Sports Pundit caught up with Emma Gilmour, the first-ever female factory driver for McLaren Racing, to talk about her journey into the off-road all-electric series, Extreme E, discussing her successes and struggles, Formula 1 Academy, and all things motorsports.
The horsewoman, who never dreamed of becoming a racing driver, was born on 30 September 1979 in Dunedin, New Zealand’s seventh-most populous urban area.
Early in her twenties, Emma Gilmour left aside the dream of being an Olympic equestrian, changing her career path as motorsport became a passion in the life of a woman used to taking risks on and off the track.
She set off her career in the sport by chance when she agreed to be the co-driver for a friend.
In 2006, she made her international debut, building a successful career and business (owner – Gilmour Motors Suzuki Team), competing in rally, rallycross, and cross country.
In 2015, she claimed the prestigious FIA Women in Motorsport and QMMF Cross Country Selection.
A year later, she would become the first woman to win a round in the New Zealand Rally Championship, the Rally of Canterbury, moving on to finish runner-up in the NZRC over three consecutive years against a highly competitive motorsport field.
Towards 2021, the ‘Kiwi’ broke new ground, taking on a new challenge by joining the pioneering off-road electric SUVs, the Extreme E championship.
Gilmour entered the series’ inaugural season as a reserve driver for the Veloce Racing team, standing in for British driver Jamie Chadwick, who missed two events due to clashing commitments in the W Series.
In 2022, the New Zealander joined the NEOM McLaren XE outfit as a full-time driver, pairing American Tanner Foust to become the first-ever female driver for McLaren Racing, the team founded by motorsport icon and compatriot Bruce McLaren.
But no glory comes without overcoming adversity, which she had to face at an early stage of her career, suffering a big rally accident that knocked her out.
In an interview held last weekend in Punta del Este, Uruguay, at the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix, she shared with us the lessons on dealing with success as with struggles throughout her journey.
“With everything in life, there are always disappointments and challenges, and all you can do is keep going forward; you always learn from what happens.
“I suppose what I took away from that is having good people around you. I had an amazing support group that allowed me to race again because it’s also a…
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