Racing Pride

Racing Pride at the US Grand Prix

Racing Pride had an incredible time holding a series of activations around the US Grand Prix in Austin.  From our Pride Party in downtown Austin, to bringing our members exclusive access to the F1 paddock, we enjoyed connecting with our North America members and global partners.

On the Thursday evening ahead of the Grand Prix, Racing Pride hosted a unique Pride Party in The Courtyard, downtown Austin, which brought together our members, F1 paddock friends, and team members from our partners. Jessica Hawkins, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team’s Head of F1 Academy and Driver Ambassador, joined our CEO and Co-Founder Richard Morris on stage, assisting with Aston Martin cap giveaways and reacting to secret confessions submitted by attendees! Further fun activities included friendship bracelet making and a selfie wall, all accompanied by the sounds of a Pride playlist and the backdrop of images of Racing Pride’s journey so far projected behind the stage. 

The event was a great opportunity for the local community to feel support and allyship from the F1 paddock. It also provided a safe space for LGBTQ+ community members to express themselves authentically, particularly those who have not always felt empowered to do so in the motorsport environment. 

One attendee to the Pride Party, a trans woman who has recently started HRT, reflects this supportive community atmosphere: “I didn’t know how I felt about coming to the race in Austin, and I certainly wasn’t planning to come using my chosen name or presenting in my true gender. But I brought my makeup, hair, etc. because of the Pride Party and loved being myself for the night. The friends I met made me feel I could be more myself at the track, too.”

At the track, both Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team and Red Bull Racing & Oracle Red Bull Racing provided opportunities for our members to visit their team garages throughout the race weekend. Our community members not only created unforgettable memories and gained insights into the hive of activity within F1 garages on a race weekend, but also, importantly, had the chance to interact directly with teams Racing Pride works with year-round away from the track: making our connection with them tangible to our members and enabling the teams to play their part in fostering an inclusive global community. Our paddock guides from our partner teams remarked on how refreshing it was to engage groups which were clearly so passionate about the sport and so grateful for the opportunity. We are also thankful to the many figures, such as Will Buxton, who took the time to speak to our members while they were there.  

Throughout the event we collaborated closely with our friends Girls Across The Grid, bringing together our uplifting and supportive communities both at and away from the track. We are also grateful to The Race, WTF Talent, and Rafa Racing Club for inviting us to join their exciting announcement party on the Wednesday ahead of the race, and for attending our Pride Party along with a number of their content creators.

Racing Pride is all about fostering community and safe spaces. Our activities in Austin were certainly fun, but they also welcomed people who might otherwise have felt isolated or a lack of belonging.

One young cisgender female LGBTQ+ fan who accompanied us to the paddock commented:

“While this week has had some hair pulling moments it has also reminded me what I love about motorsports – the community…Today, part of that community offered me a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience my passion up close…I just wanted to thank those who made it possible and welcomed me into motorsport as my true, authentic self.”

The Racing Pride team had a wonderful race week in Austin and we look forward to continuing the expansion of our member engagement and events across North America.