Driving Change: How Bruna Frazão is Reshaping Motorsport for Women in Brazil

Bruna Frazão, currently one of the directors of the Women's Motorsport Commission (CFA), recently shared her career journey and the commission's projects with Fórmula Ela. Her passion for cars was inherited from her father, but Bruna carved her own path in the world of motorsport and the automotive sector. Today, she leads communication and marketing for the CFA, established in 2022 to promote greater female representation in racetracks and circuits.

While the CFA’s story is relatively new, Bruna has been shaping motorsport for quite some time. With over a decade of experience in sports marketing, she has worked across various categories of Brazilian motorsport and now leverages her expertise to bring more women into the sport.

Building a Community for Women in Motorsport

In 2017, Bruna founded Ladies Drive, a community for women passionate about sports cars and speed. The group, now boasting over 170 members, meets every three months for track days at professional circuits.

At the time, Bruna was Marketing Manager for Stock Car, a predominantly male category. The gender imbalance in the sport inspired her to advocate for hiring more women in Stock Car.

“When I joined in 2014, my main mission was to ask, ‘Why aren’t there more women here?’ In the marketing team, there were 22 people, all men. So, I expanded the team and started bringing more women into the category,” she recalls.

Driving Inclusion with the CFA

Promoting female inclusion in the workforce is a cornerstone of the CFA’s initiatives, particularly through its partnership with the FIA on the Girls On Track program. While the initiative exists globally, Brazil is the only country where it includes opportunities for female engineers and mechanics to intern with motorsport teams, such as those in Stock Car.

“This is crucial because once you bring a female perspective into production and organization, it impacts the category as a whole. [...] When you bring in other women, you create systemic change. Women’s participation has increased significantly because we’re securing important positions in the industry,” Bruna celebrates.

A Growing Female Audience, But Challenges Persist

Recently, motorsport has seen a rise in its female audience, particularly in Formula 1. According to a Liberty Media survey, over 40% of F1 fans are women. However, behind the scenes and on the track, the picture remains starkly different. Data from the Brazilian Motorsport Confederation (CBA) shows that only 3% of professional drivers in Brazil are women. Globally, around 13% of karting drivers are female.

This disparity highlights the importance of Bruna’s work alongside Rachel Loh, the sole female engineering manager in Stock Car with Ipiranga Racing, and Bia Figueiredo, the CFA president and a trailblazing driver with a stellar career in both national and international motorsport.

Bruna Frazão Creating Role Models and Opportunities

Over the past two years, the CFA has made strides in introducing girls and women to the world of motorsport, engaging with categories such as Formula 1, Formula E, Stock Car, Rally, and the Porsche Cup.

“Our primary goal is to create role models,” Bruna explains. “When we focus on engineers and mechanics in national motorsport, their representation is less than 1%. That’s minimal, and it’s clear where we need to grow.”

Bruna Frazão and the CFA are steadily accelerating change in motorsport, proving that there’s room for women not only in the stands but also in the pits, on the track, and in leadership roles.