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A key face behind the scenes for not one, but two of the paddock’s classes, Elisabetta Costa’s career in motorsport started perhaps by chance. Still, today, Costa’s experience and candour make her an indispensable figure in keeping the paddock working like a well-oiled machine and advising the many up-and-coming riders she works with.

SIEZING THE OPPORTUNITY: “The team had many guests, and it was difficult to coordinate them. I divided them into groups for the garage tours…”

Costa got her start in motorsport as an interpreter in the MotoGP paddock. She quickly showed her organisational talents and strong initiative in her time there. She credits much of her early progress to her flexibility and highlighted how in her eyes, if one is flexible and open to learning, the sky is the limit.

On her introduction to working in the sport and what’s enabled her success since then, Costa said: “It all started back in 2005. I had studied languages and was working as an interpreter, and I knew of a MotoGP team where my current boss was working. That weekend, I saw the team had many guests, and it was difficult to coordinate them. So, I divided them into groups for garage tours. I hadn’t been hired to do that, but someone from the team noticed me and said, “We need you.” The next season, I joined them in a logistics role. They appreciated my flexibility, I think. That’s key in this environment: flexibility and the willingness to learn. I'm [now] a coordinator for both the R3 bLU cRU World Cup and WorldWCR. I take care of logistics and organise travel for my staff - around 25 people across both championships. I’m also the liaison between Dorna, the technicians, the riders, and their families, because the BLU CRU riders are aged 14-20. I help the riders with any issues they may have, give them advice, scheduling information, reminders - what they need to do and when.”

STEPPING AWAY: “It was really tough, and I thought, 'I didn’t study languages just to speak my mother tongue in an office.”

After three seasons away from the sport to give birth to and care for her second child, she chafed under the constraints of her new office job career path, in which she was not able to take advantage of her love for languages. In contrast, with the multitude of nationalities and languages found in motorsport, her talents in that field were indispensable.

She explained: “I’ve always had a real passion for languages… But after my second child was born, I stopped completely. I stayed in touch with my boss - and ended up working in a regular office job. It was really tough. The only language I used was my dialect, and I thought, “I didn’t study languages just to speak my mother tongue in an office.”

A NEW CHAPTER: “In my position, if you’re true to yourself and true to others, people appreciate it. I try to be empathetic in everything I do”

Then, however, Costa’s luck turned; a former boss told her about an exciting new category being created, the R3 Cup. It was soon clear to be a match made in heaven, Costa’s talent with learning languages as well as finely-honed people skills made her a key part of the Championship, building bridges across nationalities and helping the Cup’s cadre of young talented riders feel comfortable in the star-studded WorldSBK paddock.

On her return to the world of motorsport and what she particularly loves about the paddock, and how her experience as a mother helps her professionally, Costa said: “Seven years ago, my former boss showed me a new project. It was totally different - the R3 Cup - and I fell in love with it. One minute, I was speaking French; the next, Spanish. It’s rare to have a job that lets you speak all the languages you want every day. What I love most is the mixture of cultures. I like spending time with people who have different views, different languages, different mentalities - because you can learn a lot. And you can help them get the best out of themselves, while you yourself evolve. I really like this human side of the job. And since we’re dealing with children, my experience as a mum helps. I’m sort of a psychologist sometimes - I take mum or dad aside and try to give them some friendly advice. In my position, if you’re true to yourself and true to others, people appreciate it. I try to be empathetic in everything I do.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH: “I’m very holistic, which might be missing in the paddock sometimes, and I’ve found my space here thanks to that”

With 2024’s inaugural WorldWCR season, Costa’s workload grew; however, in the face of that adversity, she was happy to already have the R3 Cup’s learning experiences under her belt by that point. Ultimately, Costa’s philosophy, which has helped her so much in her professional career, is one deeply rooted in empathy and treating every rider as she would hope to be treated.

Discussing the extra workload with WorldWCR starting, Costa stated: “When we started with the WorldWCR Championship, the workload grew, but we were able to apply everything we’d learned from the R3 Cup. It was the right step forward. I think what helps me in this job is my flexibility, my openness, and my effort to understand people who are very different from me. It’s not easy to put yourself in someone else’s shoes - but I try. I’m very holistic, which might be missing in the paddock sometimes, and I’ve found my space here thanks to that. When you work with people as individuals, you can help them bring out their best. It’s really satisfying. I love seeing someone benefit from a piece of advice they may have never received before. At the end of the day, we try to be a big family.”

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