As a software developer in the automotive industry and CEO of Racing Pride, Matthew-Harriet Randall is a key figure in the Pride in Motorsports discussion. As part of our ongoing series looking at this topic, we spoke with Randall about the work that Racing Pride is doing. With 17 years in the automotive world, they’ve not only witnessed the change but actively shaped it. In this interview, they reflect on their journey to leadership, the importance of grassroots education, and their hopes for a more inclusive future.
Seeing The Bigger Picture
With a background in the automotive side of motorsports, Randall currently works at Aston Martin Lagonda, specialising in software development. Their role involves building integration software that connects business systems with vehicles. “A big part of every part of motorsport and automotive is data. It’s such a key integral part of everything,” they explained.
Their role spans multiple disciplines, something Randall says is what “makes it really interesting”. Alongside their technical work, they are the chair of Aston Martin’s inclusion network and the newly appointed CEO of Racing Pride. Admitting they are “a bigger picture girl”, the CEO is always striving to “better understand how each connecting piece works in tandem”.
Whilst this is an important aspect for the software developer, they also shared how that isn’t the case for everyone. Reflecting on how they like to “touch upon everything”, Randall feels as though “that’s the thing that a lot of people tend to forget. They don’t look outside and know how the other boxes interconnect.”
The Motorsports Chain
As a software developer, Randall sees their role as one to make a difference—and that philosophy extends into leadership. As a manager, they focus on making a difference through “the way I portray myself, how I act with team members, and how I look to recruit.” For them, good management requires the “ability to be empathetic”. It’s about being able to “get the most out of [employees] and the company”.
They are aware that we “live in a capitalistic world”, which means that all companies are trying to make money. However, organisations are starting to realise that “diversity in your team is important” because it “brings through better results”. At Aston Martin, that belief translated into a collective approach. They are “working together, all as one team” because “no one can build an Aston Martin on their own.”
Teams now realise this philosophy and understand that diversity helps cars go faster. Subsequently, it is now starting to be embraced within the workplace. This shift, Randall believes, is helping inclusion within the sport and encouraging broader participation.
“It is every single thing that is really important, no matter where you are in the chain, from all the way up to [the] CEO [to] all the way down to what is perceived to whoever it is as the lowest person, which is absolutely completely silly, because every part of an organisation is important. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be there.”
The Need to be Better
Looking at the industry’s evolution, Randall reflected on their early career, describing motorsports as “male-dominated”—even more so than now. However, one of the biggest shifts they’ve witnessed is the “general mixture of employees”, something they believe has “changed perspectives on certain things”.
With broader representation has come accountability. “People can’t get away with the same sort of ‘backroom banter’ that may have been tolerated in the past,” they explained. A change Randall attributes to people being held responsible for their words and actions. “A big part of that is down to the need and desire to be better,” they stated. This need is not only on a personal level but a professional one, too. With companies wanting to be at the top, they are finally trying to find the best ways to get the best people, and in doing so, are creating a “more welcoming space”.
In 2020, the world experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, and Randall believes that this period also guided the change. The lockdowns, they believe, provided time to self-reflect. As a result, people came out of the pandemic trying to make positive changes. Whilst the software developer believes that the shift towards diversity was “always happening”, it has “almost exploded out of the change and that evolution.”
The Demographic Shift
The shift in the workplace isn’t the only contributing factor, however. Another is the undeniable shift in the fan demographic. Unlike others, Randall doesn’t believe social media plays a big part in this shift. “If you have social media in the same sets of people, then you’re still attracting the same group of people.” Instead, they argue that the difference lies in how people use the platforms.
They highlighted the influence of drivers and how their work will have started allowing other people to express, “I want to get involved.” As well as driver influence, they also shared how Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ has “brought in new fans”. It’s not just these new shows that are adapting the landscape, though. Looking back at their childhood, Randall told us how when they used to watch Formula 1, the “TV was just on mute; it was there in the background.” However, in recent years, broadcasters have expanded their coverage to include team radios, the pit wall, and the garages.
With all areas of motorsport gaining more screen time, “there’s a lot more knowledge of where drivers came from”. Randall believes that, due to seeing the drivers grow and fans having the ability to watch and follow other series, knowledge is escalating “to a point where more people want to get involved.”
“You now have new fans, a younger fandom that has a broader spectrum viewpoint.”
~ Randall explained how having a wider range of people in the demographic has naturally created more diversity.
Education, Access, and Early Intervention
Discussing inclusion more personally, Randall shared an experience from a school STEM talk. “A young girl came up to me and said, ‘Oh, can I? Am I allowed to get into technology?’” The developer described this experience as heartbreaking. Inclusion should be a “life thing”, allowing everyone to “feel and express their own desires and what it is that they enjoy.”
To help foster that belief, Randall believes a big aspect is education. Not only of pride and “ensuring that people understand that nobody’s trying to force their beliefs”, but also of the sport and career options available to young people. They feel this should start at school career days, where you can “make people aware that this is an option”.
For the CEO, it’s all about ensuring a diverse talent pool when it comes to hiring. “Too many times, people have almost been pushed out” of the industry before having information about it to choose the career path. They acknowledged how career fairs are aimed at the university level, as that’s where return on investment can be seen. However, they feel as though this diminishes the talent pools, and if the knowledge of the industry came earlier, more diverse talent would join.
“For me personally, it’s prior to GCSEs. You need to make people aware that that is an option and something that, if that’s what they thirst for, that’s what they do.”
Joining Racing Pride
Randall’s journey with Racing Pride began in 2021. Through mandatory workplace initiatives, before progressing to campaign videos alongside Sebastian Vettel. Eventually, they became a member of the LGBTQ+ movement. After multiple panel appearances and events, they eventually joined the board as a non-executive director. “It had to be all in or nothing,” they admitted when discussing their journey to CEO. And as a member of the team, they would improve the IT systems as well as run some of their events.
The new CEO shared how having another “full-time person alongside Richard really helped” because running the events is a “very draining experience”. In 2025, Richard Morris had to step back from his position as CEO, which allowed Randall to take his place. However, the founder still remains an integral part of the movement and still supports them. Randall feels “really, really, really good” about the new position but recognises the weight on their shoulders as they look to continue the legacy of the brand.
Pride in Practice: What Racing Pride Actually Does
So what does Racing Pride actually do? A lot—both publicly and behind the scenes. The movement is driving the future of inclusion and making motorsports a more welcoming place.
“The big things that we do behind the scenes are very much within partnerships.” From “training for team members as well as awareness days”, Racing Pride is also helping organisations “drive policy change”. Working with multiple teams on the Formula 1 grid, as well as different motorsports boards, they are helping adjust the environments to welcome a more diverse workforce.
For fans, Racing Pride offers a membership that includes private events, Discord access, factory visits, sim-racing coaching, and more. These are spaces designed to explore motorsport safely and collectively.
The organisation also runs hubs at some events, notably the British and Australian Grand Prix, as well as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Randall explained how these hubs are “a physical location that people can come to and be safe”. Motorsports events can be “very all-encompassing”, so these hubs provide a safe space for everyone, as well as raising awareness as to who they are.
“People stay all day,” Randall said, describing the hubs as “magical”. While recognition isn’t the goal, receiving messages saying a simple “thank you” is meaningful enough.
Looking Forward: A World Where Racing Pride Isn’t Needed
Randall believes Pride spaces remain essential, offering people places to express themselves freely. They believe that “awareness needs to be across a full spectrum of things, which is why it’s important that we continue talking about women in sport [and] LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.” Their long-term vision, however, is equity. “You want to get to the point of equity. So eventually, Racing Pride should just not exist. It wouldn’t need to, or at least not in the same guise as it does now.”
In the meantime, however, Randall believes the future of Racing Pride comes in the form of “branching further out” whilst not losing sight of “the wider ecosystem, from grassroots all the way through”. The CEO would love to have global hubs as well as a bigger online presence so that they are more accessible to all. Ultimately, Randall believes lasting change comes through education, visibility, and genuinely welcoming environments. With a focus on empowering younger generations and maintaining safe spaces for all, they remain optimistic about what lies ahead.
You can read more from our Pride in Motorsport series here.