If you Google “Women in F1”, you’ll find a really impressive list. Tales of racers battling the odds to make it in a male-dominated industry, mechanics fighting for their place in the pits, and female engineers working twice as hard as their counterparts to make fast cars. But to me, Elizabeth Blackstock is at the top of that list. Because through her fantastic storytelling, Elizabeth brought me back to F1.
It was 2021, and the recession had me down. To make it worse, I had just read that Mario Andretti, whom I watched race on TV as a kid with my dad, lost his wife. After heading down an Andretti rabbit hole, I found a few of Elizabeth’s posts about F1. Eventually, I listened to her podcast, ordered her book, and then subscribed to her Substack. I became a Blackstock superfan. She made racing accessible, understandable, and entertaining without being a total “bro” exercise, and it thrilled me. It’s everything I stand for and what I try to do here.
Cut to 2024, I get an alert on my phone that Blackstock is interviewing Andretti on her podcast, “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” and the message was clear– this badass woman needs to be profiled here!
When you’re at a party with non-industry people, how do you answer “What Do You Do?“?
My go-to is usually just “I write about race cars!” Short, sweet, and to the point — they can choose whether or not they’re willing to delve into the motorsport quagmire from there.
What do they ALWAYS ask?
“Oh, so like NASCAR?”
Now that Formula 1 has gained more popularity in the United States, I actually have more people asking if I cover F1. But because I am unable to help myself, I usually end up giving a briefing on exactly the kinds of cars I cover (Formula 1 cars, but I do occasionally touch on NASCAR and IndyCar!) and why (I’m a storyteller at heart, and the world of motorsport really lends itself to an incredible tale).
What’s the biggest misconception about your job?
Particularly when it comes to covering Formula 1 Grands Prix, I think a lot of people assume that it’s this easy, fun, ultra-luxe vacation — where I can turn up and relax in the paddock, chat with drivers at my leisure, and sip champagne while I watch the cars go by.
I won’t say that it’s not a blast, but I will say that there’s a lot more work that goes into it than people see. I just wrapped up my first race of the year, the Miami Grand Prix, and my prep included everything from requesting interviews (which has to be completed 4-6 weeks in advance), jotting down interview question topics for every single driver and team principal (you never know who you’ll run into), crafting my content plan and rough to-do list to make sure I capture everything I can at the track, and even making supply runs for things like LiquidIV and new eyeliner!
At the track itself, I rarely see a car in action. I spend my time bouncing between the media center, the paddock, team hospitality, and the media pen chasing scoops, writing stories, and asking questions. There’s not really time to relax and soak in the vibe!
Did you get into this business by choice or by accident? How?
Strangely, both!
There’s never been a moment in my life when I didn’t know I was destined to become a writer. My parents taught me to read when I was a toddler because I’d beg them to read to me until their voices went hoarse. It didn’t take long before I asked them to teach me how to write, so I could craft my own stories.
I didn’t know what I wanted to write about until I stumbled into it. I’d grown up watching NASCAR but fell out of love with motorsport until I saw the film Rush in 2013 and couldn’t believe what an incredible story it was. I almost immediately started digging into motorsport history, and my mom bought me tickets for my first race — the 2014 US Grand Prix — as a high school graduation gift.
I thought I’d go and get the racing bug out of my system… only to end up planning a race car-focused trip to Europe as soon as the weekend was over!
After attending as many events as I could for two years, I began to feel increasingly frustrated with some of the experiences I was having as a young woman in a male-dominated space. I created my own personal blog to vent about those frustrations.
Somehow, the story took off. I was a college kid with a meager social media following, but my post was read 50,000 times and shared by some major players in the racing world. Jalopnik reached out to ask if they could run the piece, too, and Red Bull asked if I wanted to do some freelancing for their motorsport blog. That turned into a Saturday-only writing position at Jalopnik, then a full-time gig there as a staff writer, then a promotion to senior editor.
And now here I am, US Editor at PlanetF1.com and co-author of a book on Formula 1! All because I shared some words on the internet.
What’s the wackiest thing you’ve ever done on the job?
I took surface ice samples from the Russell Glacier in Greenland!
I was there with Extreme E, an electric off-road racing series, and part of our excursion included taking ice samples in order to help scientists study why the top layer of the ice sheet was turning black.
Maybe not wacky, per se, but definitely something I never expected to be doing for work!
What’s the most ridiculous thing someone has said to you on the job?
My first time covering the New York Auto Show, I asked a man to excuse me as I snuck past him for a seat at a press conference. He patted his lap and said, “This is your seat right here!” Blech!
What’s your proudest achievement on the job?
I have a lot of moments I’m very proud of, but I think the absolute pinnacle was when PlanetF1.com reached out to offer me the role of US Editor.
I was working at Jalopnik at the time, and while I did enjoy the automotive industry coverage I did, my ultimate goal was to focus on motorsport full-time — ideally in a capacity that allowed me to utilize my background in American racing history and to center my Formula 1 coverage from an American perspective. The problem is that it was such a niche job that I had no hopes of ever actually making it happen!
Then PF1 reached out. Not only did they understand the value of the American perspective in Formula 1 coverage, but they thought I was the person to head that coverage. It was so satisfying to realize that people saw the value I could offer and were willing to do what they could to bring me onto the team.
If you weren’t in the car business, you’d be…
… writing about something else in another very specific niche I love — the ancient history of wine, or the nuanced distinctions between Scandinavian heavy metal scenes.
(Mama would read either one! Wouldn’t you?)
What’s your automotive pet peeve?
I once took an Uber ride with a driver who not only had his iPad set up to watch a movie, but who spent the whole trip scrolling through TikTok. Now, everywhere I look, I see people using their phones behind the wheel! I promise you, your memes will wait until you get to your destination — now please focus on keeping your car in the proper lane!!!!!!