Isla finds a way to “just keep going”​

​Isla, who was brought up on Goathill Farm in Stornoway, and credits that background for giving her a zest for all things motorsport, was speaking during an interview on a podcast which aims to address the issues over mental health for those working in crofting and farming.

“Farmstrong - Live Well Farm & Croft Well” is a national initiative driven by scientific information and real-life stories to help a sector in which many individuals work alone and work long hours. It is based on a model which has been operating successfully in New Zealand for some time.

Isla, who studied motorsport engineering in Glasgow, is currently working the PETRONAS Formula 1 team in Brackley, Northamptonshire, perfecting parts for the cars that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell drive at races around the world and still hopes to become a professional racing driver in her own right.

Isle spoke on the podcast, “Blether Together”, to host Sara Stephen.

She said: “I really admire the work that Farmstrong is doing and it was a pleasure to speak to Sarah for the podcast.

“Interestingly enough, I was on holiday with my mum in Anglesey when we did the interview and it was during the mandatory two-week summer break that all Formula One teams must observe.

“The whole industry shuts down and there are no work emails or telephone calls and when you return there isn’t all that catching up that most people have after holidays - everything has stopped so you start refreshed and without a huge backlog to catch up on. I’ve learnt that it’s really important to completely disconnect - it’s a huge help for everyone’s mental health.”

“I’ve recently made a conscious decision to not let the stress of the financial side of racing take over the fun. Money is a huge barrier, but I can’t change it. I’ve just got to do my best with the situation I’m in and not waste time worrying.”

Last year Isla’s dream to be a professional racing driver was followed in a BBC documentary called Fast Track to Glory, which showed her moving through the ranks from karts to single seaters with IMC Motorsports.

There have been - and continue to be - plenty of barriers along the way and 30-year-old Isla is convinced the seeds of her drive to succeed were sown back at home on Goathill Farm.

“There is no mollycoddling on a farm, whatever goes wrong you have to get up and get on with the jobs,” recalls Isla. “100% that farming background has helped me on difficult days. Grandpa would be in the house to wake us up if we missed getting up for our turn to do the 4am start for the milk run.

“Expectations back then, with me coming from a rural area, were traditional. In some ways it was a great relief to finally say that it wasn’t for me and I went to the local college to do engineering, which is what my brother had done. I was the only girl in the class and switched in the second year to the motorsport course at Glasgow.”

Back when she was racing carts, Isla was often the only woman on the grid and she was one of only two females on her course at university. She was the first woman in her engineering work section at her first job, with the Williams racing team.

Also, often being so far from home - over 11 hours by car followed by a two-and-a-half-hour ferry crossing - has, on occasion, left her feeling isolated, she admitted. “Any sport brings lows as well as highs and as I have got older I’ve found ways to cope.”

Isla lists cornerstones of these coping mechanisms as having a “non-negotiable” seven or eight hours sleep and eating three nutritious meals a day.

Exercising alone, either walking her two dogs or hitting the gym, had been her usual routine until she put her name down for a charity football match at work.

“I’m no good at football,” she laughs. “But it helped me meet new people and in particular I met some girls who also work at Mercedes, in different departments, that I didn’t know and we’ve become friends. I would definitely say to other people try and find a hobby that’s separate to the industry that you work in.”

However busy her day has been, Isla makes a point of writing a “positives list” at the end of each day.

“Every night I pick out ten positives from the day and write them down. It’s a great way of finishing the day thinking about all the good things and nothing negative.”

Isla hints that there are parallels between Formula One and agriculture in that they are both more of a way of life than a more straightforward job and can be hard to switch off from.

“Formula One is a bit of a bubble, like farming,” she says. “For me, getting out on the track is forever in my mind. Which is very much like a farmer who never stops thinking about their animals or crops.”

Apart from the strip of tartan, her helmet is adorned with her motto “just keep going.”

“One area I’m keen to get involved in is historic motor racing such as the one that takes place in Monaco. If I keep knocking on the door it just takes that one person, or brand or business to hear me …”