Aneta may have been interested in motorsport at second glance, but that makes her journey even more interesting. Over time, she has come to closer cooperation with the carmaker's other departments, drivers, the WRC promoter and the International Automobile Federation FIA. Often quite different worlds that need to be brought together. And that's Aneta's job.
Aneta, what was your relationship to motorsport before you joined the team?
Quite frankly, I wasn't the one who had been involved in motorsport since I was a kid, I remember that the Bohemia Rally was held in our area every year, but my family and I were never active fans. I only started to follow motorsport a little at the beginning of my university studies, mainly thanks to my partner who is interested in motorsport and has been involved in it for a long time. It was very gradual, but over time I also looked at some races, and even though the rally was later, it gradually became an integral part of my life.
What was your job description at the beginning?
At the very beginning, I was part of the marketing and communication team at Škoda Motorsport, so my job was to cooperate on the preparation of press releases, articles on the skoda-motorsport.com website and events, but very soon my activities shifted to a direct cooperation with the Head of Škoda Motorsport, Michal Hrabánek, whether within Škoda Motorsport or Škoda Auto as such.
Has motorsport gotten under your skin?
Unequivocally. Motorsport, especially rallying, sometimes brings completely unexpected emotions and I'm glad that they're part of my job. I enjoy that very much.
What attracted you to it?
Certainly, it was the fact of how incredibly complex it is, whether in terms of the development and technology of the rally car or during the rally itself. I always say that I am constantly learning something new. At the same time, nevertheless, there are several variables within rallying, it only takes a moment, and everything can be completely different, so, as we like to say, the situation is dynamic.
Now you communicate a lot with the drivers, what does this job entail?
From my side, it's mainly about communication in the case of establishing cooperation for testing or marketing use. Feedback from drivers is important to us, so we try to involve a diverse group of drivers in our car development programme to help us move the car forward. Marketing activities or various events have, especially in the last couple of years, formed a very important part of our cooperation with drivers. We have traditionally been very particular about quality content for our communication materials, and we are pleased that the drivers are accommodating in its creation. So, it's usually about some agreement on the terms, time availability or specific requirements for the event on our part.
Do you see the crews from a slightly different perspective, what are the drivers like outside the cockpit of a competition car?
Sometimes a little bit headstrong (I believe they'll forgive me). They are normal people, mostly strong personalities with a sense of humour. However, it's not always easy to bridge those slightly different worlds - theirs, very performance oriented, and ours, which despite this being an emotional sport, is still part of a large company with clearly defined rules and procedures.
Your other responsibility is communication between the Škoda Motorsport team and other departments of the Škoda car company, including members of the Board of Directors. Why is this important?
Škoda Motorsport is part of Škoda Auto's Technical Development, so we work on a lot of things with mainly technical departments of the carmaker. Škoda Auto is a big company, and not all departments know what we do, or what rally is. So, we try to bring our activities closer to everyone inside the car company through such internal marketing. This also applies to the members of the Board of Directors. In addition to presenting our department and our rally car within our premises, in certain cases we also invite guests from Škoda Auto directly to the rally, either as part of the Czech Rally Championship or to selected events of the World Championship. Such an authentic rally experience works best.
What are the reactions of your guests who see the rally with their own eyes for the first time?
Enthusiastic. Even though we try to introduce them to the rally beforehand, it's usually on the spot that the real emotion comes. That's what makes rallying such a unique sport, because when you see it for yourself it usually gets you even if you might not be a total car enthusiast. Then a lot of questions come, and we are happy to answer. It has not happened to me yet that anyone was disappointed, and it is nice to see that we managed to impress our guests. Often, at the end of the visit, we hear that they want to go again and what the calendar of other competitions looks like. These are the moments I like.
In your position you are very much in contact with the International Automobile Federation, how do you perceive its role in motorsport?
Without the International Automobile Federation our sport would not exist, certainly not in the form it currently has. Its role is important in terms of sporting rules and compliance, but also safety and the gradual implementation of innovations, for example in terms of sustainability and environmental protection, which are both very topical now. It is a slightly different world, but without it we would not be where we are.
You are also involved in the FIA committee for new alternative drives. How important is this international role for the future of rallying?
Since this year, I have been one of the two representatives of the manufacturers within the commission. I think that in the current situation, where there is a great emphasis on sustainability, the work of this committee is also very important for the further development of motorsport in the field of alternative fuels and sustainable fuels. However, as far as rally sport specifically is concerned, I think it is important to follow these trends and to consider the possibilities of implementing them in rallying, which is already happening in part (e-fuels), but I think there is still a winding road to a complete change in propulsion.
Your other work in the international field is to participate in the new WRC working group focused on making rallying more attractive. What is your role there as a representative of the Škoda Motorsport team?
The World Championship promoter together with the International Automobile Federation established this working group with the aim not only of making the rally more attractive for the current fan base, but also to make it possible to present it to the wider public. To this end, my role, together with my colleague from marketing at Škoda Auto, is to contribute our knowledge to the creation of a joint strategy between the promoter, the FIA and the manufacturers. In the communication of the Škoda Motorsport team, we have been successful in presenting and explaining rallying as a sport at a world-class level, its safety solutions, the team's backstage and several other topics related to, for example, production cars. Our fans enjoy it, and we will continue to do so. We are happy to present our experience in communication to this group and thus help the whole sport on a global level.
Are there any other interesting projects that we haven't mentioned?
There are certainly other interesting things, but now I would probably point out the Enyaq RS Race project, which we recently introduced. As this is not exactly a rally car, but a sporty modification of the Enyaq Coupé RS production car, it was interesting to be part of the "layman's" testing of the car, and equally interesting was to observe the reactions within Škoda Auto and the public at the launch.
After 3 years in the team and a greater and greater degree of responsibility in the running of the team, what would you say to girls who would like to be more involved in motorsport organization?
Don't be discouraged by the stereotype that cars are more of a male thing, and if motorsport ever flicks your nose, give it the opportunity to present itself.
