Charlie Barlow: “I'm lucky that I get to cross over between broadcast to big screen”

Born in Britain and now based in Australia, Charlie made a complete career pivot at 30, stepping into one of the most competitive industries in the world with no connections, no experience in the sport and no guarantee of where the journey would take her.

Six years later, she has established herself as one of Australia's leading motorsport presenters and event hosts, working across some of the country's biggest motorsport events, including Formula 1, MotoGP, Supercars, GT World Challenge and World Time Attack.

Away from the microphone, Charlie is the Development Manager at Motorsport Australia, where she leads a national portfolio of participation and development programs, including FIA Girls on Track, First Gear, Women's Introduction to Motorsport and esports initiatives.

“I'm lucky that I get to cross over between broadcast and the big screen,” Charlie tells Females in Motorsport.

“So big screen is real fan engagement,” she says. “MotoGP is a little bit different where it does feel like its own broadcast. But still, it's very much talking about competitions you can enter and things like that.

“In everything that I do and I present, I think about how I can make this entertaining and engaging, but come from a place where you are informed.

“Even though I know I'm talking about a sponsor's activation, I will always try and link it back to what's happening on track or what's just happened.”

Keeping everything connected to motorsports is one of the key skills to have. Being able to keep fans entertained while also providing accurate and relevant information is so important.

She loves being a woman in motorsport and is passionate about helping more women find their place in the sport. She wants to use her experience to encourage and support the next generation of women looking to build careers in motorsport.

“Volunteering as an official is where you really should start because you learn the inner workings of motorsport,” she says. “You learn why they do things a certain way and how the events run. It’s also very good knowledge because you’re as close as you can possibly be to a racetrack. You learn the flags, you learn all of the back-end stuff, and that certainly puts you in good stead.

“For media and content creation and those sorts of marketing roles, what I’d say to young women is that when you’re pitching for work experience, there are some key things that you should be doing.

“You should know your stuff about that team. It can’t just be, ‘Hey, I want to come along. I’d really like some work experience.’ There are hundreds of people doing that. That’s not going to work.”

The motorsport world is becoming increasingly competitive, making it harder to break into the industry. Getting the right experience early on is important, whether that’s through volunteering, attending races, or learning how the sport works behind the scenes. Starting small and building experience can help you understand the industry and create opportunities.

Networking is also one of the most valuable things you can do. Building genuine connections with people in the industry can open doors to future opportunities. It’s important to do your research, know what you can bring to the table, and focus on how you can add value rather than simply asking for an opportunity.

Charlie also has some dream races she wants to host in the near future.

“I think I would love to host the iconic ones,” she says. “I’m a bit of what we would call here a bit of a bogan, so I’ve got an inner redneck. I would love to do a whole bunch of stuff with NASCAR. I think that would just be so much fun.

“I’d love to do the Daytona 500. I think that would just be crazy.

“If we’re talking more touring cars or F1, it’s Spa. I think Spa is just so unbelievably up there. Everyone that you speak to says it just has to be seen to be believed.

“For me, I’d like to do the 24 Hours of Spa rather than F1.”

Charlie is helping create opportunities for the next generation to discover mo

torsport, develop their skills, and build careers both on and off the track. With a strong passion for increasing women participating, she works to break down barriers, strengthen pathways into the industry, and show more women and girls that there is a place for them in motorsport.

Having built her own career from the ground up, Charlie knows that there is no single path into the sport. Through her work both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, she is passionate about making motorsport more accessible, creating opportunities, and helping the next generation find their own place in an industry she loves.