The young South African racer is taking her message on equality to Angola as Africa considers a new continental championship.
South Africa (14 August 2026) – When the helmet goes on, it should be about the driver, not whether they are male or female.
That is the message Gianna Pascoal sends out. The 16-year-old Formula 4 racer believes African motorsport has an opportunity to build a more inclusive future by ensuring women and men compete on equal terms from the outset.
Pascoal, who competes in the Investchem MSA Formula 4 series, has spent much of her career racing against both male and female drivers. She has beaten and been beaten by competitors of both genders, but says the challenge on track has always come down to the same things: skill, determination and performance.
“When I’m on the track, I’m competing against other drivers, and I win or lose whatever their gender. When the helmet goes on, we’re all the same. It doesn’t make sense to then split us up once we step off the track.”
Her concern is particularly focused on the way results and achievements can sometimes be separated by gender after a race.
A driver who finishes second overall, for example, could still be listed as the top female driver, while a male driver finishing behind a woman could similarly be recognised as the leading male competitor. Pascoal believes this can create a confusing picture of who actually performed best on the day.
For her, the overall classification should remain the clearest measure of success.
Taking the Conversation to Angola
Pascoal will have an opportunity to take that message beyond South African borders when she competes in a continental karting event in Angola in early October.
The event comes shortly after South Africa’s National Women’s Month and will bring together motorsport leaders from across Africa as discussions continue around a possible six-race continental championship, potentially staged across six African countries.
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She believes that means creating more opportunities for young girls to enter motorsport, while ensuring that those who make it onto the grid are given the same opportunities and measured by the same standards as their male counterparts.
She is herself part of the More Than Equal Driver Development Programme, an international initiative designed to support promising female racers through technical, physical and performance development.
“Female development programmes have to prepare women for the strongest competition available. They should be a bridge to the main grid, not a permanent place where female drivers are expected to remain.”
For her, the goal isn’t to create more separate categories or measure progress by how many spaces are reserved for women.
Instead, she wants to see more women earning their places and succeeding in the same championships as their male counterparts.
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