Sonia Barbot drives fast

Our "anti-macho" series continues with a girl who quickly went from amateur to pro. Why is that? She drives fast, and the men behind her in rallying can confirm it. Sonia Barbot is as kind as she is fast, and in this interview she shares her vision of the motorcycle world with simplicity and humility, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

Does a girl as fast as you arouse jealousy or admiration?

I think it's admiration all the same. A lot of people come up to me and say "I like what you're doing...", now there will always be people talking from behind... But I think people are admiring me because I'm a woman and I'm in the top 10 in road rally. That's what I focus on, I prefer to stay on the positive. People are cool with me.

Is it really like a "big family" between the girls, or does rivalry take over in competition?

Personally, I can only talk about the world of rallying. I've only done one competition on the track and I've just come back from the Endurose. In rallying there are no rivalries, the rally family is one of camaraderie, friendship and mutual aid, and I haven't found any animosity. Afterwards, on the track, it's not the same, there are more different looks, "I'm sizing you up", we're into something more competitive.

On the Endurose, I can't say too much, it was my first experience and I wasn't in the leading group, so I don't know how the girls relate to each other. From my point of view, it was great. When I saw a biker on the side of the road who couldn't get her bike up, of course I stopped to help her. I don't see why I shouldn't have helped her. Taking a penalty is no big deal, especially when you've got nothing to prove.

How do men view girls who drive fast? How do you reconcile family life with racing? What can be done to advance the cause of women in motorcycling? To find out, listen to the rest of our interview on the Ixtem Moto Live podcast.