‘Just don’t give up’ – Formula 1 presenter Ariana Bravo on bringing racing stories to life

Whether you’re enjoying events trackside or tuning in at home, presenter Ariana Bravo is a familiar face to fans of Formula 1 as she reports on all the action from the pit lane to the paddock.

Continuing our Pathways Into Motorsport series, Bravo talks us through her journey so far, how she balances her presenting duties across a race weekend and the importance of championing initiatives that encourage more women in motorsport.

“My role can look very varied across a day,” Bravo begins. “Primarily I do Track TV, which is what goes out on the big screens at track. I also host the Fanzone stage interviews which is where we get all 20 Formula 1 drivers up on stage to have some fun basically.

“We also get drivers from other series joining us. Then I also dip into F1 TV, the media pen and sometimes even parc fermé, so my job can look very varied across the race weekend.”

Although Bravo was a life-long fan of F1, her initial career goals steered her in an entirely different direction. Eventually, her passion for the sport won out and she picked up a microphone and pivoted towards creating her own content.

“So I come from a completely unrelated background to journalism,” she notes. “I went to university and I studied economics, which I absolutely adored. I then became a management consultant for four years, specialising in internal audit. But I knew as soon as I got into that job that it wasn't for me.

“I've always had an interest in presenting. I'd done my work experience at school at Channel 4 and I'd also always loved Formula 1 since I was a tiny little girl through my dad. I just thought ‘why don't I try merging two of my loves and see if it works out’.

“I started making videos of me just talking to the camera about Formula 1 race weekends. They were very basic, they weren't fancy content as we now know it. It was literally me against a plain white wall, just to demonstrate how I talk on camera and to create a show role for myself.

“These got noticed by the Director of Broadcasting at Formula 1 and he asked if I wanted to come along and shadow for a weekend. Then I got a chance to come out to the Austrian Grand Prix in 2021 as a Track TV presenter.”

READ MORE: F1 ACADEMY drivers and alumni take to the track in Formula E’s Berlin Rookie Test

As a presenter, Bravo’s role sees her regularly appearing on camera or in front of crowds, but most important aspect of her work comes well before she picks up the mic. With multiple drivers, teams, sessions and series to keep track of across a race weekend, it’s vital that she stays in the know and asks the right questions.

“Away from track, my typical day is usually preparation for being at track,” she says. “Behind the scenes, there's so much work that goes into preparing notes, doing your research, looking at stats, familiarising yourself with the circuits that you're visiting, the series that are racing.

“So, it's a lot of prep behind the scenes so that when you come to a race weekend and when you get to track you are ready to hit the ground running.”

Bravo added: “The work that I do onstage requires a completely different skillset to the work that I do in the media pen. They're very, very different, so find out what it is that gives you that buzz and don't be afraid to pursue that, even if it's slightly different from what the majority of people might be doing or what you'd imagined that you would love when you first came into the sport.”

Whilst Bravo covers a wide range of activities, engaging and sharing her passion for the sport with the fans remains at the heart of her work, whether it be live or pre-recorded content.

“My favourite part of the role is being able to connect with fans and being able to bridge the gap between the sport and the fans who are either at the track or at home,” she admits. “I love being on the Fanzone stage, being able to see the fans there and the energy that they bring.

READ MORE: Champions of the Future Academy Round 3 Recap: Hunting down podiums

“Equally, I love broadcasting — whether it’s through F1TV or whether it’s with Channel 4 — and bringing the story to those who are watching on television at home. I think that it's a real honour to be able to do that storytelling.

“The more challenging parts, I guess can be how much we're away from home. I work a lot of races, but I think the beauty of this job and of this paddock is that you create family with the people that you work with. That is so important and I'm very fortunate that I have some amazing friends/family who I found in the paddock.”

For Bravo, building connections goes hand-in-hand with working in an environment in which teamwork is a central aspect. Reflecting on the leap of faith she took to start exploring opportunities in the sport, she credited her support network for helping her find her feet in the industry.

“Hard work is the most important thing in this job,” Bravo continues. “As I said, so much of the role is the preparation behind the scenes. We do as much hard work and prep behind the scenes so that it can look as easy or seamless as possible on camera, so it's important to have the work ethic to match.

“Also I think it's really important to be friendly and to speak to people in the paddock. Everyone here has a different story to tell and works in different areas, and you can learn so much by just networking and going out and chatting to people.

GET INVOLVED: F1 ACADEMY Driver Development Workshop Series

“That's something that I personally have found really crucial to my journey. I can remember when I started out sending messages to other women in motorsport in the jobs that I wanted to do, people like Rachel Brookes. Sending them messages, asking for advice, and they were always more than willing to give it, so I feel like I’d had unofficial mentors and encouraging words from women who are still in the sport now.

“Also since being in the paddock, I've grown really close to people like Louise Goodman, who is an absolute legend in the Formula 1 paddock. She's really helped to mentor me and show me the way a little bit and if I've needed help, I've always been able to ask her. Also, the people you interact with day-to-day, everyone can give you an encouraging word or a helping hand when you need it.”

Asked what advice she’d pass on to the next generation of budding young fans dreaming of working in motorsport, Bravo replied: “I would tell young girls who want to get into the industry to do it. Why hold back? There are so many supportive women and men in the paddock. It's an incredible environment to work in and we're working amongst amazing athletes that are so inspiring.

“To be working amongst, not just the athletes, but also the skilled people behind the scenes who make the race weekends happen. So follow your dreams, work hard, don't be put off by any obstacles that might come your way. Just find out a way to overcome them, reroute, maybe you might have to find an alternative way to getting to your end result. Just don't give up, that's the most crucial point.“

Now a role model for other young women aspiring to work in motorsport, Bravo highlights the impact initiatives had in shaping her own transition into the industry and how F1 ACADEMY is driving long-term change.

“I think F1 ACADEMY is so important,” she remarks. “I think it's important not just to demonstrate the incredible talent that women have out on track, but also to showcase all of the roles that are behind the scenes.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Inside the making of the blockbuster F1: The Academy series

“The team behind the scenes in F1 ACADEMY are fantastic as well and I think it's a really powerful way of showing young girls and also people of any age what is possible. It's not just about inspiring the people that may step into the car, it's just about demonstrating that we have the right to be here, that we're perfectly capable of being here and that we're here to stay.”

“I have a very personal link to the series because when I first was trying to get into the industry, I joined Dare To Be Different, which was set up by Susie Wolff. I went to one of the networking events that Dare To Be Different hosted, and that is actually what started my journey into motorsport. That’s the event that I met Rachel Brookes at, it’s an event that I also met one of my now closest friends at and that is where I first felt that it was actually possible.

“To now be four or five years later and see that Susie Wolff has created and championed this series, it's something very personal to me because I feel that without her and Dare To Be Different, which is now Girls On Track UK, I wouldn't be here myself. So I know what this series can do for people from my own journey through a programme that Susie has set up, so I love it.”