Trailblazers on the track – the girls of the Gazoo Racing Junior Academy

Where it all began

Emma’s love for racing was sparked by a family day at the track. ‘My grandpa used to do karting just for fun, and one day we went to watch him at Formula-K race track,’ she recalls. ‘My brother started racing first, and after going to his race weekends, I got really into it. I started just before I turned nine, and I fell in love with it straight away.’ 

For Georgia, it all started with her dad, a former motocross rider. ‘He didn’t want me doing motocross, so he put me into karting instead,’ she says. That was six years ago – and she’s never looked back. 

Emma is currently racing locally in the Junior MAX category and has been with the Academy since its inception, having raced with Poulter’s Xtreme Racing Team previously. ‘I knew her talent already,’ says Poulter. ‘So it was easy to bring her into the fold, and she did well automatically.’  

New to the team this year, Georgia (in the Senior MAX category) had previously been racing as a privateer. ‘I was watching her from the outside. She’s very talented and her race craft against the boys was very, very good. That’s why I thought she was another perfect person to have,’ Poulter explains. 

The thrill of it 

So what is it about the sport that keeps the girls on the track week after week? For both, it’s the adrenaline – the thrill of race starts, the intensity of the final laps and, perhaps most satisfying of all, beating the boys. It’s a shared highlight they both mention with a smile.  

‘I also love spending time with my dad,’ says Emma. ‘Especially now that we’re travelling a lot and racing overseas. It has taught me so much.’  

Georgia adds, ‘I also love meeting new people. I’ve met a lot of amazing people through motorsport.’ 

The challenges 

But it’s not all podiums and adrenaline rushes. Both girls have faced their share of challenges on the road to success. For Georgia, the toughest part has been juggling schoolwork with time on the track. ‘To get good at something, you have to do it a lot, and I’m not always able to do that because of school. But I’ve been managing it pretty well. I’ve done all my tests and exams and still managed to race.’  

Emma’s hurdles have mostly come mid-race. ‘If I make a mistake or get taken out, I have to fight back,’ she says. She also points to the jump from local to international racing: ‘Here we race against maybe 20 drivers. Overseas it’s 36 to 50 – that was a big adjustment.’ 

It takes commitment 

There’s no denying karting is more than just a hobby. It takes serious commitment. Depending on your goals, you are required to be at the track a few times a week and more if it’s a race week. Their parents are quick to point out that it’s not just the girls who have to show commitment. Karting demands a significant investment of both time and money. ‘It is expensive, unfortunately. And that’s one of the biggest barriers for most people,’ says Georgia’s dad, Alex Lenaerts. ‘Not only is there the financial requirement, but it’s also a big time commitment. You’ve got to be at the track at least once or twice a week plus commit to a full race calendar. And once you start, you’ve got to give it a proper go for at least a year. It’s a sacrifice, but if the bug bites, it’s worth it.’ 

Beating the boys 

In a sport where the grid is overwhelmingly male, being a girl in karting can come with a target on your back, especially when you’re fast. 

‘At first it was intimidating,’ admits Emma. ‘I was the only girl on the grid and I was a bit scared of being bullied by the boys.’ In the early days, she didn’t always feel respected or good enough to be taken seriously, she says. But with time, grit and results, that changed. ‘Now it doesn’t really matter. We’re all drivers. We all want to win. Being a girl doesn’t make a difference to me any more.’ 

Her mother, Sandor, has seen the shift too but says it hasn’t always been easy. ‘In the beginning, you could literally see the boys going for her just because she was a girl. They’d think, “She’s about to beat me. That’s not happening.” They wouldn’t go for my son like that. But Emma’s earned her place through professionalism and performance. Now there’s respect.’ 

Georgia echoes the sentiment. ‘The boys get really upset when you beat them,’ she says, grinning. ‘They make it their number-one goal to take you out if you get in front. There’s a lot of bumping.’ She laughs it off now, but her dad confirms the pattern. ‘She gets taken out a lot. But it’s made her tougher. She’s learned to handle it.’ 

The rising presence of girls on the karting grid reflects a global trend. ‘F1 is bringing girls into the sport. The F1 Academy was launched in 2023. It is an all-female junior racing series launched to help develop and promote the next generation of women drivers. All Formula 1 teams each support a nominated driver competing in the F1 Academy,’ says Leeroy. ‘And from Toyota’s point of view, it’s great to see them racing the boys – and being in front. That’s a real eye-opener.’ 

He’s watched first-hand as the girls in the Junior Academy have gone from giving the boys space to pass to holding their lines and fighting back. ‘In the beginning, they’d just get dived up the inside and let the boys through, but now they’re quicker than a lot of the boys. So the boys have no choice; they have to race them properly.’ 

While resistance still lingers, the shift is undeniable. What used to be a novelty is now becoming the norm.  

The dream 

The road ahead is filled with ambition and possibility for both girls. Georgia’s short-term goal is to win a championship or the Africa Open and earn a spot representing South Africa at the Grand Final. ‘I really want the suit!’ she says, referring to the official racing suit with your name on the back that SA representatives get to wear. Looking ahead, she hopes to test a single-seater or secure a GR Cup seat on the main circuit. ‘I’d love to race professionally one day, but I also think school is very important. If your racing career doesn’t work out, you need to have a Plan B.’ 

Already well on her way to living her dream, Emma races internationally as well as locally. We spoke to her fresh off the plane from Germany, where she had just competed in the FIA Karting European Championship. She was also selected to attend the prestigious Iron Dames Young Talents programme earlier this year. In addition, Emma competes in the Champions of the Future Academy Program. Her dream is to stay in motorsport for the long haul. ‘It’s the best thing in the world,’ she says. This year she’ll step into the GR86 series, which she hopes will help her decide between two very different but equally exciting paths: rally racing or Le Mans. 

Toyota’s support 

Much of the girls’ progress has been made possible through the backing of Toyota and the GR Junior Academy, which provides young drivers with access to world-class coaching, track time and exposure to competitive racing environments. ‘From Toyota’s point of view, it’s exciting to see the girls racing against the boys – and beating them,’ says Leeroy. Through the Academy, Toyota is helping level the playing field and open doors for the next generation of female motorsport talent. 

There are two more races on the 2025 calendar: regionals, from 15–16 August, and nationals, from 29–30 August. Both are taking place at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria, so if you are in the area, be sure to go and catch these inspirational girls in action.