Zara Horn, 18, is a rising star throughout the Motorsport world, pushing boundaries and constantly evolving her racing craft.
Her journey into racing began in October 2020 at just 15-years-old, starting with club races in Karting and two years within the prestigious SP Tools Australian Kart Championship with TopGun Karting Academy.
Motorsport is a highly emotional and physical sport, filled with pressure and expectation for the athletes who bleed passion for the sport, much like their fans.
It’s often overlooked on how a high pressure environment can impact an individual and their mental health or mental ability within the cockpit.
The preparation for a driver does not just end with the physical demands in the car, but is extended by the mental demands of being in the cockpit.
The drivers you see on the world stage are strong-minded, capable, and determined to slot into their own expectations and beliefs of how well they can perform on track.
This determination and self-belief is often misunderstood by fans and onlookers, taken as arrogance instead of self-assured and confident in their ability on the race track.
‘If you don’t believe you’re the best, you won’t do well.’
Under the lid is a complex understanding that needs a voice for the industry itself, with much more done by drivers and trainers to be able to go into the cockpit fully prepared.
Horn is a Sydney based teenager who is now competing with Perth based team Arise Racing, pushing for excellence in and out of the car.
Whilst her racing experience may be less than both her male and female peers, Zara Horn will be the future household name for generations to come.
An impressive and fast-tracked career has sprung into action for Horn, a four-year process from Karts to open-wheeled vehicles.
To prepare for the car she needs to be calm, often relaxing on the couch prior to getting in the car or mindlessly playing a game on her phone.
‘Everyone is different. I need to be extremely calm.’ – Zara Horn
Whilst not finding too many grey areas in mental preparation for on-track, young Horn had struggled with the media side of things, getting slightly shy with the cameras.
From participating with Motorsport Australia and the FIA’s Girls On Track program, she has found herself becoming more easy-going with meeting new people and getting out of her shy-stricken shell.
Having the support in grassroots motorsport with kart-team owner, Troy Hunt tailoring the support to her personal on and off track needs, she has found herself in an exceptional position to further conquer the levels of motorsport as she chases the highest class of racing.
From being on the Ferrari Driver Academy’s radar to racing with one of Australia’s leading motorsport service providers, she has been able to seamlessly morph into an incredible protege racing driver, set for the history books.
Speaking on the pressures there are in the media on athletes, which are usually overlooked by fans in sport, Zara Horn enlightens the driver’s perspective surrounding the mental pressures placed on a racing driver.
‘No one can do it alone. It is too heavy of a thing to do on your own, you need support around you.’
Horn has a trainer to help her get ready both physically and mentally at the track, ensuring she is at her best before she gets into the car each and every time.
‘My trainer has gotten me through a lot.’
To truly understand the stakes of motorsport and the dangers, mental clarity is a must have for those drivers heading out on track – lives can be endangered if you are not in the right mind, decisions become un-precise and dangerous, rushed if you will.
As a woman in motorsport starting out, Horn wishes for a legacy of paving the way forward for women in motorsport and other young people, making sure teenagers know that it is never too late to start.
‘The timing to start for women is different than it is for men right now.’
Under the lid with Zara Horn has been insightful and an incredible opportunity into the ins and outs of car preparation, ensuring the understanding stems from just more than physical demands.
Many motorsport fans may not realise the mental toll racing takes on an athlete, which makes this piece incredibly special. We thank Zara Horn for her time and expertise on this topic, and for taking Tayla Talks along to shed light on the topic.
Until next time,
Tayla
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