In just a few years, Formula E has become a major popular event, allowing young Monegasques in particular to meet drivers. This is further evidenced this year, as the 8th and 9th editions of the Monaco E-Prix provided an opportunity for an unprecedented number of meetings and discussions, organised for audiences as diverse as they were enthusiastic.

As in previous years, school and college visits took place on Wednesday, featuring Lucas di Grassi, the Lola-Yamaha Abt driver at the International School of Monaco… in the presence of his own son. Another Formula E champion, Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, World Champion in 2021, visited the FANB College for a moment of sharing and a lively question-and-answer session with his young fans.

Meanwhile, the two McLaren drivers, Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard, were visiting sick children at the Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG), delighted to meet authentic champions who also represent a legendary motorsport team.

Girls on Track shifts gears

Coordinated by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in several countries around the world, Girls on Track helps young girls climb the ranks of the motorsport pyramid in a highly masculine world. At the top, for the past few years, is the F1 Academy, reserved for girls and now held as a curtain-raiser for Grands Prix.

Several events were organized this week around the Monaco E-Prix, starting with a karting race on Wednesday in Cannes for 43 highly motivated participants. Then, a special Career Talks conference, focusing on the “Girls on Track” program, took place at the International University of Monaco, featuring several female motorsport professionals to inspire the students and share their experiences in a sector that is still largely male-dominated.

Speakers included Frédérique Reynertz (who has worked in several international sports federations, including the FIA), Julia Palle (Vice President of Sustainability at Formula E), Chloé Sharpe (Social Media Manager at Mahindra Racing), and Laura Pochylski (Account Manager at All Time and a former IUM student).

Through their backgrounds and experiences, the speakers shared advice for female students starting their careers in just a few months. They emphasised the importance of seizing every opportunity and not losing their passion. All recalled that there are multiple paths to enter the world of motorsport, including through other sports.

Inclusivity, role models, and male support… They shared experiences that had a positive impact on them and discussed the skills needed for young people entering the world of sport: curiosity, adaptability, and perseverance. Also as part of this initiative, more than 200 young women were able to discover the Fan Village and Pit Lane (simulators, team discussions, workshops) this Friday.

The Change.Accelerated.Live Conference

At the end of the day, the Change.Accelerated.Live Conference was held in partnership with Google Cloud at the Yacht Club de Monaco. At the heart of the discussions was a strong message: “Let’s innovate, let’s accelerate, and let’s preserve”.

On this occasion, several influential voices in the fields of sustainable sport, finance, green technology, and innovation debated and discussed transformative projects, ranging from the bio-improvement of battery materials to the use of AI to detect neurodegenerative diseases. This meeting demonstrated that in Monaco, a sustainable future is not a promise: it is already a reality under construction.