, as I did at a young age.
What advice do you have for women who want to get involved in motor racing?
Well, firstly, you are just as welcome as the men are. This is an industry that is not secluded from women. And it's a tough journey, but you just got to keep knocking on doors and keep working hard. And some doors close, but other doors will open. And yeah, if it's what you want to do, then I think that if you work hard, things will come and you just got to keep trying.
It's all about relentless trying, and all eventually will become worth it.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLjApqauqp2WtKLGyKecZ5ufY8Kse8Crq6KbnJp8pb7Ir5xmrJ9iwLa%2B1aKtnmWamsC0tcKaZKGZp6C2r7%2BMoqWtnaKrtqbD