FIVE QUESTIONS WITH TEAM BRIT ROOKIE ASHA

Silva

Asha has started her 2023 season – her first ever year of racing. We shot over some quick fire questions to find out a bit more about the newest woman in the TB family.

How did it feel to race for the first time at Silverstone in March?

To be honest it was very scary as it was my first race ever! But it was also exhilarating, it felt like a dream! I definitely started to physically feel the heat while racing in the car, despite it being cold outside, your body cooks up a sweat!

What do you think you’ll be focussing on most in terms of your driver development?

I feel like I’ll need to build on my confidence with holding my place on the track. I’ll also be taking lots in from the coach in regards to the racing line for best entrance and exit speeds. The entire grid is competing in the same car, so we need to really squeeze out my potential.

Your team is 50% female – how does it feel to be part of such a diverse team in a male-dominated paddock?

I’m very pleased to be part of a 50% female team, it just shows the world that this sport isn’t something only men can do! It should also be a sign to other women out there to get stuck in – if this is something they want to do, don’t shy away from it!

How is the dynamic in the new C1 team?

We have a fantastic team, with great comradery! We have people from all different walks of life, and the team isn’t just the drivers, it’s made up of the engineer and the coach within the C1 team - without them all, we wouldn’t be where we are. By sharing information when we drive and learn about the car, we create some great connections between driver, coach and engineer. That aside, the C1 team as a whole is close knit and we all want the absolute best for one another. At the end of the day we are a team, so if one wins we all win!

What are your predictions for the 2023 season?

It’s very early in the series to say, but the Mac Tools team have really pulled it out of the bag in the 1st race. There are a number of teams that won’t be running the full series, so it’s anyone’s game, including ours! We’ve just started out and this is our time to learn, create a baseline and give it everything we’ve got.