Since 2024, Mike Scudamore has been the team principal for Team BRIT, stepping into the position after being their commercial director. He has a long history with motorsports, from working at Daytona Motorsports to the Marussia F1 Team. Now, he is committed to helping Team BRIT develop and together, they are continuing to challenge preconceived notions of ability within the sport. 

Earlier this year, The Girls Who – Motorsport visited the team at one of their races and sat down with Scudamore to discuss the realities the team face. Touching on the barriers in the sport and how they are being overcome, we learnt the truth behind being the team principal to the world’s first all-disabled racing team.

Pushing Limits, Changing Perspectives, and Misconceptions

Since joining the team ten years ago, what has really stood out to the Team Principal is the engineers and how they can adapt and produce solutions. The engineering team is led by Al Locke, and Scudamore shared that they can “provide him with a challenge and he’ll come up with a solution, whatever that disability might be”. This work ethic has helped Scudamore learn the limits within motorsports and consequently push them. As a result, the team has a flexible system. This allows a range of drivers to be in the car without making any substantial changes to the car, which ultimately saves crucial time on track. 

You have to look forward to develop and grow. But Scudamore also believes that “it’s very easy to get caught up”, which can lead to them forgetting how special what they are doing is. To prevent this, “it’s important to take a step back and look in”. Reflecting on what the team has achieved is a crucial part of the role. Team BRIT has been able to create a level playing field for drivers with disabilities to compete. For some drivers, it feels like they’re able to leave their disability behind when in the car. Scudamore is proud of this, and feels that is a “great thing” that the team has been able to provide. 

But for him, his perception of the word ‘ability’ has not been changed, just challenged. He questions if “disability is the wrong word to use these days” and acknowledges that other terms are now in use. Ultimately, he doesn’t think there is a right or wrong way to describe ability. 

Reality of The Barriers

Fortunately for the team, many misconceptions about them and their drivers have reduced as they’ve shown what they can do. From when they joined the track, Scudamore shared how the outside perspective of the team has adjusted. It used to be: “‘oh isn’t that nice, the disabled team’s turned up, and I hope they do okay’”. That has now become “‘oh god, Team BRIT’s here, they’re good’”. Instead of focusing on what people say, Scudamore and the team are more focused on delivering results. This has naturally led to the team being seen as a real threat on track. As a result, they are proving that they aren’t a ‘disabled team’, just a team who have disabled drivers. 

Sponsorship

However, the biggest misconception faced comes from people assuming disability means charity. Scudamore remains unsure over the reason for this assumption, but it is one aspect that “can be frustrating”. When approaching potential sponsors, he ensures that they know he will be providing a return on investment. Fortunately though, most sponsors do like the fact that there isn’t a racing class for disability.

“They’re assisting us to compete against able-bodied people, and that’s very empowering, and I think demonstrates from a brand perspective how supportive they are, and that’s within their DNA”.

Regulations

Outside of misconceptions, the biggest barrier for disabled drivers in motorsports comes from the ability to change. “Historically motor racing has been quite set in its ways, so change is often not embraced as well as it should be”. The team principal was open about how the regulations has been one of the prominent aspects the team has had to overcome. Despite this, he is hopeful that they have had a positive effect on this. Scudamore has seen the regulations become more accessible over the years.

Governing bodies have to ensure consistency and safety across all series and competitors. Consequently, the true progress that can be made is for them to realise that being accessible won’t provide drivers with an unfair advantage. Instead, it is about building an inclusive sport where everyone can be equal. 

Looking Out To Wider Motorsports

Looking at what Scudamore feels is one of the main barriers to change in motorsports, he shared that “governing bodies need to maintain safety” whilst having the ability to provide “a level playing field”. And that is what their Hand Control Technology creates. The fully adaptive technology allows drivers with a range of disabilities to compete no matter what. This ensures that they have equal opportunities on track. 

Whilst Team BRIT aren’t trying to change the mainstream pathway into racing, they are building a parallel way. By helping people with disabilities to get back on track, they are providing more opportunities and allowing some to continue in motorsports. But not just anyone can jump into their car. Throughout the assessments the team looks at a range of aspects, not just how fast someone is. Having the right mindset, a supportive unit, and enthusiasm is just as important.

“We’re a very close knit team and it’s important that we only bring people in that want to be part of that”. 

Since being with the team since 2015, Scudamore has helped them grow. Now, as Team Principal, he’s continuing to build their legacy. From helping them reflect to enable growth to providing a supportive environment, he’s helping to redefine the limits of what is achievable in motorsports. 

You can read more about Team BRIT here.