Patricia Ortigueira -Patri to her friends- is 17 years old and has a lot of experience as a kart driver. At the moment he has already tried the world of competition and is passionate about it, are we facing a future promise of karting?
Yumping.- Patricia, have you been dedicating yourself to karting for a long time?
Patricia Ortigueira.- Well, the truth is, I have only been competing for 2 years but within the world of karting since 2005, so for 6 years now I have been enjoying the adrenaline that is felt when driving a kart. .
Y.- When did you start competing?
P.O.- I competed the first time in 2005 as a cadet, but I only did one race... Then in 2008 I did the Valencian championship in kf3 and from there I continued in 2009 I did 2 races alone and this year the entire valley cup championship so... you can't say that I have been competing every year since 2005.
Y.- Do you have great racing friends or, on the contrary, is the world of karting competitive?
P.O.- Well, nothing inside the friends court, but outside we are always together. Even though I am a girl I have great racing friends and they support me a lot, although on the track we all try to win. Honestly, my best friends are a pilot and the sister of a pilot and with respect to the boys, almost all of them are pilots...
The only drawback is that I see them very often during the season but when it's over most of them live far away so we can't spend as much time together. But whenever I need them I can count on them; I can't complain (laughs). The truth is that karting makes you grow as a driver but also as a person.
Y.- Given your career, you will have a first-class coach, right?
P.O.- Yes, my brother is the one who helps me and has taught me everything I know, because he also rides from time to time. Furthermore, in some races he has been my mechanic and I think they have been the races in which I have been the calmest and the best things have gone for me.
And.- Who motivated you to dedicate yourself to this?
P.O.- My father was the one who told me to get into a kart the first time; Although I didn't really like it, I did it, because my brother also ran and I tried it. Since I couldn't reach the steering wheel or the pedals very well, my brother put a mat and a block on the accelerator and then I started to roll. My mother doesn't like it but I have to admit that she is the one I like the most. supports.
And.- Who is your idol?
P.O.- The typical thing would be to say Alonso, right? (laughs). I don't know, I admire many drivers... In reality you know so many who are in single-seater categories or who have been (Javi Tarancon, Javi Villa, Germán Sánchez...) that you learn from all of them.
Y.- How do you combine studies with competition?
P.O.- This year we had almost no budget to be able to run so I trained little, barely at all, and it was easy to combine: Monday to Friday studying and training on the weekends. This year I don't think I will race because there is no money and we can't find sponsors, so we will continue training when we can, so it will be easier...
Y.- Would you like to study a career in the future? What would you like to do if you don't continue driving?
P.O.- I'm doing my first year of high school and when I finish second year I want to go study at Monlau-competición. In the future? If I can't be racing I would like to continue in the world of motorsports also, so I will try to dedicate myself to mechanics .
Y.- How do you see the world of motorsport for women?
P.O.- Honestly on the track we are all equal. I believe that the motor world is difficult for everyone, although the most complicated thing for us perhaps is that we do not have the same strength and physical endurance as them, but hey, by working hard, everything is achieved.
I remember one day training, a girl and I were going through the paddock and one boy said to another: look, there were two girls!
And.- How would you like to see yourself in ten years?
P.O.- Working as a mechanic and racing in some motor racing cup.
