Rick Noel – Sprite Photography
Diagonal Comms, the communications, PR, social media, content creation, and digital marketing agency founded by experienced motorsport comms chief Matt Bishop, today announces that it will advise and work with Caitlin Wood – the 27-year-old racing driver from Maitland, New South Wales, Australia.
Caitlin will be the only woman to compete in this season’s Porsche Sprint Challenge GB, and her car will be instantly recognisable to fans around the world. The livery of her Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport will be pink, thanks to a standout partnership with Mattel – makers of the iconic Barbie dolls – to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Barbie’s debut at the New York Toy Fair in 1959. As part of a ground-breaking partnership, Caitlin – a Barbie Sports Ambassador – will invite 10 girls to each of her race weekends this season, and will visit schools, colleges, or universities every month to promote careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Caitlin is best-known for racing in W Series – the international single-seater motor racing championship for women – for two seasons in 2019 and 2021. There, she worked alongside Diagonal Comms’ Managing Director, Matt Bishop; its Business Director, Joe Downes; its Motorsport Consultant, Ann Bradshaw; and its Automotive Consultant, Tim Holmes. Prior to that, Caitlin raced in the GT4 European and Blancpain GT Series, and in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe. Since W Series, she has raced in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, which holds all of its races on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Caitlin becomes the second racing driver to join Diagonal Comms’ growing client roster, following in the footsteps of her compatriot, Patrick Heuzenroeder, the 18-year-old who is competing in this season’s GB3 Championship.
Diagonal Comms’ turn-key communications/PR and digital/social media solution will include media outreach, content creation, and social media management.
The 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season begins at Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk, on 25-26 May, as a support series of Caitlin’s fellow Diagonal Comms client, the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).
Matt Bishop (Managing Director, Diagonal Comms) said:
“I first met Caitlin Wood in 2019 when I was W Series’ communications director, and Caitlin had been selected to be one of the 18 drivers who would compete in the inaugural season of that all-new ground-breaking single-seater championship for women drivers.
“In order to qualify for her W Series race drive, Caitlin had to pass two challenging assessments. First, her driving technique and mental attitude were evaluated and appraised by 13-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, double Le Mans 24 Hours winner Alex Wurz, and Lyn St James, who had raced in seven Indianapolis 500s, becoming the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year award in 1992. “As part of that multi-faceted examination, Caitlin was required to show her mettle in Ford and Porsche road cars at the Wachauring, Melk, Austria, against the clock. Having passed that test with flying colours, she then performed a full day’s testing in the W Series Tatuus Formula 3 car in Almeria, Spain, alongside the other drivers who had passed the Wachauring trial, under the critical eye of Dave Ryan, the ex-McLaren sporting director who had worked with some of the all-time greats of our sport, such as James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Lewis Hamilton et al. Again, Caitlin excelled.
“In that first W Series season in 2019, Caitlin raced in and finished all six rounds, the highlights being strong points finishes at Hockenheim and Assen. Prior to W Series, Caitlin had raced in Australian Formula Ford, Australian Formula 4, and various European GT series, and we at Diagonal Comms are now delighted to be working with her as she embarks on the next stage of her motorsport career, racing the Barbie-sponsored Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport in the Porsche Sprint Championship GB.”
Caitlin Wood said:
“I am delighted to be supported by Diagonal Comms and, having worked with many members of its team before, I know they can help me maximise the amazing opportunity I have this season racing in the Porsche Sprint Championship GB.
“Having a pink Barbie race car is the fulfilment of a childhood dream for me – seven-year-old Caitlin would be so proud, and I am so excited to be a Barbie Sports Ambassador. This partnership celebrates the 65th anniversary of Barbie which is one of the world’s most iconic brands and the original symbol of empowerment for girls and women. Half of my race car is unbranded, so there are plenty of opportunities for more partners to come on this great journey with us.
“Throughout my career, I have always strived to prove that girls can study science and engineering, and go on to have careers in motorsport, both in and out of the car. This season is another incredible chance for me to do that, and I know it is a cause very close to the hearts of the Diagonal Comms team, too.
“I can’t wait to get the Porsche Sprint Championship GB season started alongside the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), and to use that great platform to inspire young girls and shatter stereotypes. Girls, you can be anything you want to be!”
About Diagonal Comms
Founded in June 2023 on its principals’ unrivalled experience in general sport, motorsport and automotive, Diagonal Comms delivers strategic, sophisticated, authentic, effective, media-savvy, no-nonsense communications based on peerless expertise and a passionate commitment to understand, and deliver against, our clients’ challenges and objectives.
With a rich and varied 30-year career in top-tier motorsport, including extensive journalism experience, followed by senior leadership communications roles within McLaren’s and Aston Martin’s Formula One operations, Matt Bishop has carved out a reputation as an immensely capable strategist and communications expert, with considerable hands-on experience of crisis communications management. He is also a passionate advocate and ambassador for diversity, equity, and inclusion, since he was one of the founders of W Series, the women-only single-seater racing championship, and is a
founder ambassador of Racing Pride, which was established in association with Stonewall and seeks to support and further the rights and interests of LGBTQ+ people in motorsport generally.
For more information, please contact:
Matt Bishop, Managing Director, Diagonal Comms: matt.bishop@diagonalcomms.com
Joe Downes, Business Director, Diagonal Comms: joe.downes@diagonalcomms.com
Gerren Scapens, Account Executive, Diagonal Comms: gerren.scapens@diagonalcomms.com