Liona Theobald is a 19-year-old British racing driver from Hampshire, England, who’s carved her path from grassroots autosolos to becoming the first female GT Pro driver in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship—all while refusing to let a male-dominated paddock define her limits.

EARLY YEARS

Some girls get ponies. Liona Theobald got a steering wheel—and she was only eleven years old. Her first taste of driving came through MotorSport Vision’s YoungDrive program, an experience that hooked her immediately. Shortly after, she joined the Under 17 Car Club, because apparently waiting until legal driving age was not on her agenda.

By 2019, Theobald was running autosolos all over the South of England with Farnborough District Motor Club (FDMC), piloting a Mini Cooper alongside her dad. Autosolos might not have the glamour of circuits with grandstands, but they’re where drivers learn car control in tight, technical courses—basically motorsport’s equivalent of learning to walk before you run. For a girl from Hampshire with a hunger to race, it was the perfect starting point.

In 2023, Theobald continued her development through the second and final year of the Motorsport UK Academy, a program designed to nurture young racing talent. It was clear she wasn’t just dabbling—she was building a foundation.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond racing, Theobald’s world remains largely private. What’s public is her commitment to motorsport and her role as an ambassador—details about hobbies, downtime, or what she does when she’s not strapped into a race car haven’t made it into the headlines. For now, racing appears to be the main event.

EARLY SUCCESS

In 2022, Theobald took the leap into her first full racing season with Ginetta Juniors, competing with Assetto Motorsport. She finished 23rd out of 31 drivers—not a podium result, but she didn’t pretend otherwise. “This season was MY first full season in racing and it was the biggest learning curve I have come across,” she said. “Every time I went on track I was learning and improving!” It’s the kind of honesty that cuts through the usual driver PR spin. She knew she had work to do, and she got on with it.

The following year, 2023, proved she’d been paying attention. Theobald stepped up to the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship in the GTP class with SVG Motorsport, finishing 6th overall with 350 points. More significantly, she became the first female GT Pro driver announced for the championship—a milestone that wasn’t just symbolic. She was the only female in the entire 2023 Ginetta GT championship field and on her team, yet she felt included in what she described as a “diverse paddock.”

Consistency became her calling card. At one event with SVG Motorsport, she finished all three races in 7th place in the GT Pro class—a hat trick of solid, reliable performances that underscored her growing maturity behind the wheel. In a sport where crashes and chaos are常态, finishing consistently takes discipline.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2019: Began competing in autosolos across the South of England with Farnborough District Motor Club in a Mini Cooper[1].
• 2022: Completed first full racing season in Ginetta Juniors with Assetto Motorsport, finishing 23rd of 31 drivers[1].
• 2023: First female GT Pro driver announced for the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship[3]; finished 6th in GTP class with SVG Motorsport, scoring 350 points[2].
• 2023: Only female driver in the entire Ginetta GT championship field and on her team[1].
• 2023: Completed second and final year of the Motorsport UK Academy[1].
• 2024: Competed in the GT Cup Championship in GTH class, co-driving with James Townsend in an orange #86 Ginetta G56 GT4 for SVG Motorsport[1].
• 2024: Became an ARDS qualified driver coach and athlete for Walero[7].

INSPIRATIONS

Theobald hasn’t publicly named specific racing heroes or mentors who influenced her journey. What drives her, based on her own words, is a desire to push forward female representation in motorsport and inspire girls to pursue what they want—even in industries that haven’t exactly rolled out the welcome mat for women. Her motivation seems less about emulating a particular driver and more about clearing a path for the ones coming up behind her.

REPUTATION

At just 19, Liona Theobald is already being described as an “up and coming British racing driver” and “Britain’s Next Legend of Tomorrow”—the kind of labels that sound lofty until you look at what she’s actually done[5]. She’s one of the youngest drivers gaining real GT experience, and her reputation centers on consistency and steady improvement rather than flash-in-the-pan results[4].

Her role as a Motorsport UK, grassroots motorsport, and charity ambassador adds weight to her presence beyond lap times. She’s also a qualified ARDS driver coach as of 2024, meaning she’s not just racing—she’s giving back to the community that got her started[7]. The media coverage has been uniformly positive, focusing on her journey from autosolos to GT racing and her trailblazing status as the first female in Ginetta’s GT Pro ranks.

“Being a female, I always strive to push forward females in motorsport and inspiring girls that they can do what they want, even in a male dominated industry!” she’s said[1]. It’s not just talk—she’s living it, racing wheel-to-wheel with the guys and holding her own.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of now, Theobald is keeping her 2025 plans under wraps, though she’s teased that she’s “excited to share my plans soon for the 2025 season”[1]. Her last season saw her competing in the GT Cup with SVG Motorsport, so wherever she lands next, it’s likely to build on that GT experience. Whether she stays in GTs, steps up to another series, or takes a different direction entirely remains to be seen—but given her trajectory from a Mini Cooper in a car park to a Ginetta G56 GT4 on a circuit, betting against her wouldn’t be wise.

References:

Liona Theobald – About Me
DriverDB – Liona Theobald
Ginetta – 2023 Championship Announcement
Racers Behind the Helmet – Liona Theobald Feature
Paddock Sorority Podcast – September 2022
Street Car Motorsport UK – From Autosolos to Ginetta
Liona Theobald Racing – Homepage