SOME may see it as a well-intentioned campaign to bring more women into motor racing, but it seems that those in the know, the women who currently participate in the sport, are not so like-minded. I’m talking about the recently launched W Series which, it is said, is aimed at helping women racers transition into Formula 1. Will it, or will it create silos which will be difficult to manoeuvre out from?

By a strange coincidence Tuesday night’s guest on #letshearitforthegirls at Rock Sport, booked long before we heard of this, was Emily Glanvill, a 19-year-old racing driver, currently studying sports engineering at Strathclyde University. Emily started go-kart racing at the age of 13 and has always participated against men. She held a full adult men’s racing license by the age of 16, which allowed her to compete in Men’s Class One, the most competitive Autograss division.

She was not only the youngest competitor on the grid but also the only female in this class in Scotland. At the end of the season, Emily became the Mens Class One Scottish Vice-Champion in 2015. She was also awarded the trophy for the Most Improved Adult Rookie across all classes in Scotland.

It hasn’t been easy for Emily as it is an expensive sport and sometimes the perception from sponsors is that because she is female she is perhaps not worth backing. However, her results tell a different story.

The qualities required to be a top racing driver are: fitness, driving ability, and reaction time, and these skills are not exclusive to the male population.

Time will tell if this initiative does open doors for women to race in F1, but given the acceleration in all areas of sport for women, I do hope so.

Meanwhile, voting is now open for the UWS Sportswomen of the Year and you can have your choice between Katie Archibald (cycling) Hannah Rankin (boxing), Caroline Brown (lawn bowls) Laura Muir (athletics), Grace Reid (diving) and Seonaid McIntosh (shooting). You can cast your vote at goo.gl/SScCMB and the winner will be announced on November 9.