This racing driver explains how she went from horse riding to putting down some serious horsepower at Le Mans

What inspired you to get into motorsport?
I’ve always been into cars, and I was taken to my first motor-racing circuit when I was just six weeks old. My dad was massively into cars and motorsport, and he was racing in a six-hour relay race at the time. So I grew up with cars, helping him in the garage, and then, when I went off to university, he told me to buy a Haynes manual and get on with fixing my car by myself.

What was your first experience on the track?
I had a track-day experience in a single-seater at Castle Combe when I was 18, but when I was 20 my dad said I should do an action day. I thought he meant the parade lap for a race, but he actually meant having a go! I was bitten by the bug and it was the start of my mission to become a professional racing driver.

Breaking into motorsport isn’t easy. What shape did your journey take?
I did horse riding when I was a teenager, not karting or anything like that. In 2007, I set up a used car sales business and started saving up. Once I had enough money, I bought an old racing car: a Porsche 924, which cost me £5,000. SEAT sponsored my race licence, and I started racing in the BRSCC Porsche Championship. In my second season, I managed five podiums including a race win. At that point, I said to myself “I’m going to take this more seriously now”, so I launched Project Le Mans in 2013, with the aim of racing at the famous track.

Once you decided you wanted to race at Le Mans, how did you go about it?
My four-year plan was to get to Le Mans, which meant pitching for sponsorship. I was lucky enough to be interviewed at an Autosport event, but at the time I didn’t even have a car! Thankfully, I managed to secure everything I needed (£10,000 worth of parts) to turn a road-going Porsche Boxster into a race car for the BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster championship. I then went on to win the championship and race in the GT Cup, driving a 911.

Next, I competed in the European GT4 championship in a KTM X-Bow GT4 with Reiter Engineering. That experience basically taught me how to be a professional GT driver. The car was sponsored, and I could bring my own sponsors too. It was a really great deal all round: great for them and great for me as a driver. I finished third in the ladies’ championship, and in 2016 I finally got to race at Le Mans in an LMP3 car in the Road to Le Mans support race, which was incredible.

What are your memories of the journey to Le Mans and racing on such an iconic circuit?
Every single waking moment was about Project Le Mans. With everything I was offered and every opportunity that I found, I would ask myself “How does it affect the project?” Le Mans is part-road and part-circuit, and there were all sorts of cars out there with me. That meant there were a few incidents, particularly as you have to go from travelling at a really low speed right back up to racing speed again, so you really, really have to be on the ball and paying attention. When I was on the track, I just kept hearing “Push, push, push Rebecca” over the team radio. I was so focused on what I was doing, but I still had that feeling of “just wow”. It shows what you can achieve if you surround yourself with the right people and have a plan and a strong work ethic.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of a career in motorsport?
There are so many different roles involved in motorsport, so always check the companies’ websites for job opportunities. You have to go out there to get them – they won’t come to you.

Rebecca Jackson is a racing driver and a former presenter of Fifth Gear.
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This is an edited extract from IMI’s new MotorPro magazine, received free as part of IMI membership. Time to find out more about becoming a member of the most influential community in UK automotive…?

In this article: How this young star’s career went from starting grid to pole position (and title-winning glory)

Who or what first got you interested in the motor industry?

I never really looked up to anyone in the industry, but I always had an interest in cars and vehicles growing up. If it had wheels, I wanted a go in it! I also loved all the car programmes on TV, the restoration shows and the overhauling shows and even Pimp My Ride, and when I got towards the end of my time at school, I realised there were lots of jobs available in the motor industry.

How did you decide which career path you wanted to take and how did you set about making it happen?

When I left school at 16, I didn’t want to carry on with classroom studies at college or university. I wanted a more hands-on experience where I could learn a skill and earn money too, so an apprenticeship seemed like the the right way forward for me. After thinking about the interests I had at the time – technology, art and cars – I decided to enrol on a car-painting apprenticeship with BMW at Sytner Sheffield.

How has your career developed so far, and what are your goals for the future?

All of my roles have required I completed my four-year apprenticeship with BMW and was named Apprentice of the Year when I graduated. I then won the National Painter of the Year competition, which lead me to hear about the World Skills competitions.

I became part of Team UK and represented my country at World Skills London 2011, where I won the bronze medal, beating competitors from all over the world. After that success, I joined the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team and painted Michael Schumacher’s car in my first year. Since then, I have gone on to paint Nico Rosberg’s, Valtteri Bottas’s and Lewis Hamilton’s F1 cars. The team has been great – and we’ve won seven world titles!

I’m still enjoying the motorsport side of the industry for now, but who knows what the future may hold and where my career will take me.

Is there anything you would have done differently with the benefit of hindsight?

Looking back, I think I did everything to the best of my ability. I don’t think there was any opportunity I didn’t take, so no, I don’t think I would have done anything differently.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in the motor industry?

I would say that if you have a passion for cars or any part of the motor industry, go ahead and check out the different types of apprenticeships and apprenticeship providers out there, as well as relevant courses in further education.

Do you have advice for someone who wants to work in motorsport specifically?

There are so many different roles involved in motorsport, so always check the companies’ websites for job opportunities. You have to go out there to get them – they won’t come to you.

The IMI Skills Competitions showcase the amazing apprentices in the automotive sector, celebrating the skills and expertise in the industry, as well as rewarding the top talent.

The stories that comes out of the event shine a light on the amazing people, their skills and the hurdles they overcome to be the best in the country. This year is no different.

The Heavy Vehicle category was full of talent, including George Hinkley was named Scania UK’s Apprentice of the Year in 2022, and also took home Gold at the IMI Skills Competitions

Hinkley’s inspiration came predominantly from his father – an engineer by trade – and it’s clear from meeting this young man that he has diesel running through his veins.

From a young age, he found himself fixing vehicles alongside his father, especially the family’s array of beloved Land Rovers. It was fitting that he learnt to drive and pass his test in one of Solihull’s finest – a Land Rover Defender 110. A vehicle which he is currently restoring.

His interest began to peak, so much so, that during the school holidays he would often be found helping out at a local bus company. Not in the usual administration jobs, but down in the garage alongside the technicians, helping them diagnose and fix problems.

George’s love affair with Scania didn’t start until a friend introduced him to the brand via a truck simulator game.

“I’m half German,” Hinkley says. “Naturally I should have a strong allegiance to either Mercedes-Benz or MAN. But I love Scania. They’re amazing.

“For me it’s the heritage, the engineering and the quality of the products. Everything is so well thought out.”

When the time came for George to take his first meaningful step onto the career ladder – as an apprentice – there was only one brand that would do. Scania.

Turning a perceived disadvantage into a huge advantage

As passionate as Hinkley is about diagnosing and fixing vehicles, there’s another strength he has. One that he’s learned to harness. Hinkley explains about his autism and how he uses it to his advantage.

“I wouldn’t call my autism a disability,” he says. “In my case I would call it an advantage. It’s quite simple really, I’ve learnt to forget the negatives and focus on what I love. And for me that is fixing trucks.

“Ever since secondary school I’ve just been addicted to researching technologies, such as the diesel cycle, different mechanical parts and discovering how it all works. When I discovered Scania’s technical information library a few months ago, I sat down and read all the manuals for 2 and 3 Series in one go. I can probably rebuild one from memory as I was sat there for three days just reading the manuals.

“It doesn’t bore me. Plus I now know how all our old technology works.”

With a voracious appetite for learning, Hinkley has a deep interest in steam, diesel, Scania vehicles and the technology and science behind how they work. Plus, how to fix them. He even has a budding interest in nuclear energy.

As future vocations go, he is clear there’s only one company for him – Scania. But while mechanically fixing trucks may be fine for today, he has loftier ambitions for the future.

“I love the company, but what I would like to do is to start restoring classic trucks or becoming an escalation technician as I enjoy diagnosing faults,” he says. “If anything comes in with a fault, I find it no matter what it is. My brain works best on logic, which is why diagnosing is so easy. Because I can go step-by-step, figure it all out with logic.”

While Hinkley has a strong personality and willingness to succeed at what he loves, he acknowledges that others, who have similar conditions may not find it so easy to follow in his footsteps.

He also appreciates that some people find it harder to understand his autism which can make communication a bit awkward. He has one piece of advice: “Forget what people say you can’t do and focus on the things you can do and enjoy doing,” he says.

It’s an approach that has worked wonders for Hinkley in 2022, taking home not only Scania’s Apprentice of the Year award, but also capturing Gold at this year’s IMI Skills Competitions.