Worksop teen aiming for step up to British Formula 4

Teenage Alicia Barrett's consistent performances in the UK’s major Junior X30 Karting Championships have made her the leading female driver against male-dominated full grids.

She is now a stand-out candidate for the ground-breaking W Series for women.

However, to be a contender for a future W Series, Alicia needs to make the transition from karts to single-seater cars.

“Racing has always been my passion and the W Series is the perfect stepping stone to a career as a professional racing driver,” he said.

“I am determined to prove my ability at the highest levels in the sport.”

Following her X30 Ladies Champion title win at Le Mans in 2017, last season Alicia battled 19 female drivers to be crowned European Women’s IAME X30 Champion at Varennes sur Allier circuit, France, and raced to sixth place in the hotly-contested UK Little Green Man (LGM) Championship.

At a time when most other female sports are growing exponentially, there are few females in karting despite the sport’s perception as the stepping stone to the higher ranks of motorsport.

In fact, fewer women race single-seater cars at top level now than 10 years ago, and it is over 40 years since a female driver started a Formula 1 race.

However, despite the tiny proportion of females in the junior single-seater formulae, Alicia’s goal is to embark on a Formula 4 testing programme and race in the 2021 British Formula 4 Championship.

She added: “Running alongside the BTCC, the British F4 coverage is enjoyed by millions of fans on television and trackside and offers a high-profile platform for sponsors and partners.

“Being a female in motorsport at a time when this is attracting more attention and coverage than ever before, only enhances the benefits for sponsors, partners and fans even further.

“I am the first in my family to venture into the motor racing world and from my first time in a kart have been addicted.

“It’s about time we see more women competing at the top of the sport and my ambition is to be one of them.”

The F4 British Championship, certified by the FIA and powered by Ford EcoBoost, is the UK’s premier single-seater series and the first step on the FIA single-seater pyramid to F1.

The Championship featured live on ITV4 as the sole singer-seater support event on the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) package, with a 30-race schedule in front of the BTCC’s massive spectator fanbase at the UK’s major circuits. FIA Super Licence points are awarded to the top seven drivers to enable their progression up the motorsport ladder.

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