[image: Laleh Seddigh] Girl Racer Iranian women are exploring new boundaries and opportunities in education and careers - not least female racing car champion Laleh Seddigh - until that is she was banned from competitions following allegations of engine tampering. Darius Bazargan - Producer, This World
'Laleh's story is a symbol of what women can achieve in today's Iran. But her desire to prove she could compete with men at every level ended up costing her dearly. Role Model The 31-year-old sportswoman, nicknamed "Little Schumacher" is a minor celebrity in her native country. She has also become a poster girl for Iranian women seeking to better their lot.[image: Laleh Seddigh] "I love to race, I love to compete... I think it's sort of a responsibility for me because I am inviting other female drivers to join to the race... and hopefully I can teach to the other females to just believe in themselves," she says. "Persian females are really strong." Laleh first learned to drive as a child, sometimes borrowing her father's car late at night for clandestine road trips - and later speeding through Tehran's notorious and lethal traffic on the way to university. It was not long before she was clamouring for an actual competition. She burst onto the racing scene three years ago, becoming champion of the 1600GT class. [image: Laleh Seddigh] By exploiting a loophole in the regulations, Laleh found that as long as she respected Islamic dress codes, she could race directly against male drivers - something that does not happen anywhere else in the world. But while they were obliged to tolerate Laleh's presence, the racing establishment never fully accepted it. The regime was so put out, Iranian TV was forbidden from showing her on the victory podium.' ------------------------------ Watch Girl Racer on BBC World on Saturday 5th April at 1030 GMT. Repeating on Sunday 6th April at 1330, 1830 and 2330 GMT.
