Formula Renault driver Alice Powell seeks more funding

Powell is the first female to win a Formula Renault race

Formula Renault driver Alice Powell admits she will need to attract more sponsorship deals if she is to progress in her motorsport career.

Powell, 18, won the British Automobile Racing Club Protyre Formula Renault title in 2010, and now hopes to compete in the Formula Renault UK Championship.

"It's all about money in this sport, so if you've got backing you can progress up the ladder," Powell told BBC Oxford.

"If I win the Championship then hopefully I can attract more sponsors."

When she was 16, Powell, who is from Chipping Norton in Oxford, became the youngest ever female driver to compete in the Formula Renault UK Championship and was the only female up against 16 male drivers.

"It is really rare to see a girl in this sport, so when they see that a female has won the Championship it does stand out quite a bit," said the 18-year-old.

"It's all brilliant publicity because I get a lot of media coverage and the commentators talk about me quite a bit because I am female.

"It's good because it attracts sponsors, who will really promote their company and the sport to a wider audience."

With the new Formula Renault UK season starting in April, Powell is eager to stake her claim on the Championship title.

"My target is the Championship. Everyone is fighting to win but I'm with a really good team, and they know me quite well and we will all work hard to try and do the best we can," she said.

Powell competes with the Manor Competition team, which launched the careers of F1 Champions Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen.

She added: "I won the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) title in Formula Renault last year, so I do have a lot more knowledge this time round but know this season will be a big step up from that."