Today, female motorsport talents are closer than ever to the world of F1, with many getting a chance to shine through dedicated initiatives that showcase their skills. Numerous individuals, including Rob Smedley, have worked tirelessly behind the scenes at all levels to make this happen.
A former Ferrari engineer, Smedley has taken a keen interest in grassroots motorsports. His latest initiative with FAT International—a platform for talented drivers—has already started to pay off by improving female participation in go-karting.
Smedley, who was Felipe Massa’s race engineer at the Maranello-based outfit, recently discussed a panel where a 10-year plan was advocated for the cause. However, he never subscribed to that idea. Instead, leveraging his marketing acumen and motorsport expertise, he ensured that his karting league saw a remarkable 20% participation from young girls in its first year.
Is FAT International the shake-up karting needs? ➡️ https://t.co/WnwyxQfooz pic.twitter.com/22vNNTNbqZ
— Top Gear (@BBC_TopGear) December 4, 2024
“I’m a huge advocate,” he said on the Red Flags podcast. “I mean my business here is probably 50/50. In fact, us males might be outnumbered, I don’t even know, I just know that like it just kind of self-manages itself,” he explained.
Smedley, the CEO of FAT International, has formed several astute partnerships with his goal of making motorsport more affordable and accessible worldwide. His mission reflects this goal, as he joined hands with Ferdi Porsche—a man with the Porsche legacy and lineage—to ensure the resources and credibility of his endeavor.
How Smedley is changing the landscape of grassroots motorsport
The FAT Karting League uses the ‘arrive and drive’ model, meaning that racing in the league will have transparent fixed costs, substantially reducing the cost of completing an entire season of karting.
Moreover, the karts themselves are an in-house project by Smedley, designed by reputed F1 engineers. These karts are electric, further reducing operational costs.
On top of all this, the FAT Karting League is undoubtedly a stepping stone to a future career in motorsport. The series guarantees one fully funded season of F4 for one driver, courtesy of the Smedley-led operation.
They proclaimed their aspirations with the series on their website: ‘This isn’t just karting. It’s the first step into your racing career. Co-founded by Formula 1 engineer Rob Smedley and FAT International founder Ferdi Porsche, our league is built to uncover potential and accelerate talent.”
