“Tricky but transformational”: How upReach is creating a more diverse future in motorsport

upReach has always strived to equip underrepresented students with the tools they need to succeed, and the introduction of their Motorsports Programme has further proved the hunger there is to work in the industry. From building CVs to meeting F1 drivers, this is how they are preparing the next generation.

Since its inception, motorsport has been a tough space to crack. The industry has primarily been made up of wealthy individuals, and for a long time, this was just how things were. There is often a reliance on who you know, rather than what you know. 

Enter: upReach. 

upReach is an award-winning UK-based social mobility charity founded in 2012, and they have been working hard ever since to smash the glass ceiling for students on their schemes. The charity supports over 3,000 individuals that come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, aiding them in accessing graduate jobs - something that can be a huge challenge if the student is the first in their family to go to university, or they do not have connections to the relevant industry. 

In 2025, the organisation partnered with Mission 44 in order to support associates on their scheme that want to work in motorsports, a natural progression for the charity that already has a well subscribed-to engineering programme. Mission 44, founded by Scuderia Ferrari HP driver Sir Lewis Hamilton, is dedicated to empowering underrepresented youth in STEM roles, creating a level playing field for the next generation working in the industry and beyond. 

upReach associates have been given the opportunity to hear from industry professionals.

In February last year, upReach launched their motorsport programme at the Silverstone Museum, inviting 61 university students from low-income backgrounds along to hear from industry professionals. Topics tackled included how to navigate the industry as a woman, as well as how to find space as an ethnic minority or student from an underrepresented background.

Tohura Chowdhury is the Motorsports Programme Leader at upReach. Speaking to Females in Motorsport, Tohura explains that the appetite for work in the industry is massive, but it can be a real uphill battle to navigate the sector. 

“Motorsport is an example of an industry where access and opportunity are still quite heavily uneven,” Tohura tells Females in Motorsport. 

“It's traditionally a really exclusive sector; in many cases, access still depends really heavily on things like personal networks and nepotism. We know that there are a bunch of incredibly talented associates who never really get a chance because they just don't have the visibility or they don't know anyone in the industry.”

Tohura Chowdhury leads the Motorsports Programme at upReach.

In her role at upReach, Tohura oversees the 80 students on the motorsports cohort. Her job can see her managing events, helping students to build employability skills, and running sessions on CV writing and interview skills. She notes that many people have transferable skills that would allow them to thrive in a motorsport role - if given half a chance. 

“People sometimes don't understand how many transferable careers there are into motorsport,” she says. “The industry is so diverse, so developing skills like leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, communication - it is very transferable when you give them the chance to make a case to be part of it.”

upReach’s Motorsport Programme offers associates the opportunity to hear from industry experts through videos and monthly forums, allowing students the chance to ask questions and get to grips with what it’s like to work in the sector. Female students have noted that seeing and hearing from women in the industry that they aspire to be like - such as Aramco Senior Fluids Trackside Engineer Stephanie Travers - has been overwhelmingly invaluable. 

Associates have access to workshops and online forums to help their career progression.

“The main point that we want to get across is that we want our time with associates to put them in a position to not be hindered by the system,” Tohura says. "Since it's been created, we've

noticed that there's a huge appetite for the motorsport programme.”

There has been a rapid rise in interest in the motorsports industry over the last 10 years, especially with the growing visibility of Formula 1 and the inauguration of F1 Academy in 2023. With this, we have seen an increase in gender and ethnic diversity across many sectors within the industry, however there are still many barriers for people of lower socio-economic backgrounds. 

“The major barrier that I've noticed is access,” Tohura says. “If you don't grow up in motorsport, you don't have those kind of connections in engineering or in F1. You simply don't know how to navigate the industry, and that can create such a big confidence gap.

“We focus on supporting women and students from ethnic minority backgrounds because those groups are probably the most heavily impacted in the sector.

“There are so many intelligent and driven young people who could thrive in motorsport, but if the industry feels inaccessible to certain groups, a lot of that talent looks elsewhere and it's a huge loss. Motorsport is an industry built around problem-solving and creativity and innovation, and the best ideas often come from having different perspectives, different life experiences, different ways of thinking that challenge the standard of how to do things. I think if the industry only draws from a narrow pool, they're really limiting themselves.”

upReach hosted their Motorsport Programme launch at the Silverstone Museum.

In partnership with Mission 44, several students were given the opportunity to meet Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc last year. One of those students was Lexi Crossley. 

Lexi became an upReach associate in 2021 after starting her university course. She was enrolled on their engineering scheme after seeing the charity in action at a freshers fair, and she went on to graduate from the University of Sheffield last year with an engineering degree. 

With a passion for aerospace engineering, Lexi quickly fell in love with motorsport, and when given the opportunity to experience the motorsport events, she jumped at the chance. Whilst not currently working in motorsport, upReach helped her to secure a year in industry during her course, and she now has a full-time job with that company, with the hope of one day working within F1 aerodynamics. 

“When I started [with upReach], I didn't have a network at all. I didn't have LinkedIn, I had no idea where to start,” Lexi tells Females in Motorsport. “My parents aren't in industry; where a lot of people do have that support, my parents didn't even go to university. I was exploring all by myself.

Lexi Crossley has been an upReach associate since 2021 and has remained close with the team since she graduated.

“upReach really helped me with my confidence, and I've got a graduate role now. Back in 2021, I was like, ‘I'm never gonna find a job. I'm never gonna have the confidence to go out there and find something’. I feel really lucky that I have that support from upReach.”

Lexi recounts getting the opportunity to meet Hamilton and Leclerc in London at the 75th anniversary of Shell Global’s partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP, hailing it a “really great day, and a great surprise”. upReach associates got to listen to the drivers speak on a panel and hear advice directly from them, a truly priceless experience and one that she wouldn't have had the same level of access to without upReach.

While there is still a long way to go to drive out outdated attitudes and wave in the next generation of ideas, progress is definitely being made - something that Tohura is deeply proud to witness. 

“There is change, but there's still a long way to go,” Tohura says. “There’s a lot more visible diversity and inclusion conversations - a lot more active than they were five years ago. We are seeing more organisations wanting to develop their programs, diversify their talent pipelines, which is really encouraging.” 

“What gives me hope is seeing how engaged the next generation already are. A lot of the associates we work with are incredibly driven, but also collaborative and socially aware. It's not just kind of about building places for themselves, but also helping shape industries that are more accessible for the people coming after them. I think there's a growing confidence in this generation to challenge those traditional ideas about who belongs.

“That shift of mindset is super important for study, progress, and systemic change. I think that's the most important thing - systemic change. I believe that motorsport, as we know it, can be tricky, but transformational.”

For Lexi and Tohura, upReach has been a beacon of hope - a way of ensuring that skills are built, voices are heard, and opportunities are given. Motorsport is all about gaps, and how to close them - upReach might not have a spot on the pit wall, but they are going to make sure that their students certainly do.