RACING driver Rachel Robertson has thanked staff at Wiltshire College & University Centre for the support she received in following her dream while studying there.

The 18-year-old chose to study a Level 3 Motorsport Engineering course at the college’s Chippenham campus but during her two years there, her career accelerated faster than anyone anticipated.

She went from competing in karting to earning a scholarship with Radical Racing and Wera Tools to compete in the Radical Cup UK, driving a Radical SR3 XXR – a British-made, 232bhp, 145mph sports car specifically designed for racing.

Her podium success brought her to the attention of the F1 Academy, a female-only championship that competes across seven countries in three continents as part of the Formula 1 platform. This season she joined the Hitech GP team after impressing in a drive in Las Vegas.

Balancing racing and studying

Rachel said the encouragement and support from her lecturers and classmates helped her complete her studies while seizing the opportunities that came 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 the distractions of competing in China, Canada and at Silverstone – with a race in the Netherlands and two in the US to come – she could have been forgiven for abandoning her studies but she said she was determined to cross the finishing line and get her qualification.

“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’s 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.”

Coming from Edinburgh, attending the course meant living in at the college’s Lackham campus alongside some of her classmates, as well as agriculture and horticulture students studying there. Moving from one of the UK’s liveliest cities to rural Wiltshire took some adjusting.

“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 a really nice.

“It was a super nice change of scenery, I could cycle or walk for 15 minutes and not really see any other houses and just be in that countryside, which was lovely.”

Looking ahead to the future

After a mixed start to the F1 Academy season she put her first points on the board with a fourth and sixth place at Silverstone and goes into the last three races feeling confident. She is hopeful of another season in the academy but has her sights set on turning her 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 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, and then you also need results on the table or to be able to show people the opportunity for results is achievable if they back you.”

She hopes to secure a place on a Formula Three team or perhaps a seat in a GT racing outfit but is open to whatever comes here way. “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 it,” she said.

Looking back on her time in Wiltshire she says she’ll take away some important skills learned that will help her understanding of racing, as well as the adaptability and resilience she has shown in building a new life far from home at such a tender age.

“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.”

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At Wiltshire College & University Centre, we offer Motorsport Engineering courses at college and university level – helping you develop the knowledge and skills to succeed in the exhilarating industry.