Three Decades, Three Perspectives: Carol Slenzak's Mentorship Journey

Mentor Spotlight

This broad experience shaped her decision to become a mentor in the FIA Women in Motorsport mentorship program.

Offering Multiple Perspectives

"I've been in the industry since 1990, seen it from the side of team personnel, organiser and now stewards secretary," Carol explains. "Felt I could offer support to those relatively new in the industry with my view from different angles of racing."

Those different angles give her unique insight into how motorsport actually works. Understanding the pressures and challenges from multiple positions allows her to offer more nuanced guidance.

Learning From Different Racing Disciplines

One mentorship relationship stands out for Carol. She really enjoyed working with her mentee from Hungary. "Interesting to hear her side from rallying which is unfamiliar to me, but really felt I was able to share knowledge and experience with her."

The experience demonstrates how mentorship works across different motorsport disciplines. Even though rallying wasn't a familiar territory for Carol, she could still provide valuable perspective from her circuit racing background while learning about a different side of the sport.

The relationship extended beyond their scheduled sessions. Carol was delighted to meet her mentee in person when she served as F3 ASN Steward at the Hungarian Grand Prix in early August 2025.

Reflection and Communication

Being a mentor has influenced Carol's own professional development in unexpected ways. "It's made me think about what I have done previously in my career and focused my thoughts and how to communicate better with others."

Guiding someone else requires articulating experiences you might not have examined closely before.

You Know More Than You Think

Carol's advice to someone considering becoming a mentor for the first time is:

"Absolutely do it! You've done more than you think and learned more along the way than you initially remember!"

People often underestimate the value of their own experience. They focus on what they don't know rather than recognizing what decades in the industry have taught them. Carol's message is that your accumulated knowledge has real value for someone earlier in their career.

The Simple Truth

When asked why she believes mentorship is important, Carol's response is: "Sharing of knowledge and experiences is important."

No elaborate explanation needed. The value is self-evident to someone who has spent three decades in motorsport and understands how much easier the journey becomes when you have guidance from people who have walked similar paths.

A Practical Resource

For women in motorsport seeking resources, Carol recommends fia.com for regulations and information. It's a practical, foundational resource that provides the technical knowledge necessary to navigate the sport professionally.

From Silverstone to Hungary and Beyond

Carol's experience demonstrates how decades of varied experience create mentorship value. Her path from team personnel to organiser to stewards secretary gives her perspective that someone in a single role couldn't provide. Her willingness to mentor across different racing disciplines - learning about rallying while sharing circuit racing knowledge - shows how mentorship can bridge different aspects of motorsport.

From Silverstone to meeting her mentee at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Carol continues sharing what three decades in the industry have taught her, reminding future mentors that they know more than they think and have more to offer than they initially remember.