Edinburgh F1 prospect Rachel Robertson, 18, is off to Italy’s Cremona track early this month (August) for road trials that could potentially prove life changing and with £15,000 sponsorship through one of sports’ power couples in her back pocket.
Backed by Gabby Logan and her ex-Scotland rugby cap husband Kenny from a fund allocated to the television presenter to identify emergent sporting talent Rachel now has sights on a series of F4 drives as a stepping stone into the prestigious F1 Academy.
This comes after securing several podium places for the Radical Racing team she joined only last December as revealed by the “Reporter” and which required her to relocate to Wiltshire.
“Things have gone exceedingly well” said Rachel, adding: “I was introduced to Gabby and Kenny by a mutual friend who is mentoring me and their support is invaluable when an F4 trial day can cost £7-8k.
“I’ve already had one drive at a track in Wales where I was only half a second behind a top driver with much more experience but competition is fierce with eight teams of between two and three drivers in a shoot-out for an F1 Academy place.”
Speeds reached can be up to 130mph and Rachel is coping well with any switch between Radical cars and F4 with tighter cornering mechanism.
“Through Gabby I gained entry to the (European) gala premier of the motoring racing film, F1: The Movie (starring Brad Pitt) allowing a brief introduction to Suzie Woolf who runs the F1 Academy which was at least a chance to put myself in front of her.”
It’s what happens on the track that counts, though, as ex Trinity Academy student Rachel knows only too well.
“I don’t have the experience of some but I can still put a car faster round a track given a chance” she says while also preparing to compete on the renowned Silverstone circuit shortly as part of the televised Radical series she is hoping to soon step out of into F4 and beyond.
