TogetHER: opening the doors of the MotoGP paddock to the women behind the races of tomorrow

Behind the riders on the grid there are hundreds of professionals: engineers, mechanics, coordinators, communications specialists, media professionals, managers and many more. On 10 September at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, TogetHER – The Women Behind Every Race opened the doors to this largely unseen world for twenty six young women considering their own future in motorsport.Created through a collaboration between the FIM Women’s Commission, the Federazione Motociclistica Italiana (FMI) and Misano World Circuit, TogetHER was conceived as a pilot project to turn visibility into opportunity. Its objective was not simply to tell young women that careers in motorsport are possible, but to let them meet the women already doing those jobs, ask them questions and step directly into their workplaces.Facilitated by motorsport content creator Carolina Tedeschi, the day began with a series of very different personal and professional journeys. Andrea Albani, Managing Director of Misano World Circuit, who had supported the initiative from its earliest stages, welcomed the participants before the focus moved to the women themselves. FMI President Giovanni Copioli shared his strong enthusiasm for TogetHER and its potential to inspire a new generation of women to find their place in motorcycling.Janika Judeika, Director of the FIM Women’s Commission, showed how her own journey from flag marshal at local races eventually led to an international leadership position in motorcycling. Her presentation connected TogetHER with the Commission's wider work around visibility, participation, leadership and long-term change. Yet some of the most meaningful exchanges came afterwards, when participants gathered around her individually to ask about their studies, possible career paths and how to find their own way into the sport.

The conversation widened beyond motorcycling with Alessia Valducci, Vice-President of Confindustria Romagna, who addressed female entrepreneurship and professional opportunities, and Anna Carmassi, President of STEAMiamoci, who gave a striking example of how slowly some barriers disappear. Her mother had been asked during a job interview whether she planned to have children; years later Anna faced the same question, and so did her two daughters. Her hope is that the next generation will finally never have to answer it.Giorgia Santini, Secretary General of FMI, brought the perspective of female leadership within a national federation, while the stories of Cristina Toteri from Aprilia Racing and Marta Massera, Ducati Track Engine Coordinator, took the participants directly towards the technical world of racing. Cristina's words captured the idea perfectly: “I don't race, I make racing possible.”And after hearing the stories, the twenty six participants went to see where racing is actually made.At the MotoGP Media Centre, Friné Velilla, MotoGP Press Manager, introduced the busy environment from which journalists and content creators tell the story of MotoGP to the world. Pilar Gómez, MotoGP Media Facilities Executive, then took them behind the familiar MotoGP interview backdrop, where microphones in hand, the participants could briefly put themselves in a rider's place and experience a press conference from the other side.From media, the journey moved into the garages. Elena De Cia, Control Strategies and Model Support Manager at Aprilia Racing, welcomed the group into the technical heart of the team as mechanics worked on the motorcycles around them. At Ducati Corse, Paola Braiato, Operations Manager, shared the professional journey that has accompanied her years within Ducati, before Susanna Sola, Moto3 Team Coordinator at IntactGP, revealed another essential side of racing: the coordination needed behind the scenes to make a team function.

The final paddock stop was with Sandra Vilchez, MotoGP Team Coordinator at Gresini Racing, who showed how the reality of managing a team changes as the Championship travels around the world, from the large structures of European rounds to very different logistical environments overseas. She also spoke about Nadia Padovani, whose leadership has shaped a new chapter for Gresini Racing. The afternoon thus transformed the careers discussed in the morning into real workplaces, from press and broadcasting to engineering, operations and team coordination.The weather had one final surprise: the planned pit-lane walk could not take place. Instead, close to the pit-lane entrance, Biancamaria Calderoni, Sporting Office Manager at Misano World Circuit, from whose original idea togetHER was born, shared the story of the pit lane before the group returned to the circuit offices for the closing remarks together with Janika Judeika and Antonella Martometti of the FIM Women’s Commission.The message that concluded the day was as practical as everything the participants had experienced: Believe in yourself. Follow your dream. Persevere.Then came an ending that nobody had planned. As the group gathered outside the Misano Circuit offices for the final photograph, Nadia Padovani joined the group.For an initiative conceived as Edition 0.0, it felt less like an ending than a beginning.Some of the participants arrived interested in engineering and mechanics; others in media, communications, management or logistics. Some were still searching for their direction. What togetHER gave them was not one answer, but the opportunity to discover how many answers motorsport can offer.Having met the women behind today's races.Tomorrow, some of them may become the women behind every race.