Access to Guidance Determines Access to Opportunity: Tessa Rauthe on Mentorship in Motorsport

Mentor Spotlight

Her work focuses on partnership strategy, activation planning, and delivering high-impact race weekend experiences that connect brands, teams, and fans. Alongside this, she's building a personal platform focused on access into motorsport, especially supporting young women who want to break into the industry.

Starting Informally

Tessa's mentoring began organically. "I originally started mentoring quite informally when people began reaching out to me asking for guidance on how to enter motorsport and the sports industry. Over time, I realised how many people were interested in the space but felt there was no clear entry point or visible pathway."

That realization shaped her approach. She saw a gap between interest and access.

What Makes It Rewarding

What Tessa finds most rewarding is tangible progress. "What I find most rewarding is seeing people gain confidence and clarity and especially when they take tangible steps forward, whether that's securing their first internship, role, or simply understanding where to start."

The visible movement forward matters. Someone going from confused to confident enough to apply, to actually landing an opportunity - that's what reinforces why she mentors.

A Moment That Stood Out

One experience demonstrates the impact. "One moment that stood out was seeing someone I had been mentoring with the OneUpOneDown program move from having very little industry experience into securing an internship connected to Olympic sponsorship work. It reinforced for me how much difference guidance and small directional support can make when someone is motivated but unsure where to begin."

The mentee had the motivation. They just needed direction on where to start.

Growing Through Mentoring

Being a mentor has shaped how Tessa sees her own work. "It has made me much more aware of the importance of communication and clarity in my own industry. Professionally, it has also helped me step back and see motorsport from an outside perspective which has directly influenced the way I now think about access, storytelling, and how the industry presents itself to new talent."

Teaching someone else forced her to examine the industry more critically.

Don't Wait to Be an Expert

Tessa's advice to potential mentors addresses a common hesitation: "I would say don't wait until you feel like an 'expert.' If you have experience, perspective, or even just clarity from having gone through the early stages yourself, that is already incredibly valuable to someone else."

She's direct about what mentorship actually requires. "Mentorship is less about having all the answers and more about helping someone else see possibilities they can't yet see themselves."

The Core Purpose

For Tessa, mentorship serves a fundamental function in motorsport. "Because access to guidance often determines access to opportunity. In industries like motorsport, where pathways are not always clearly defined, mentorship helps bridge the gap between ambition and entry. It creates visibility, confidence, and connection all of which are essential for people trying to enter the sport."

That connection between guidance and opportunity is the heart of why she mentors.

Resources for Getting Started

For women in motorsport, Tessa recommends staying close to real industry environments. "One resource I would recommend is simply staying close to real industry environments whether through motorsport events, experiences, or following how teams and partners communicate and activate sponsorships."

Beyond that, she emphasizes mindset. "I also find value in resources that focus on communication, confidence, and strategic thinking in high-performance environments, because motorsport is as much about relationships and clarity as it is about technical skill."

Building Pathways

From Germany to global motorsport partnerships to supporting young women entering the industry, Tessa continues working on what originally drew her to mentoring: making the invisible visible by creating entry points where none seemed to exist.

Her own journey through sponsorship and partnership management gives her the perspective to see that pathways in motorsport aren't always obvious. Mentorship helps her create them for others.