As the ABB FIA Formula E Championship returns to Chile for the third time in the series' history, the Girls on Track initiative will be present for the first time for an activation around the 2020 Santiago E-Prix on 17th and 18th January.

The event follows the season opener in Diriyah which saw a record number of girls attend the activations aimed at introducing them to a potential career in motor sport. The two-day event saw 400 participants engage in exciting and innovative workshops that included karting, simulator training and STEM challenges.

The event in Santiago is an opportunity for Girls on Track to inspire and encourage girls between the ages of 8 and 18 years to consider the opportunities both on and off the track and to promote the general public on gender equality in motor sport.

FIA Women in Motorsport ambassador Tatiana Calderón said: “Initiatives such as Girls on Track are key to inspiring, empowering and educating girls with both the skills and the mindset to consider a future in motor sport. It is exciting to see this event come to Chile, helping to raise awareness and grow female participation in the sport in South-America.”

The event will see girls participate in a number of innovative activities that include media training, through which participants will learn from motor sport journalists how to report from a race meeting. The activation will teach them to prepare a news story and conduct an interview on camera, while developing confidence and personal impact skills. A technical workshop will develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills (STEM) whilst having fun in the context of motor sport. Participants will be encouraged to be creative, to work as a team and to open their minds to the STEM career opportunities in the industry.  An educational challenge aimed at informing girls of the effects of climate change and demonstrating what they can do to have an impact on the environment will also be available. Split into three separate activities that are both fun and educational, the aim is to develop practices that they can adopt to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

A simulator activity will guide participants through essential driving practices alongside an instructor. They will explain braking points, handling corners and when to accelerate in two timed laps that will see them focus on achieving the fastest time. Girls will also experience first-hand what it is to be a racer. After one practice lap, the girls will undertake their first competitive laps on track– a unique experience and opportunity to kick-start a karting career.

“Young girls need to know that a career in motorsports, as a driver, a marshal or an engineer, is attainable and FIA Girls On Track is inspiring a new generation of girls to follow their dreams.” said Silvia Bellot, FIA Race Director and Women in Motorsport Commission member.

The FIA Girls on Track programme launched at the 2019 Mexico City E-Prix in February and over the course of the year introduced almost 1000 girls to the world of motor sport across the four separate events in Europe, Central America and the Middle East. It aims to make a tangible contribution to the FIA’s goal of gender equality and support national sporting authorities (ASNs) with their development of women in motor sport. The first event in 2020 will be hosted by FADECH, whose president Mauricio Melo Avaria said: “We are delighted to welcome FIA Girls on Track to Chile and look forward to working together on the promotion of gender equality in motor sport.”

The FIA Girls on Track activities will take place in the E-Village at the Santiago E-Prix.