Marta Garcia vies for top honours in 2021 WSeries which opens at Formula One Round at Spielberg on June 26th. The goal is real having finished 2019 WSeries in 4th place, the capabilities are proven having completed 2020 WSeries ESports League in 2nd Overall, and the X-factor exists – just look into the Spanish 20 year old eyes!
As you see, Marta has unique quality of ingrained competitiveness, on and off the track. Right from early age, Marta set her own pathway to race, from Karting, to F4 Spanish Championship, to selection for F3 WSeries. Milestones reached are due to Marta’s resilience to make each race experience count, as step up ladder of Formula racing career.
If winning the oldest kart race in the world- Trofeo delle Industrie in 2015 gives glimpse as to Marta’s future, so too, does winning WSeries Race 4 at Norisring, Germany in 2019 from pole. Add, claiming 3rd podium at WSeries Opening Round, and then going head to head with Beitske Visser on SIM, the steely determination of Marta remains force to be reckoned with in up-coming races.
Marta: ‘In 2020 I focused a lot on my physical training as well as SIM training. I think it helped somehow with my preparations for this season as I was not able to jump in the race car in 2020′.
‘I have managed to test by myself at Paul Ricard 2 months ago, just to get the feeling of the car again. Also, around a month ago, I was able to get more and more familiarized with the car again at WSeries pre-season test at Anglesey circuit. I managed to get in small number of kms on wet conditions, which I’m not really used to, so it was positive in that sense’.
With 2021 WSeries Championship competing as support category within selected Formula One Rounds, all 8 venues are new to the Series. Opening at Red Bull Ring in Spielberg Austria, with double-header the following weekend at same venue, Marta along with grid of 18 WSeries drivers will genuinely put everything on the line to gain as much from the extraordinary experience as possible.
Marta: ‘I feel I’m ready to go into the first Round, even though not knowing any of the race tracks where we are racing this season is probably going to be tricky. I will have to try and adapt ASAP. I think competing in WSeries ESports League helped me to get prepared for this season, as I had to really focus, control nerves of racing SIM, practicing, overtaking, etc. All of that helps for sure, even if it’s not real’.
‘And I think now, even though I haven’t been racing for a long time, since 2019, I feel stronger physically and mentally as well, more than in 2019. I think I’m more mature and can handle challenges in a better way’.
If changes to schedules offers time to re-assess how an athlete wants to develop, so too does each individual’s willingness to honestly evaluate what they want to achieve. As Marta states, circumstances of no track time prompted re-focus on what she could improve, in the case of simulator training, which in turn upped ante of mental stamina. Not only did Marta address development of skills while not actually in a race car, but also increased her potential to conquer the unknown factors of racing scenarios she was not used to.
Such character traits are progressive, though totally reliant on individual athletes willingness to tap into, forging their own pathway albeit against the odds. And Marta has encountered plenty. Marta: ‘I think I always had a target and tried to accomplish it. I’m really competitive and since I was small I always believed women are the same as men’.
‘I started racing when I was 9 years old and I had to listen to some not so smart comments such as: Even the girl finished in front of you, or girls are not as good as boys etc. I always ignored these comments and always used them to my advantage, to prove otherwise’.
‘Obviously in Motorsport there are not many women. 1: because normally boys like motorsport more and 2: because some part of society doesn’t even think it’s a women’s sport so they don’t bring their girls children to take part’.
‘So, I totally believe WSeries is making the change, giving us Women much more visibility in a Formula One scenario, for those people and small girls to see us as a reference and think they they could be racing, one day as well’.
Heading into WSeries Opening Round, new season, new schedule, new race environment, Marta has all boxes ticked on gaining as much traction up front on the track. Eyes remain firmly fixed on making all changes count, not just for her own professional career, but for those watching track-side as well.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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