Picture 1: From left: Stefano Pacchioli (WorldSBK COO); Sandra Gómez (President RFME Women's Commission); Violeta Shehi (FIM CTI Expert); MONICA Lazzarotti (WorldSBK Medical Director); Janika Judeika, (FIM CFM Director); Giulia Sormani (Technical Director Master in Design - Digital Strategy POLI.Design, Politecnico Milano); Fabrizio D'Ottavi (MOTUL Sponsoring & Communication Group Manager) and Damiano Zamana (FIM Deputy CEO) © GPAgency
Picture 2: Damiano Zamana, WorldWCR Riders: Emily Bondi (FRA), Ran Yachay (ISR), Mallory Dobbs (USA); Janika Judeika (FIM CFM Director); Fabrizio D’Ottavi (MOTUL Sponsoring & Communication Group Manager); Giulia Sormani (Technical Director Master in Design - Digital Strategy POLI.Design, Politecnico Milano); © GPAgency
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Jerez (Spain), on 18 October, and when the last round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at the Jerez – Angel Nieto Circuit, a round table dedicated to the newly created FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship ‘Accelerating Change and Opportunities - how female participation contributes towards two-wheel motorsport’ was held.
The participants were the riders of the FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship, and various professionals involved in motorsport, together with the contributions of Fabrizio D'Ottavi, MOTUL Sponsoring and Communication Group Manager, and James Toseland, two-time FIM Superbike World Champion and moderator of the event.
Damiano Zamana, Deputy CEO of the FIM, took stock of the season, underlining the success in terms of sporting performance and audience of the championship, highlighting how this platform has given the female riders the opportunity to compete on a world level.
Janika Judeika, FIM Women’s Commission Director, underlined one of the Commission's tasks: to promote the same competition opportunities for women as they exist for men.
Violeta Shehi, FIM International Technical Commission Expert, is the first woman to hold this role, which is generally male-oriented, together with Monica Lazzarotti, WorldSBK Medical Director, the only female doctor in the world to preside over Race Direction.
Sandra Gómez, President of the Spanish Motorcycling Federation Women's Commission - in addition to her activity as a rider and former FIM E-Xplorer World Cup winner, she is also actively involved as a member of the FIM Women’s Commission.
Collectively they all wanted to convey the message that there are no roles in motorsport that cannot be filled by women, what is important is constant commitment and professionalism, qualities that allow us to overcome any prejudice and gender barriers.
Focusing on the experiences of the three WorldWCR riders, Mallory Dobbs (USA), Ran Yachay (Israel) and Emily Bondi (France), who underlined, after having competed in the entire championship season, how much having the opportunity to compete in a World Championship is a unique opportunity, made available by the FIM, which confirms the inclusion and equality of female athletes: solidarity, passion and the desire to be a source of inspiration for the new generations is the common denominator.
Among the guests, Giulia Sormani, Technical Director Master in Design - Digital Strategy POLI.Design, Politecnico Milano, and Fabrizio D'Ottavi. Both shared a vision of women's motorsport which must be an integral part of the communication strategies for those companies already present in motorsport and beyond. It is important to convey to potential investors outside the sector the passion of the riders, their races, the colour of the paddock, values that become a basis, still to be explored, of marketing, commercial and media opportunities.