header rule
       
 

Do you have a question for Pippa Mann?

Send us an email to hannah@rda.tv with your question and we’ll put all your queries to Pippa herself.
Check back with us to see what she says!
divider
  Q1   Why do you always turn up at the circuit looking so much like a girl?
  A1   The obvious answer to this question is, “I am a girl...” I dress the way I dress because it’s a part of who I am. It probably originally started sub-consciously as part of my contrary nature and wanting to rebel against the fact that I compete in a typically male dominated sport. Every time someone tells me they think I should turn up looking more like a racing driver, it just makes me more determined and increases the chances I’ll find something even worse to turn up in next time!
divider
  Q2   What five words would best describe you?
  A2   Determined Dippy Blonde Contrary Madame!
divider
  Q3   What one thing would you change about yourself?
  A3   I’d just be naturally superfit and superstrong so I wouldn’t have to spend half my life in the gym, and it would also mean that I would be able to have tiny arms and still be able to drive a World Series car!
divider
  Q4   What are your bad habits?
  A4   Shoes; handbags; dresses – anything completely impractical and fabulous! I also have a bad habit of being a contrary madame and doing exactly the opposite of what people tell me a lot of the time. It has been known to get me into trouble…
divider
  Q5   What don’t you like?
  A5   Needles. Doctors. Hospitals. I know they’re trying to help, but it’s actually something of a phobia – hospitals give me panic attacks! It’s very stressful for anyone who has to come with me because I’m normally in a right state – I just lose all rational thought. Another thing would be the gym. It’s necessary, but hat doesn’t mean I like it! And without my ipod to get me through I would just be lost! Finally – men who are too confident for their own good, that’s another thing I don’t like!
divider
  Q6   What is your favourite film of all time?
  A6   Pretty Woman
divider
  Q7   Is there one fact about you that we don’t know?
  A7   When I was living in Italy no one could pronounce my name, so my friends used to call me 'Pepper'. In Italian this is short for “pepperoncina”, and this means “firey". Everyone seened to think it suited me pretty well!
divider
  Q8   Who is your favourite racing driver?
  A8   Myself!!! Not really – seriously, it would have to be Gilles Villeneuve
divider
  Q9   What is your taste in music?
  A9   Everything from hip-hop and R&B to dance, pop and rock music. Basically anything mainstream.
divider
  Q10   What do you do when you're not racing?
  A10   When I'm not away racing, I (like all other drivers) spend an awful lot of my life in a gym trying to stay fit and strong enough to drive these cars! Normally it takes about three hours out of my day when I'm doing a full cardio and conditioning programme. Strength programmes take less time but they're really exhausting! When I have an injury (as I currently do with my right shoulder tendon) I have to spend time with doctors and physiotherapists trying to get the injury better as quickly as possible. Another place I spend a lot of time at is the team workshop! Roly (Vincini – my engineer at Cram by P1 Europe) likes me to drop by to go through data back at the workshop to analyse each event. He's always finding something else he wants to show me about my driving or sometimes even Fairuz’s driving (my team mate) as data sharing can be very helpful. As we get so little time in car in World Series (in order to keep the cost down) this pre-planning and after-event analysis is really important! There are also meetings with sponsors to attend, and whenever I come home it’s usually to a stack of emails which all need replying to! When the above has all been done (and I've left out the really glamorous stuff like washing my racing kit and keeping my house clean, just like anyone else!) I like to relax by catching up with friends and doing normal girl stuff with them like going out to the cinema to see the latest George Clooney or Hugh Grant film, going out for supper or a Sunday lunch together, or having people round to mine and cooking for them. I also spend a lot of time with my family and try to see my Mum and Dad every weekend when I'm home. They're very important to me…
divider
  Q11   Would you ever consider racing in the United States, like Danica Patrick and Katherine Legge?
  A11   Absolutely! America is a great place, and at the moment there seem to be good opportunities out there for female racing drivers - everyone seems to be more accepting of the idea that us girls can do the job than in Europe. My current plan is to spend 2007 and 2008 in the World Series by Renault and what happens next will just depend on what opportunities open up for me...
divider
  Q12   Is there a female racing driver who is your role model?
  A12   Unfortunately I wasn’t around for the Desiré Wilson and Lella Lombardi era, and when I began watching motorsport there weren't many female racing drivers at all. I grew up watching Senna, Mansell and Prost - it didn't even occur to me until much later on that there hadn't been any girls out there! Looking at the other women in racing today, I think Danica Patrick is doing a fantastic job in the Indy Racing League in America, and that's the kind of top-line single-seater drive that I think most racing drivers worldwide aspire to - whether they're male or female! Danica is a great role model for any young girl who currently wants to take up racing, but me personally? I'm just doing my own thing and being me!
divider
  Q13   Do you have a question for Pippa Mann?
  A13   Send us an email - hannah@rda.tv - with your question and we'll put all your queries to Pippa herself... Check back with us to see what she says!
divider