'I love motorsport, but it is quite broken'

Abbie Eaton always dreamed of being a professional racing driver. Now, she is determined that her own team will help more people from diverse backgrounds break into the sport.

The 32-year-old, who has had a successful season driving in the Porsche Carrera Cup, was just six when she started going to races with her dad.

"He's always raced bikes and cars," she remembers. "I grew up around those circuits

"When I got to 10 years old – after a couple of years of pestering him – he finally got me a go-kart."

Six years later, having graduated to cars, she got her first taste of how tough the sport can be financially.

Her parents – a garage salesman and a mental health worker from Willerby, near Hull – told her they could not keep finding the money for her to race.

"They said we're not in the position where we can spend money on this. We're not going to remortgage the house, so if you want to do this, you'll have to raise the funds yourself."

She spent hours cold-calling companies to see if they would sponsor her.

"I was obsessed. If I was being driven somewhere on the motorway, I'd be looking at the names on trucks, then I'd be researching them, trying to find some like-minded individuals who were into the sport or view it as an option for their company," she says.

"I taught myself Photoshop and would mock up liveries with their company colours on."

Her experiences have helped shape the philosophy of her team, Rebelleo Motorsport, which she founded with an investor. They are hoping to raise money to encourage more people from diverse backgrounds into the sport.

"We love motorsport, but we realise it is quite broken," Eaton says.

"It's very, very expensive to get into. That means it's not accessible to the majority of the population.

"We want to give money to other drivers, aspiring mechanics, engineers, so they can come and work with us as their first step on the ladder in motorsport.

"I'm really passionate about it. I want to give back and make the sport that I love more accessible."

Eaton has come to realise that being one of the few high-profile women in her field means girls look up to her.

"When I was younger, I was focused on trying to make a career in the sport, but now I notice a lot of young girls attending race weekends and wanting autographs and photos," she says.

I had an email from a dad who came to Silverstone the weekend I won, and his daughter said she wants to work in engineering and work with people like me. And that's what makes it all worthwhile."

In September, Eaton became the first female driver to win in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Even so, she says she is struggling to raise the £300,000 she needs to take part in the sport she loves next year.

"Probably 95% of my work is trying to get the money together to go racing and making sure teams and sponsors are looked after. Then you get the 5%, which is the fun part, which is driving on the track."

"For 2025, I'm currently not racing, which is very, very disappointing – especially after the year I've had. We're looking for sponsors to allow me to keep driving."

She has held meetings in Hull and says it would be "awesome" to get sponsorship from a local company.

"I'm really proud to be from Yorkshire and one thing that really sticks out to me about Hull is that there are so many self-made people and businesses. I think it's inspirational.

"I've also noticed a lot more female CEOs and it would be great to have that empowerment to have the support of a local company, or one run by a woman."

Eaton, who now lives in Milton Keynes, will be back in East Yorkshire for Christmas with friends and family.

She tries to return regularly, but says work often gets in the way. That is the compromise she has to make to pursue driving as a career.

"The last couple of years, I've been able to work as a paid racing driver. But the sustainability to be able to do it year on year is getting harder," she says.

"My goal is to keep racing in the Carrera Cup for the next few years, but also move into coaching or mentoring so I can help younger drivers pave their way into motorsport."

And the advice she would give to her 10-year-old self?

"Don't give up. Motorsport is tough. It's hard to get the finances together – it's difficult to open the doors to the right opportunities. But if you keep banging on those doors and you persevere and you're determined, then you will eventually achieve."

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