Motorsport engineering firm AVL RACETECH is set to launch a Female Engineer Program, aimed at tackling female underrepresentation in motorsport engineering positions.
Motorsport engineering firm AVL RACETECH is not new to initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in the sport - with its Director of Motorsport literally being one of the most iconic women in the history of motor racing: Ellen Lohr.
The German driver is in fact one of the most accomplished female drivers in history, having raced in single seaters, touring cars, GT racing, truck racing, as well as rally raid, in a motorsport career that spans across the 80s, 90s and 2000s. She famously won the 1992 DTM race at Hockenheim, becoming so far the only woman to do so.
Lohr has been the head of motorsport at AVL since 2021, in a really exciting time for the Austrian-based company. After a rebranding in 2022, AVL RACETECH held a diversity talk and worked with a few female brand ambassadors - including F2 racer Tatiana Calderon and sisters Yasmeen and Aliyyah Koloc, on their journey to participate in the Dakar Rally.
To AVL's continued support for its female athletes, the company will now add a further project aimed at expanding the presence of women in engineering positions.
"Female engineers are still underrepresented in motorsport" - AVL states, announcing the launch of the Female Engineer Program in January.
The project is aimed at AVL employees and will offer training within the motorsport division, while still working in their respective departments; opportunities include experience at racetracks over the course of the racing season, in order to gain insights into the motorsport environment.
AVL has activated partnershipswith elite racing teams and championships, such as InterEuropol in ELMS, Virtuosi Racing in FIA F2 and Ducati Corse in MotoGP.
For over 20 years, AVL has supplied motorsport with cutting-edge engineering solutions, testing, simulation and manufacturing - and is currently working on the development of its first in-house racing engine, an innovative hydrogen-powered 2-liter turbo engine with intelligent water injection.