Racing Forces

This week, Abby is joined by Amy Overy, Digital Producer at F1. Amy is often behind-the-scenes for the pre and post-race action we see on all the digital channels each race weekend. She started her career in radio production and local sports commentary before leaping F1 and hasn't looked back. Her warmth and personality touch you to the core and hearing stories from two decades of being trackside at F1 and other parts of her life make you feel at home with a friend.

She's also a self-certified 'foodie' and finds joy in her personal and professional life, connecting with people through food and cuisine from across the world. She firmly believes that the provenance of food has the power to forge strong personal connections and dissolve barriers, and you can hear so much of that in her life story. Finally, what's unique about Amy is that she makes us realize that who we are is enough, and realizing the same is brave in itself.
Tune in to hear a fun story and even find favorite foods for some of your favorite drivers in F1.

Follow Amy on IG @amyjovery and @f1_foodie to catch some F1 trackside action.

We're back after quite a long break. In this episode, Abby is joined by Ben Fuller, a budding young creator in the F1 space. Ben leads a community of 50k people on the audio-focused social networking app clubhouse and runs an online sports trading card store. Ben also has an interesting theory - NFTs will be the next frontier towards fan engagement in the sport. The culture of ever-changing technology outside automotive engineering plays a crucial role in how F1 expands and appeals to its new and existing fanbase. Crypto sponsorships became a common sight in F1 in 2021, and drivers have started dabbling in personal NFTs.

So why does it matter, and what can we expect in the future from this technological development? Tune in to understand the basics of what really are NFTs and how are they different from cryptocurrency and how we think the range of potential applications in F1 is fascinating.

Follow Ben on Clubhouse, IG,  and Twitter (@benfullerf1) and find his trading card store at formulafuller.com.  
(Ben's social media handles have changed since we recorded this episode). 

In this episode, Abby is joined by Peter Habicht, Stanford engineering grad turned F1 freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Peter is a contributor for TalkSPORT radio and has worked with Mercedes F1 Heritage to produce the first-ever public demonstration of the current era V6 turbo hybrid-powered Formula 1 car in the US for the inaugural Sonoma Speed Festival. He also serves as an advisor and consultant for investment analysts and media channels for an American point of view of F1. 

Abby and Peter discuss the history of F1 and motorsport in the US and how bringing value from personal experiences and passion can be an extremely effective way to make one's way in F1. In addition, they discuss how Netflix's Drive to Survive successfully tapped into specific qualities the American audience associates with. Tune in to hear them discuss the future of F1 in the US and the probability of more races, an American team, or a driver under the Liberty Media era.

Follow Peter on Instagram (@peterhabicht) and Twitter (@F1US)
Visit Peter's webpage at https://1laureldrive.com/ and on Instagram @1laureldrive

Abby is joined in this episode by Toni Cowan-Brown. Toni has spent her career at the intersection of tech and politics and is a serial content creator who has taken Formula 1 social media by storm over this year on TikTok with her unique informational videos breaking down F1 for new and old fans alike. She is the author of 'Beginner's Guide to F1' and co-host of 'Another Podcast' with tech pundit Benedict Evans, and 'The Unapologetic Woman Podcast' with Sorcha Rochford. 

Abby and Toni talk about the tangible economic impact that the rise of content creators in the sport has enabled in a new Digital-first Social-first media consumption environment and how engaging fans who create content can have a multi-fold impact on F1, both socially and economically. They compare this changing wave with the original business model that turned this sport into a multi-billion business, while also exploring how content creation can serve as a space to express our inner personas and space to model activism.

Follow Toni on Tiktok (@f1toni) as well as on Instagram and Twitter (@tonicowanbrown).
Subscribe to Toni's newsletter: https://ideefixe.co/

On this week's episode, Abby sits down with Jake Paul, Brand Designer at Red Bull Racing Honda and ex-Graphic Designer at Formula 1. Tune in to hear them chat about Jake's career as a self-taught graphic designer, post an educational and professional career in Law and Banking, as well as his work behind the 'End Racism' campaign in Formula 1 in 2020. Jake's work has been shared far and wide, including by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. As one of the few Black men in the sport, Jake is an emphatic voice championing Diversity & Inclusion  and actively advocates for people with unorthodox backgrounds to pursue their dreams in motorsport. Abby and Jake open up about how solving systemic racism in any industry is deeply rooted in increasing representation and economic benefits of a diverse and equitable society. Finally, Jake dedicates his success to his mom, who served as an example, shield, and motivator on his journey.

Follow Jake on Instagram and Twitter @jp1_design to follow his inspiring journey.

Abby is joined by Steph Turner, a member of the Brand Marketing team at Formula E, as well as a member of the 'F1 in Schools' initiative. Steph is also the co-host of the Driven by Diversity podcast, which champions a more diverse and inclusive sport by shining the spotlight on talent from underrepresented backgrounds. As Steph's journey has revolved around involvement in community initiatives, she and Abby discuss how sometimes the internal drive to follow our passions gets overshadowed by the lack of resources and how community initiatives are an inspired route to slowly work towards bridging that gap. The empowerment that comes from connecting people via community initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion can create a domino effect and have a tangible impact on individual stories, which we cover in today's episode.

Follow Steph (@stephjturner_) on Instagram to follow her escapades in motorsports.

To follow up on the resources discussed, take a look at:
Driven by Diversity: https://www.drivenbydiversity.com
F1 in Schools UK: https://www.f1inschools.co.uk
F1 in Schools: https://www.f1inschools.com
FIA Girls on Track: https://www.fia.com/thegirlsontrack
Women in Motorsport: https://www.motorsportuk.org/the-sport/women-in-motorsport/girls-on-track-uk/
Formula Careers: https://formulacareers.com
Jennie Gow's Motorsport Media Webinars: Motorsport media Youtube series

Abby is joined in this episode by Karun Chandhok, the most recent F1 driver from India and current Sky Sports F1 commentator. Having driven in almost all major racing series (F1, Formula E, Le Mans, WEC), and helping to make F1 easy to understand for viewers each race week, Karun has experienced the sport from a wide range of viewpoints. Having been vocal about championing diversity, inclusion and equity in sport, Karun and Abby dive into how motorsport is evolving to include a wider demographic. They also discuss their shared journey as immigrants and look at what Equity vs Equality really mean in terms of an individual's starting line in the world of motorsport as well as in life in general.

Follow Karun Chandhok @karunchandhok on Instagram and Twitter to follow his passion and extensive work in the sport.

On this week’s episode of Racing Forces, Abby is joined by Mallorie Muller, a pit crew member with Paretta Autosport, the historic female-forward team in the 2021 Indy 500. The two dive deep into what it means to take up space as a woman, especially in male-dominated spaces such as the IndyCar series and other motorsport categories, as well as talk about the importance of leaning on your tribe in the quest to pursue your passions.

For more, follow Mallorie Muller @mallorieie on Instagram and Twitter and Paretta Autosport on Instagram (@parettaautosport) and Twitter (@parettasport)

Diversity. Inclusion. Equity. Mental Health. Motorsports. 

This podcast is a series of conversations aiming to normalize uncomfortable topics in motorsports and F1. Listen now as Abby Rakshit and Jen Lieberman introduce the WHY behind the Racing Forces mission.