Louise's winning formula

David Coulthard is the kind of guy you'd take home to meet your mum, says Louise Goodman. But Damon Hill's quite crazy. He used to be in a punk band.

And she should know. She works alongside the Formula One boys every week, sharing their joys and disappointments as ITV's racing reporter. Her face is well-known to Formula One enthusiasts.

Now Louise, who lives in Forest Hill, near Wheatley, is experiencing the other side of the camera, as a racing driver herself.

This year she has been rallying in a Ford Ka around the country and has even raced at Silverstone.

There are two more rallies to complete before the end of the championship, and although Louise isn't winning, she's improving all the time. Rallying is basically cross-country driving around some pretty hair-raising courses.

Louise, 35, is very calm about the danger involved.

She said: "Sometimes I'll turn a bend on a cliff edge and wonder what I'm doing, but I just slow down.

"I haven't had any major accidents yet which probably means I'm not trying hard enough," the pretty 35-year-old said. I'm very competitive and racing against men who have been doing it for years, but I'm getting there."

She started off as a co-driver last year, plotting the route and shouting out '200 flat left' which means in 200 yards there's a left-hand bend.

Then, when the Ka category was announced, Ford invited her to drive for them. She went to a special rally school for driving lessons and has been an adrenaline addict ever since.

Between 15 and 20 cars compete against each other through forests and rough terrain at speeds of around 100mph. "It's definitely a buzz," she admitted.

And sometimes her fame follows her. When racing in Jersey there were signs everywhere saying 'We love Louise'.

"People come and ask for my autograph which is quite weird," she said.

Most of the races take place at weekends so sometimes it clashes with her job.

Five days out of every fortnight, she joins the jet set flying around the world following the Formula One team's Grand Prix. Next stop is Japan.

Her favourite races are Canada, Monaco and Australia, but Louise says it's not as glamorous as it seems.

"There are no parties and the drivers aren't playboys anymore. There is too much at stake financially and the pressure is immense. None of them drink the night before a big race.

"Groupies are a thing of the past. There is so much security involved, they just can't get in. I see the reality of motor racing." Louise became involved in public relations in her 20s while travelling round the world. She started off on power boats and then progressed to motor racing.

Since then her career has gone from strength to strength and two years ago ITV asked her to join their Formula One team, even though she knew nothing about television.

"It's hard work. There are good and bad things about every job. I don't see the drivers as massive legends.

"We are a team, a little circus that travel everywhere together from March to October. I have great fun with Johnny Herbert, he makes me giggle.

"Racing drivers are arrogant and aggressive, but they have to be to drive at speeds of 200mph. It takes an ambitious person to do that. They have to believe in themselves.

"When Senna died, the whole motor racing world was rocked. No-one had died for years. I knew him. He was the best known face in the business. We were all in shock."

As for relationships, single Louise she keeps her love life well away from the track.

"A friend of mine said you can't have your jam with your bread and butter and I stick to that."

Not that Louise seems to have a moment to spare.

"I bought a house five years ago and I still haven't done it up. But I like gardening," she said.

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