Building an inclusive future: FIA announces entries for the FIA President’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awards

22 Member Clubs from Europe, Asia, MENA, North America, South America, and Africa submitted entries to the Award, showcasing remarkable achievements across 6 key areas:

• Doubling Participation: introducing motor sport to a new and diverse national community
• Youth Development: empowering the next generation through motor sport participation and cultivating a sense of belonging
• Increasing Participation of Women in Motor Sport: projects and initiatives to promote women participation and help them excel in motor sport
• Disability and Inclusion: initiatives promoting accessibility and inclusivity
• Community Engagement: projects that involve and uplift communities, introducing motor sport to the new diverse audience
• Broad Strategies: organizational changes, promoting EDI and driving positive change

These applications demonstrate commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive motor sport and mobility landscape worldwide.

The entrants were:

• The Automóvil Club de Guatemala and the Automóvil Club de Costa Rica
• Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo
• Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation
• Automotorsport Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Motorsport South Africa
• OMDAI
• Automóvil Club de Costa Rica
• Bahamas Motor Sports Association
• Bahrain Motor Federation
• Caravan and Motorhome Club
• Ceylon Motorsport Club
• Federation of Motor Sports Club of India
• Georgian Automobile Sport Federation
• Jordan Motorsport
• Latvian Automobile Federation
• Motorsport Australia
• Motorsport UK
• Real Federación Española de Automovilismo
• Automobile Club d’Italia
• Turkish Automobile Sports Federation
• Turkiye Turing Ve Otomobil Kurumu

Introducing the First Central American Karting Championship with the Automóvil Club de Guatemala and the Automóvil Club de Costa Rica

Guatemala and Costa Rica joined forces to host the first ever Central American Karting Championship. Participants of any age or gender were invited to join and over 200 drivers competed. The Clubs are working with other Central American countries to host future editions of the Championship, with each iteration having clearer rules, better karts, and a more consistent approach.

Growing Motorsport Participation with the Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo

Brazil’s Women in Motorsport Project aims to support girls and women on their motor sport journeys – whether they want to be karting drivers, engineers, or mechanics. Run across 9 events, the project has already succeeded in identifying three champions for the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars  programme, growing social media interest, and setting a record for female motor sport participation in Brazil.

This project received funding from the FIA Motorsport Funding Programme, with funding from the FIA Foundation.

Building a Positive Future for Women in Motor Sport with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation

Just five years ago, women in Saudi Arabia couldn’t drive. But when the ban lifted in 2018, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) knew they wanted to be at the forefront of change. The Federation has pushed to enhance opportunities for female drivers on the race track, educate girls about motor sport, and include women at the highest levels of the motor sport sector. Now, 30% of SAMF employees, 19% of marshalls, and 20% of SAMF board members are women.

Fuelling Young Drivers with the Automotorsport Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The Automotorsport Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s new Young Drivers Academy is an intensive Karting instruction programme which aims to foster and develop diverse talent across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. First introduced in September 2023, the programme offers two young drivers from across the region a chance to learn and improve their skills rapidly for competition. Cross-borders and cross-ASN, the groundbreaking initiative aims to capitalise on expertise and infrastructure available across different countries to create the strongest competitors for the future.

This project received funding from the FIA Motorsport Funding Programme, with funding from the FIA Foundation.

Reimagining Sport Lessons with Motorsport South Africa

Daniel Pienaar Technical High School might have the world’s best physical education lessons. The school in Kariega allows students to take motor sport classes – with some taking part as Rally drivers, others as mechanics, and others in sport administration. First introduced in 2004, the programme has also succeeded in increasing Karting participation amongst girls.

Building a Multi-Channel Plan for EDI with OMDAI

OMDAI’s EDI plan is a multi-channel, fully integrated plan which aims to foster massive change and visible results across diversity and inclusion. First launched in 2022 and set to last five years, the programme is working to improve female participation in motor sport by building a database to share opportunities, increasing the number of local opportunities for girls in Karting, and offering inclusivity training for staff.

Celebrating the History of Women in Motor Sport with the Automóvil Club de Costa Rica

The Automóvil Club de Costa Rica (ACCR) partnered with the Costa Rican Children’s Museum to launch an exhibition on women and their work in motor sport and the automotive industry. Inspired by the FIA initiative, Girls on Track, the exhibition includes activities, video and games in which girls can design and test race strategies. The groundbreaking exhibition welcomed over 35,000 visitors in January 2023 alone.

Learning to Lead with the Bahamas Motor Sports Association

Motor sport isn’t just racing – it’s leadership, governance, PR, design, engineering, mechanics and safety too. EduKarting aims to introduce children to these concepts – and empower them to pursue careers across the paddock. Children are asked to build their own team business across Karting Slalom and Slim Racing, before they can get into the kart or simulator. Learning to Lead through Motorsport is an exciting concept and can be replicated anywhere. Today, the Association see children who went through the program several years ago, and are now demonstrating strong leaderships skills. The project has now been running for ten years and has plans to expand nationwide and beyond school level.

This project received funding from the FIA Motorsport Funding Programme, with funding from the FIA Foundation.

Holding a Motor Sport Summer Camp with the Bahrain Motor Federation

In July 2023, the Bahrain Motor Federation (BMF) organised its very first motor sport summer camp for the children of BMF marshals and officials at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC). The initiative aimed to highlight the importance of motor sport culture in the Kingdom and served as a new and innovative tool to engage the youth, growing the interest and showcasing the different avenues of participation.

Involving staff in EDI at the Caravan and Motorhome Club

EDI is top of the agenda for users and audiences – so the Caravan and Motorhome Club knew they had to put it at the heart of their organisation. The organisation established a Steering Group and a Staff Champion Group, so that staff could get involved in driving change and leading conversation around disabilities, mental health and the LGBT+ community. This year, the Club has provided communication, training, education and event days for staff. They also carried out further research on inclusion measures on their sites — specifically into toilet and shower blocks which will see new updates from 2025 onwards.

Keeping Competition Affordable and Accessible with the Ceylon Motorsport Club

Participating in motor sport can be expensive – so the Ceylon Motorsport Club (CMSC) decided it was time for a new low-cost competition. The Grassroots Level Talent Search offered competitors the chance to race in Karting Slalom, Auto Slalom, Karting, Autocross and Esport events, with the very best competitors given the opportunity to race again at the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship.  The competition was incredibly successful, with over 80 competitors in each event.  CMSC now hope that other Clubs and geographies will copy their competition structure, which is designed to be deliberately simple and easy to adopt. 

Building a Cohesive EDI Campaign with the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India

‘FMSCI for ALL’ is a campaign for everyone and to support the new ASN development plan. Designed to bring together the Federation’s wide-ranging initiatives, the campaign covers grassroots development, women’s empowerment, engineering development, sustainability, and increased support in the fight against online abuse. The far- reaching campaign is part of a certified effort to develop a more diverse, inclusive and supportive future for India’s dynamic motor sport community.

Finding Future Race Stars with the Georgian Automobile Sport Federation

How do we find the next generation of racing drivers? The Georgian Automobile Sport Federation thinks the answer lies in rental karts. The ‘Future race stars – become race drivers’ programme collects the fastest lap times from young rental kart users and offers the 50 fastest a chance to participate in a racing programme. The top eight receive grants towards seats in the 2024 racing season. The programme is designed to improve access to Karting, regardless of children’s financial background.

From Gaming to Motor Sport in Jordan

You might be good at motor sport gaming – but do you think you could take on the best? The MENA Esports Cup challenges drivers from across the MENA region to compete in national qualifier races (broadcast across the region), before they tackle the live final in Amman, Jordan. The initiative is part of wider Club efforts to make motor sport accessible. Today, just 5% of competitors have ever raced in motor sport before.

Preparing Girls for Karting Competitions with the Latvian Automobile Federation

Latvia wants to get girls on track for motor sport success with their new ‘Beautiful and Strong’ programme. The programme uses rigorous interview, physical and Karting screening tests to select two girls to compete in Karting competitions with Tillotson karting.

Introducing Women to Racing with Motorsport Australia

 One of Motorsport Australia’s objective is to facilitate access to motor sport, especially for women. The organisation launched the Women’s Introduction to Motorsport programme  – a programme which trains up novice drivers so that they can take part in junior competition. Learners also get buddies, who can lend novices insights about their own experience participating and competing in grassroots motor sport. The programme is designed to be easily replicable across different geographies or Clubs. It has now reached more than 70 women, with individual programmes converting as many as 72% of participants into Motorsport Australia license holders.

Racing for Diversity with Motorsport UK

Race for Diversity is a new Motorsport UK initiative which aims to get children from underrepresented backgrounds inspired by racing. In order to ensure the success of the programme, the team carried out in-depth research, secured funding, and ran two pilot sessions with school children in London and Manchester. And the team have already seen some early success. Following the sessions, 66% of participants said they were interested in a career in engineering and motor sport – a significant increase from the 14% who said they’d like these kinds of careers before the session. Heading into 2023/2024, the Club is aiming to expand the programme, in the hopes of driving increased awareness of jobs and opportunities, improving STEM subject take up at GCSE and A Level, and building better connections with young people in motor sport.

Promoting Inclusive Racing with Real Federación Española de Automovilismo

In 2014, Spain introduced a groundbreaking new motor racing event: the Parabaja Step by Step. The programme allows people with disabilities to get behind the wheel and compete against their able-bodied rivals in the Spanish Off Road Rally Championship. Since it was first introduced, 65 drivers and co-drivers have participated. This year, Ukrainian soldiers who were physically injured in the conflict have also accepted the organisers’ invitation to compete. The programme sits alongside another initiative of the Federation called ‘The Inclusive Automobile Commission’, which aims to support the inclusion of people with disabilities in motor sport.

Supporting Disabled Drivers with Automobile Club d’Italia

Antonio Tateo was born with both legs paralysed due to birth asphyxia. At 32, he was keen to gain independence and expand his horizons – so he decided to take an ACI-Sara safe driving course. Now Antonio has taken seven courses – from beginner to advanced – and improved his understanding of complex driving situations and road conditions. Antonio’s story shows what’s possible when instructors tailor their driving teaching for their students – regardless of physical ability.

Supporting Children after a Major Earthquake in Turkey with the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation

Back in February 2023, Turkey’s biggest ever earthquake hit the country, hitting 11 cities and claiming the lives of 50,000 people. In the midst of this devastating period, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation wanted to help the relief effort by providing support and entertainment to children affected. The Club brought a truck with a racing simulator to affected regions, alongside lecturers and a psychologist to help support the children.

Helping University Students Understand Sustainable Mobility with Turkiye Turing Ve Otomobil Kurumu

WIDEN YOUR WORLD is a project which aims to support capable university students to broaden their horizons and take on new educational opportunities. In 2023, the Turkiye Turing Ve Otomobil Kurumu (TTOK) launched a new version of the programme with a focus on sustainable mobility. Students received English language courses, as well as road safety seminars, and classes on economics, law, and electric vehicles. The TTOK team also brought in global speakers and 26 different EVs to allow the students to truly immerse themselves in the world of sustainable mobility.

Creating Safer Roads for Cambodia’s Workers with the AIP Foundation

More than 830,000 people work in Cambodia’s ever-growing export sector. But while these workers play an important role on Cambodia’s journey towards prosperity, they must face dangerous journeys of their own. Unsafe or overloaded vehicles, increasingly heavy traffic, poor infrastructure and inexperienced road users can make their commutes fraught with risk. That’s why the AIP Foundation has implemented the Prevention and Participation Programme in partnership with VF Corporation. The programme supports workers to use safe transport on safer roads, and provides post-injury employment options in disability-inclusive workplaces. The AIP Foundation expects 1,000,000 individuals from the Prevention and Participation Programme across its entire duration.