Sita Vanmeert: an interview to the Belgian Ligier European driver

Having Sita Vanmeert as the second woman in this interview series is an honour. In this interview, we're going to be talking about her experience in LeMans, her training as a racing driver, her first races and many more! Keep reading this article to find out what Sita told me, and to discover something nobody knows about her!

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A (me): could you give us a quick presentation about yourself, Sita?

S (Sita): I'm Sita Vanmeert, I'm 18 years old and I was born in Belgium. I drove for Les Deux Arbres in the Ligier European series where we drove the car JS2R.

A: Being a woman in the motorsport world must be difficult. Or, at least, that's what we all think. But from your point of view, is it difficult? How do you feel, being a woman on the grid? Did you face discrimination? S: Personally, I just had difficulty with earning respect. Many people see a woman and think there is no way we can be faster. But it made me realise that, because of this, I am the driver I am today and I don't see it as a bad thing.

If you read my interview to Chloe Grant (I'll leave the link here: https://aleinsidef1.wixsite.com/ale-inside-f1/post/chloe-grant-an-interesting-interview-about-her-racing-career-and-her-experience-as-an-f1-academy-dr ) you know that Chloe said she never faced any discrimination. But, as you can see, women all have their personal experiences with these kind of things. That's why I always like to ask a woman her point of view. We can see the variety these answers have, and realise that not everyone has faced the same difficulties. But let's move onto the next question!

A: how would you describe racing in one word?

S: Oh, this one's hard! I would say FUN because you have to have fun at all times and enjoy it, but if I were to describe it I would say EXCITING.

Sita is a former FIA Motorsport Games karting gold medalist too. She made her debut in NXT Gen Cup back in april 2024. The NXT Gen Cup is the world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup where young female and male drivers race the LRT NXT1, a fully electric race car engineered and built by Lestrup Racing Team. The series races together with Formula E and DTM.

A: I saw that you've been to Le Mans and you've raced there. Tell us more about your experience there, which race you attended and how it was!

S: I absolutely loved Le Mans ever since I was 11 up to when I was 16, where I drove on the karting circuit. I always loved the idea of driving in such a legendary track so it coming through was definitely a check on my racing list of dreams to fulfill. And it was my first time driving alone as well, which made it a week to remember.

Clearly, being a driver isn't always that easy. There's also a difficult part of it that we never see but that drivers know well. Their training. Sita opened up about it and told me about her schedule in the next question.

A: what about your training as a racing driver? Is it easy or do you find it difficult? What do you normally do to train for a race? S: I train 5 days a week. I do cardio, simulator, a full body workout twice a week and on fridays I have leg days. Besides that, I have a strict nutrition schedule.

A: do you have a dream? A goal? S: I have many, to be honest. I want to become a big figure in racing. I would like people to remember my name one day, if I quit, as a female who was fast and determined to win. I would also love to become an Iron Dames. But most of all, an F1 pilot. These are my main dreams.

Talking about her career again, I wanted to ask Sita about her debut. She shared her memories with me and she talked about how she felt that day in the next question.

A: You debuted at the Circuit of Catalunya for your first round in Ligier European series. How was your first ever race and what do you remember about it?

S: I remember being quite stressed. It was my first time going there completely on my own, no guardian whatsoever, and not knowing anybody there was quite strange; coming from a paddock where you know almost everybody. But I was welcomed very well, everyone was really nice to me. It was my first time sharing a car, either way we got along very well and we had a good result and weekend in general.

A: did you ever feel like giving up? If yes, what did you do to get that thought out of your mind? S: To be honest, I am in a stage right now where it's financially really hard and sometimes reality is harsh. And you have to realise that every season is a blessing. But wanting to go higher up requires more financial support and we don't have that.

Everyone has hard times in life. Sita does too. But one thing I can say is to never give up no matter what. We've come to the last question! You'll get to know something Sita never told anyone.

A: Tell us something nobody knows about you! (A curiosity, something you like to do...)

S: I love drawing and music. Besides racing, those are things I like doing with friends.

Lastly, as always, I wanted Sita to give some advice to her fans. What would she tell a girl who wants to become like her? She said something very surprising and mature. You can read it below.

"No boundaries can stop you. If you love racing or any other sport, go for it. Don't be scared about what people think. Don't be scared to try things out. Nobody can judge you for trying. And girls are fast too!" - Sita Vanmeert

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This interview has come to an end. Sita was super nice and I want to thank her for answering my questions and for everything else. I hope you guys enjoyed this interview and thank you for reading. Make sure to follow me on instagram! (@aleinsidef1)