THERE are few lines of questioning that rile Chloe Grant up quite as much as the one about being a female in the male-dominated environment of motorsport. 

It is perhaps no surprise that how she copes in a sport with so few females is of interest to so many but for Grant, her gender is totally and utterly irrelevant. 

“Being one of the few girls is so unimportant to me – I’m just another driver out there and whether I’m a boy or girl means nothing,” she says. 

“I remember getting interviewed last year and being asked is it girls versus girls and boys versus boys and I was so annoyed because it’s all of us against each other and whether we’re male or female is irrelevant.  

“It does frustrate me being asked those questions and people within motorsport don’t care about my gender, the only people who care about me being a girl in this sport are stupid little boys who are jealous that I’m living their dream.” 

Grant is one of Scotland’s most promising motorsport talents. 

Still only 15 years old, the Perth High School pupil has already made quite a name for herself. 

In 2019, Grant was named Scottish Motor Racing Club’s “Rising Star”, while the following year, she won the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club Junior Gold Star Award, became their Kart Sport Champion, as well as becoming the youngest driver to gain a motorsport UK Junior Racing Driver License. 

It is quite a CV for someone still so young, but Grant already has her sights set on much more. 

This year, the teenager has moved up yet another level, and will race in the inaugural GB4 Championship, with the new season beginning at Snetterton this weekend, with subsequent race weekends visiting the likes of Silverstone and Brands Hatch.  

This campaign will present a whole new set of challenges for the Scot as she races for Graham Brunton and Laser Tools Racing in what is a significant step up from her previous season in karting but Grant remains undaunted by the increased speeds and difficultly of the new championship. 

“I’m really excited – I think the nerves will really hit me when I’m actually on the grid though,” she says. 

“This is a huge step up and I’m really throwing myself in at the deep end but I’m just going to give it my best shot. 

Last season, the car was front wheel drive and the maximum speed was 100mph whereas this season, it’s rear wheel drive and max speed of 140mph so it’s a big difference. 

“As I moved up to the faster classes though, I seem to do better; going faster seems to suit me – I love going fast and I’m not scared at all.” 

Grant began racing after watching her older sister, Lucy, compete and despite being what she describes as “very, very slow” in her early years, Grant quickly established herself as one of Scotland’s most exciting young drivers. 

However, the cost of motorsport can be prohibitively expensive. 

Last year, Grant was awarded a scholarship from the JSCS which, along with her other sponsors, has allowed her to continue to compete in a sport which can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, even for teenagers. 

And it is this, admits Grant, that puts even more pressure on her shoulders this season. 

“I wasn’t aware of it when I was younger but now, I know about the money involved,” she says. 

“I’ve got friends who do British F4 and I’ve been told by them last season cost about £300,000 and this year will be close to half a million pounds, which is ridiculous. 

“My scholarship is worth about £30,000 and if I didn’t have it, as well as sponsors, there’s no way I could do this so I do feel the pressure – I felt it last year and I feel it even more so this year.  

“I just need to make sure I leave no stones unturned so that by the end of the season, I know I could have done nothing more.” 

Grant has already rubbed shoulders with the very biggest names in motorsport; she has met – and asked for advice – the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Susie Wolff but she is under no illusions about how far she has to go to match their achievements. 

However, despite being well aware of the challenges that are likely to lie in front of her in the coming years, Grant admits she does allow herself to dream about what her future may bring, which includes aspiring to reach the very top. 

“This season, I want to be finishing on the podium, and longer-term, if I got a drive higher up in single-seaters, that’d be amazing,” she says. 

“Formula 1 is the ultimate dream.  

“But if that doesn’t happen, and I know that the chances are slim, my dream would be to go into GT. 

“When I’m watching F1 on the television, I do imagine being there myself.  

“So it’s going to be exciting to see how it goes – and I definitely don’t think being a girl will hold me back at all.”