Chinese-Canadian racing driver Samantha Tan leaves ‘bad Asian drivers’ stereotype in dust after historic wins in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- The 23-year-old says she has been ‘trying to prove that stereotype wrong my entire life’
- Ontario-born Tan is the first Asian and Canadian woman to win Dubai 24H and first woman to win Abu Dhabi 6H
Chinese-Canadian professional racing driver Samantha Tan could not have dreamed up a better start to 2021.
The 23-year-old returned victorious from the United Arab Emirates last weekend after making history as the first Asian woman and part of the first Canadian team to win the Dubai 24 Hour Race, and the first woman to win the Abu Dhabi 6 Hour Race in her GT4 class.
While securing pole position in her first full 24-hour campaign is already a remarkable feat in itself, Tan races for so much more.
“You know how there’s that stereotype that Asians are bad drivers? So I’ve been trying to prove that stereotype wrong my entire life,” Tan told the Post.
“[That’s] to push and pursue my personal goals, but also to inspire others who can relate to me as a young, Asian female. When I first started racing, I didn’t really think about gender issues because it wasn’t about being the best female driver – but being the best driver out of everybody.
