Abbie Eaton

Abbie Eaton is a British racing driver from Hull, England, who made history in 2024 as the first woman to win an overall race in Porsche Carrera Cup GB history and has spent over two decades shattering glass ceilings across multiple motorsport disciplines.

EARLY YEARS

Growing up in Hull, England, Eaton’s racing DNA was practically inevitable. Her father competed in motorsports, and young Abbie spent her childhood trackside, absorbing the smell of burning rubber and high-octane fuel like other kids absorbed Saturday morning cartoons. When she turned 10, her dad handed her the keys to her first go-kart, and that was that—the hook was set.

For four years, she tore around karting circuits across the UK, learning racecraft on a shoestring budget that meant old karts and aging engines. But rather than complain about the hand-me-down equipment, Eaton later recalled that the limited budget actually made karting “more fun.” There’s something very British about finding joy in making do with less, and it clearly built character alongside her driving skills.

At 15—still too young to legally drive on public roads—Eaton made the jump to car racing in a Citroën Saxo that her father built and engineered specifically for her. The learning curve was steep and immediate. Before her first track outing, she asked her dad a question that perfectly captures the gap between karting and cars: “How do I know when to change gear?” It’s the kind of innocent query that makes you realize just how much she was learning on the fly, figuring it out as she went, relying on instinct and her father’s mechanical expertise to guide her through.

OTHER INTERESTS

By 2011, Eaton had developed skills beyond just driving fast—she became a certified Performance Driving Coach and Precision Driver, channeling her experience into teaching others. She’s conducted race training for young drivers, passing along the knowledge she accumulated through years of seat time across various disciplines.

In 2022 or 2023, Eaton co-founded Rebelleo Motorsport, a venture aimed squarely at demolishing the financial and social barriers that keep talented drivers out of the sport. The mission is simple and necessary: make motorsport accessible regardless of background, gender, race, ethnicity, or belief. It’s the kind of initiative that only someone who’s navigated the sport’s inequalities firsthand would think to create.

She’s also an ambassador for Racing Pride, an organization promoting LGBTQ+ inclusivity in motorsport—another signal that Eaton isn’t content to just race; she wants to change the culture around who gets to race.

EARLY SUCCESS

Eaton’s first major championship came in 2009 when she dominated the Production Touring Car Trophy, winning 15 out of 18 races. It was an emphatic statement: she wasn’t just competitive, she was the one to beat.

After proving herself in touring cars, she moved to professional teams in senior-level racing, steadily building a resume across saloon cars, sports cars, GTs, and even a stint in Formula 3. In 2014, she captured the Mazda MX-5 SuperCup championship, a series she later described as her favorite because of the tight, wheel-to-wheel racing with 30-odd cars on the grid. “No matter where you start on that grid, you’re going to have someone to race,” she said, and it’s clear she thrived in that kind of chaotic, close-quarters combat.

She also tried her hand at rallycross, competing in four rounds including Lydden Hill. She loved it—”I would do it again in a heartbeat!” she said—proving her versatility extended beyond circuit racing.

In 2015, she notched one win and eight podium finishes, and by 2016, Eaton became British GT GT4 Pro-Am Vice Champion, just one step shy of the title but firmly establishing herself in the GT racing world.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2009: Won Production Touring Car Trophy championship with 15 out of 18 race victories[2].
• 2014: Claimed Mazda MX-5 SuperCup championship[2][3].
• 2016: Finished as British GT GT4 Pro-Am Vice Champion[1][2].
• 2017: Became the first female driver to win a round of the Blancpain GT Endurance Series, driving a Ferrari[2][4].
• 2019: Made her debut in the Dunlop Super2 Series with Matt Stone Racing[4].
• 2021-2022: Competed in the W Series despite suffering two fractured vertebrae from an incident at Circuit of the Americas in Texas[1].
• 2024: Made her debut in Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am at the start of the season[1].
• September 2024: Became the first woman in Carrera Cup GB history to qualify on pole position, achieving this at Silverstone in the first race of the weekend[1].
• September 2024: Became the first woman in Carrera Cup GB history to take an overall race win, winning the second race of the weekend at Silverstone after starting from pole in the first[1].

INSPIRATIONS

Eaton’s biggest influence was undeniably her father, who not only competed in racing himself but built her first car and gifted her that first go-kart at age 10. His passion for motorsport became hers, and his hands-on involvement—from engineering to mentorship—gave her both the tools and the confidence to pursue a professional racing career.

She’s also a long-time Supercars fan and competes in historic races driving her father’s Peter Brock replica Commodore, a nod to Australian touring car legend Peter Brock and a sign that her appreciation for motorsport history runs deep.

REPUTATION

Eaton is well-respected throughout Europe as a driver who can adapt to just about anything with an engine. Her ability to handle high-value equipment week in and week out, across vastly different racing disciplines, has earned her a reputation as both versatile and reliable.

Perhaps the highest-profile endorsement came from Jeremy Clarkson, who accepted her as a test driver on The Grand Tour because, as he put it, she “was the fastest” of all the drivers they tested. Working alongside Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond brought Eaton into living rooms around the world, giving her a platform far beyond the paddock.

In the media, she’s frequently celebrated as a trailblazer, the first woman to achieve X or Y in various series. But what’s notable is that her firsts aren’t flukes—they’re backed by consistent performance. She’s not just opening doors for women; she’s proving they belong on the other side.

Through Rebelleo Motorsport and her Racing Pride ambassadorship, Eaton is also building a reputation as an advocate and leader, someone who understands that representation matters and is willing to do the unglamorous work of making the sport more inclusive.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Eaton’s focus appears firmly on accessibility. Through Rebelleo Motorsport, she’s championing initiatives like the Global Karting League, which she says is around 96 percent cheaper than the traditional route to Formula 1. “The journey to F1 now costs upwards of $33 million,” she’s noted, and curbing those financial barriers is at the heart of her mission. Whether she continues competing at the highest levels or shifts more energy toward building pathways for the next generation, it’s clear Eaton is thinking beyond her own career—she’s thinking about the future of the sport itself.

References:

Porsche Christophorus – Abbie Eaton Profile
Champions Speakers – Abbie Eaton
Silverstone – Abbie Eaton Interview
Supercars – Abbie Eaton Driver Bio
Female Motivational Speakers – Abbie Eaton