Formula One: the women inspiring others into F1 through unique role at McLaren

“Coaching a pit crew is about injury prevention, optimizing physical performance, and being able to look at a body or movement and identify a person’s strengths”.

“Our pit crew have built so much strength and depth, for example, all of the physical prep that our Jackman has been doing allows him to physically withstand the force that comes through the car”.

Acton praises UK Coaching’s Coach Development Programme for growing her confidence as coach, she said: “Emily was my coach developer and was nothing but engaging and positive. She showed me a way of being able to formulate my thoughts from a female perspective”.

Dutch Grand Prix Credit: McLaren Racing

“My pit crew at the moment are all male, and they’ve never made me feel anything but an equal part of the team, but Emily gave me that confidence to not change how I think just because I’m a female and believe that what I’m delivering is absolutely correct”.

“I think as females it's innate in us to question ourselves more. We might be the most qualified person in the room, but we'll still inherently turn around and think, is that right? Emily gave me the confidence to believe I am right”.

“Coming to McLaren has been wonderful. It's an incredible team. They've been wonderful to work with, and I certainly haven't at any point felt held back as a female. If anything, I think McLaren have given me a little bit more power”.

Dutch Grand Prix Credit: McLaren Racing

Action was previously a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist for the military, a traditionally male dominated space, but says this has helped her develop her communication skills: “We're all different, whether we're male or female, but certainly males driven by competitiveness like those in the military are ambitious to a fault, which is fantastic, but for me it was therefore about knowing when to put an arm around their shoulder or have a laugh with them”.

Acton believes exposure and role models are key to getting more women into F1, she said: “I think if you can see it, you can be it. And I know that sounds very cliché, but what we need is women to be on the TV in big arenas on their own merit”.

“I feel very strong about that. I don't want to get a job just because I'm female, I want to get it because I'm the best person at the job”.

To women looking to get involved in the sport, Acton encourages people to believe in themselves: “My advice would be throw your hat in the ring. Don't be scared to believe that you have something to offer in this space."

"We just keep pushing. The opportunities are there, and it's certainly not as hard to get into the sport as people think”.

If you want to start your coaching journey, head to https://www.ukcoaching.org to find out more.