The thunderous roar of the engine was the final call for those struggling for entry at Buddh International Circuit. Those lucky enough to park themselves in the lobby dropped their jaws, popped their eyes to watch the sleek, slender, sparkling machines in complete control of their masters. And they were not men, this was a group of women race drivers who were gearing up to take on the wheels at the Ultima Queens Cup, which was a part of 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship.
No one said that being beautiful and a total stunner is a condition to be in motorsport, but you tend to believe so after meeting this gang of women racers. They are the only women race drivers in the world who are professionally present in the grid. They are a part of FIA lotus ladies Cup, a championship specifically held for women drivers. It was launched for the first time in Hungary in the spring of 2011. The gang is in India for the first time to promote motorsport among Indian women.
The idea to form a FIA lotus ladies Cup was conceptualised by Adrienn Bende, who was a model and is a former Miss Hungary. “I was too bored of modelling and after a point I realised that there was nothing challenging about it. Since childhood I loved cars and speed. I found out that there were many women I knew who are perfectly skilled and trained drivers and they are often competing with men. So I thought why not something exclusively for us. It is so much fun to be friends in the paddock and competitors on the track. We do not want to be always racing with men, who mostly see us in the driver’s seat and say something with a smirk. We have proved them wrong many a times. When I formed the championship
I was not planning to drive, I thought I would be only organising, but once I was on wheels I totally loved the experience,” said Adrienn, who met with a major accident on track three years ago and took long to recover. “It was the worst experience. My car rolled thrice on the track, it was partly my fault. The track had some problems. Recovery took long and the major task was to be back on wheels with the same concentration. You need to stay focussed while driving. Motor sport requires perfect mental and physical fitness,” she added.
Being a woman racer only has advantages, they say. “You always get more attention and it is easy to get the sponsors. We can only race if we get sponsors. The other plus is that it is always more fun to watch women racing against each other. I think female drivers are more disciplined and we drive very neatly,” said liesette Braams, a mother of two who comes from the only race family in Netherlands. She is a singer too. “Racing is in my genes and every time you are on the steering you get that adrenaline shock that keeps you going. Once you are in your jersey and you put on the helmet, there is this feeling of freedom that nothing can replace,” she added.
Sheila Verschuur learnt the nuances of racing from her father, who is a well-known racer. “Expectations were many and first three years were tough. But you only need determination and concentration to be in the game,” said Sheila. Any particular thing they take care of before getting on the wheelsIJ “I do not drink and wake up early to stay fit and active,” said Sheila. “I try and wear my lucky underwear,” winked liesette.
The ladies loved the track here and said “it is perfect and wide enough.” Adrienn said she spoke to some Indian women and encouraged them to take motor sports seriously. “It can be a wonderful long-term career and you can keep doing other things as well, like I am studying Economics. Women need to shed inhibitions and believe that there is nothing only men can do. But I understand that in India change will come gradually. I don’t think there are too many women drivers on streets here. But if there are any women who want to join us and be a part of The lotus ladies Cup, I would like to meet them,” she said.
Apart from spreading the word on motor sports, the racers had another agenda - visiting Taj Mahal. “It was a dream come true,” said Adrienn. The initiative to bring them here was taken by JK Tyre and Volkswagen. Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre & Industries limited said, “We have always supported women race drivers and have been associated with the Duchess Car Rally for Women in Chennai, Trichy, Patna to name a few. By inviting them here we want to encourage women to take up motor sport which is otherwise considered a male-dominated sport.”