FUELLING AMBITION IN F1

Mission Makers are joined this week by the highly successful motorsports broadcast journalist and TV presenter, Rosanna Tennant.

 

In this episode we discover how Rosanna got her start in broadcasting and the challenges she has faced navigating the male dominated world of professional motorsport. Rosanna also shares her thoughts on the current state of F1 and the takeover at Williams Racing. 

 

Rosanna Tennant started her presenting career on YouTube in 2013 hosting the motorsport channel, Pole Position. She has since gone on to cover a number of different series in motorsports including Formula 1, Formula 2, World Rally and MotoGP. Away from the track Rosanna works closely with Dare To Be Different, an initiative founded by the former William F1 development driver and Formula E team principal, Susie Wolff. The initative supports and promotes female involvement in motorsport from a grass roots level and has recently been taken over by the FIA. As an ambassador, Rosanna works with young girls to develop their confidence and public speaking skills.

 

Rosanna is well placed to talk about confidence because as she explains in the episode, her initial foray into broadcasting was beset by hurdles completely out of her control. At 6ft 2 Rosanna stands well above many of her interview subjects as most race car drivers are normally short. This is because height and weight play a very crucial role in an F1 car. The lesser the height, the better the aerodynamic performance of the car. Interestingly, any driver above 5ft 10 tends to slow down the car by 3 thousandths of a second. It was this fact that led producers to initially question her suitability as a trackside correspondent, fearing that her stature would emasculate the racing drivers. Despite this, Rosanna persevered and as she is keen to point out to those listening, “If you are good at your job, size, colour religion, doesn't matter.”

 

Regardless of the roadblocks, Rosanna has since gone on to cement herself as one of the most recognisable voices in all of motorsport coverage. It becomes clear during the conversation that much of Rosanna’s success can be put down to her meticulous preparation and attitude, “I believe we are only here for a short time so show up, do your absolute best. No one can ever judge you for that,” she says.  

 

As for F1, Rosanna is keen to see how it all plays out in the coming months. Covid-19 restrictions and driver changes mean that the 2021 season promises to be one of the most unpredictable in years. More than anything though and as Rosanna points out, it is the drivers “renewed vigour” after such a long lay-off that should have fans excited. 

 

The full conversation with Rosanna can be found on the video below and on the Mission Makers podcast on Spotify and Apple.

 

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