Translated by Giulianna Faliero
Marta Garcia is succeeding, step by step, in realising her dream of making her way in the world of Motorsport. Engaged with the Iron Dames in FRECA, she already has a long career behind her. Her experience in Karting and Formula 4, and in all-female series, such as the W Series and the F1 Academy, of which she is the first reigning champion, have led her to have very clear ideas about the current situation in the youth categories. At Mugello, over the weekend of July 15th, we had the pleasure of talking to her.
Q: What do you reckon are the main differences between Spanish Formula 4, F1 Academy and FRECA?
A: I raced in Formula 4 in 2017, a long time ago. To be honest, comparing the same cars (F1 Academy single-seaters use Tatuus F4-T-421 chassis, the same ones used in the other Formula 4 championships, ed), the main differences are in the structure of the championships. In both Formula 4 and F1 Academy you run 3 races in a weekend, with the difference that F1 Academy runs together with F1 from this year on, while last season we only shared one round. I would say there is not a big difference between the two championships, only that in F1 Academy you have more media exposure time.
Then in FRECA the car is more powerful than in F1 Academy and Formula 4 and has more aerodynamics. I think there is a difference of about 100 horsepower. The championship here is much more competitive than the F1 Academy and the W Series. When you come here with 32 other guys, the level is higher and you have to work hard just to be in the top 15. That is the main difference. Obviously then, in terms of media, FRECA and F1 Academy are different.
Q: At the beginning of the year you joined the Iron Dames, a team that competes in several different championships and categories: how are you getting on with the team?
A: I think the Iron Dames programme is really good. When they contacted me and told me that I would have the opportunity to join, I was really happy. They do a lot for the girls in motorsport and not only that: now they also have a riding team. I know they care about girls doing well in male-dominatined environments. I am really happy because I am racing in Formula Regional with their new team and I think there will be more possibilities in the future because the Iron Dames also race in endurance. For me this is a good opportunity for my future because a career in single-seaters is always shorter [than in other disciplines, ed]: I’m almost 24, I’ll be 24 this year, and competing in FRECA with the Iron Dames is a good basis for moving up to other categories, like GT3. I have already met part of the team: I was at the 24 of Le Mans and met the engineers and the team manager of Iron Lynx, which is the same as the Iron Dames.
Q: What is it like being teammates with Doriane Pin and what have you learnt from her? Is it an incentive to do better to have a teammate like her?
A: Obviously I have the experience in W Series, F1 Academy and single-seaters. She is younger but brings a lot of experience from GT, Formula Ford and now F1 Academy. She is a very good driver in everything, we work well together. After the races we do a debriefing and the feedback we give each other is good. We exchange tips to understand the car and what to do for the team, the set-up and be able to improve it if possible. We are a good sporting couple and we have a good relationship, it’s nice to work with her.
Q: How has the attitude towards female drivers changed over the years, also thanks to initiatives organised by the FIA?
A: When I started competing in karting in 2009, there weren’t many initiatives to help female drivers, neither from the federation nor from others. Then in the last 15 years there have been several improvements and a lot of progress in this sense. The Spanish federation has projects, such as ‘Mujeres y Motores’, while when I was racing karts there was this championship called ‘CIK-FIA Academy Trophy’, with 50 or 40 guys from all over the world and with a girl who was chosen to race there.
Then over time more and more initiatives were created, like FIA’s ‘Girls On Track’, and then when the W Series came along, the idea was to get women into the game, give them visibility and try to take them to the highest level possible. Now with F1 Academy it is even better, because it is a category linked to F1, which is the pivotal place in motorsport. So I think a lot has changed in the last few years, even when it comes to the Iron Dames. Today there are many more initiatives and it is easier to get help. So much has changed – and that’s good – for many girls who come from karting and are already supported, when I wasn’t.
Q: How has being F1 Academy champion changed your media exposure to the world?
A: It’s a shame that the F1 Academy wasn’t broadcast last year, because I think it would have made a big difference for me. I realised that when I was competing in F1 Academy, I was in the press, which was good, but in the end nobody saw the races. The last race of the season in Austin, on the other hand, was broadcast and the media impact I had was huge. I also grew a lot on social media in followers, in engagement and so on.
Winning in the F1 Academy has been good for me and not only for my driving skills but also to get sponsors that I probably wouldn’t have been able to get if I hadn’t had the exposure I’ve had. I am very happy about that but, if it had been broadcast throughout the year, I think it would have helped me even more. It’s good that, at least this season, they are doing it. Also the fact that they are with the F1 teams, with the liveries and stuff, is a big boost. So yes, the F1 Academy has made a difference.
Q: What are the biggest differences, strengths and weaknesses between W Series and F1 Academy?
A: I think the point of the matter is really simple. The W Series was a championship created not by an organisation but by people who wanted more girls in motorsport and they wanted to do it with a series. Obviously I will always be grateful to them because they helped me, I was racing Karting in 2018 and the W Series came in 2019. If there was no W Series, I probably wouldn’t be here. In W Series we didn’t have a lot of track time: a 30-minute free practice, a 40-minute qualifying and a race. Now in F1 Academy girls have three races, two qualifying sessions, two free practice and also a lot of testing. Then there is also the possibility (in the F1 Academy, ed) to work with the junior single-seater teams, like Prema in my case, and this has many advantages. In the W Series we changed engineer every race, so it was really difficult to really understand where to improve, you had to adapt every time, it wasn’t very constructive… It’s important to have the same engineer for the whole season because he knows you and you can build a relationship. Marta Garcia Marta Garcia Marta Garcia Marta Garcia Marta Garcia Marta Garcia
Q: Maya Weug said in a recent interview that children didn’t perceive her as different before, but then as she grew up she had to earn their respect . Did you feel the same?
A: Yes, that’s something Maya and I agree on. When I was really little and started racing karts internationally, the guys tended to throw me off the track. It was my first year in racing, I had to do something and I started doing what they did. I felt I wasn’t respected just because I was a girl.
When I became fast enough to be in the top five in the European championship, people started to realise that yes, I was a girl, but I was fast. It was unusual for them because there weren’t many girls in karting and if there were they struggled so much [to be in the top five, ed]. I had to make myself respected, it was something I also said in interviews, but now I feel I am respected. In karts I made a name for myself. When you move to single-seaters the drivers are new, but they know your name, they know what you have done and where you have raced.
Q: I saw your sister with you on the grid yesterday. How’s your relationship with her?
A: My sister didn’t use to come to the races, she was dedicated to something else. This year I wanted someone to come with me to the races, especially because at the end you spend so much time alone. I needed someone to help me with the bottle, with the umbrella, with the helmet… I decided to take her with me to the races and she has been following me since the beginning of the season in FRECA, she is really supportive for me. We have a good relationship, as we always have: we talk about personal and professional things, she’s my best friend, it’s nice to have her with me.
