Rising racing star Rachel Robertson has thanked staff at Wiltshire College & University Centre for helping her pursue her ambitions while completing her studies.
The 18-year-old studied a Level 3 Motorsport Engineering course at the college’s Chippenham campus, but during her two years there her racing career accelerated more quickly than anyone had anticipated.
Rachel progressed from karting to earning a scholarship with Radical Racing and Wera Tools, competing in the Radical Cup UK behind the wheel of a Radical SR3 XXR – a British-made, 232bhp sports car capable of reaching 145mph. Her success on the podium brought her to the attention of F1 Academy, the female-only championship that races across seven countries on three continents as part of the Formula 1 platform.
This season, Rachel joined the Hitech GP team after impressing during a drive in Las Vegas. She said the encouragement and flexibility shown by her lecturers and classmates helped her complete her qualification while taking advantage of the opportunities coming her way.
“Through my first year, it was beginning to get a bit more busy in my racing life, and then in the second year I was going here, there and everywhere,” she said.
“But all of the lecturers and course leaders were super lenient and really understanding of that. They’re all petrolheads, so when I told them I could either try and make a due date for an assignment or be racing at a Grand Prix weekend, they understood the circumstances and made it all manageable for me.
“Everyone was such a massive help and made it as smooth as they could for me.”
Despite competing in China, Canada and at Silverstone, with further races in the Netherlands and United States, Rachel remained determined to complete her studies.
“I thought, ‘I’ve started it now, I don’t want to just leave it half done,’” she said. “I was the one who chose the course. It’s not like anyone pressured me into doing it. I really wanted to do it for myself and now I’m happy I can say I’ve been there for two years, I’ve experienced it and I’ve done it.”
Originally from Edinburgh, Rachel lived at the college’s Lackham campus alongside other students. Moving from one of the UK’s liveliest cities to rural Wiltshire took some adjustment, but she soon came to appreciate the change of scenery.
“It was definitely very different to where I came from, being very close to a city centre and then moving to a working farm,” she said. “But I actually really liked learning that side of it.
“It took a lot more planning, as I was used to being near a shop that’s open 24 hours, but it was really nice. I could cycle or walk for 15 minutes and not really see any other houses and just be in that countryside, which was lovely.”
After a mixed start to the F1 Academy season, Rachel secured her first points with fourth and sixth-place finishes at Silverstone. She now approaches the final three races with renewed confidence. She hopes to return to F1 Academy for another season, but her long-term ambition is to turn her racing promise into a professional career.
“My older sister is essentially my manager now, so I’ll be living with her and we’re just going to as many events and meetings with racing people as possible to try and get them on board with my racing story,” she said.
“You need an interesting story, and my background is definitely not a familiar one because I haven’t come from a racing family. You also need results on the table, or to be able to show people that the opportunity for results is achievable if they back you.”
Rachel hopes to secure a place with a Formula Three team or a seat in GT racing, although she remains open to other opportunities.
“It all just depends on who I end up meeting within the industry, and if there are any doors open, I’m just going to have to take them,” she said.
Looking back on her time in Wiltshire, Rachel said she would take away valuable engineering knowledge, as well as the resilience and adaptability she developed while building a new life away from home.
“I think I’ll just remember how much I enjoyed being with the people in my class and the lecturers,” she said. “Everyone there is so passionate about motorsport and that was really lovely to be around.”
For more information about courses at Wiltshire College & University Centre, visit www.wiltshire.ac.uk.
