Cheryl Tay is Singapore’s only female full-time motoring journalist and motorsports blogger, with regular contributions to prominent titles in Singapore, Asia and internationally, having interviewed several Formula 1 drivers such as 2010 World Champion Sebastian Vettel and other key motorsports personalities including Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner and Adrian Newey.
She also hopes to reach out to a greater motoring audience and get more ladies into the drivers’ seat with initiatives such as Ladies’ Night @Kartright, an all-female karting course, and an all-girl team for the inaugural OCBC Corporate Karting Challenge 2011.
Her automotive interest grew when she attained her driving licence at the age of 18 and found like-minded friends in the Nanyang Technological University Motoring Club, where she served the main committee from 2006 to 2008.
Having completed internships with Mitsubishi Motors and Volkswagen in Singapore, Cheryl Tay also has experience as a former race queen. Invited to be a member of the British Women Racing Driver Club, Cheryl always wanted to set up a female automotive association, hence approaching the Singapore Motor Sports Association and is now the youngest member of the Women Motor & Sport Commission.
Through her work, Cheryl has travelled abroad for international test drives, motorsports events as well as for motor races from Formula 1 in Singapore to World Karting Series in Italy to MotoGP in UK. She has also attended various driver training programmes like the Michelin Pilot Experience and Audi Sportscar Experience.
Recognised as someone of a position of influence in the industry, Cheryl Tay’s opinions have been seeked and she has been interviewed in the newspapers, magazines, over national radio as well as on broadcast channels such as ESPN STAR Sports and Channel NewsAsia.
Today, Cheryl manages Cheryl Tay Pte Ltd with a vision to increase the awareness and interest of motorsports.
Besides cars and motorsports, Cheryl Tay also writes about sports, lifestyle, technology, entertainment and weddings.
Born and bred in Singapore, Cheryl Tay holds a Bachelor degree in Business (Marketing & Entrepreneurship) from Nanyang Technological University.
Who is Cheryl Tay?
Cheryl Tay: I’m not the Miss Singapore-Universe 2005 winner Cheryl Tay; neither am I the SingTel Grid Girl 2008 first runner-up Cheryl Tay. I’m Cheryl Tay, the girl who likes cars and motorsports.
What car do you drive?
Cheryl Tay: This is a question I get quite often. I don’t own a car – I share a Mitsubishi Lancer GLX 1.6 (A) with my father and I test drive different cars of various makes and models as part of work.
Do you race?
Cheryl Tay: Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of being able to indulge in motor racing. If I could, I definitely would go racing and also be involved in car tuning. (*hint: any sponsors? 
)
What did you study in school?
Cheryl Tay: I graduated with a Bachelor degree in Business and Entrepreneurship.
How and when did you start to like cars and motorsports?
Cheryl Tay: No one in my family has an interest for cars and motorsports, so the influence was kinda self-developed. My love for cars intensified when I got my driving licence at 18 (yes I couldn’t wait to get it!) and I joined the motoring club at university to meet more like-minded people. I’ve also completed internships with Mitsubishi Motors as well as with Volkswagen Singapore.
What do you like about cars and motorsports?
Cheryl Tay: I love the pure joy of driving and it really makes a difference when you drive a good car. Whenever I’m feeling down, going out for a good drive makes me feel a lot better. As for motorsports, I love watching it because of the thrill and excitement it derives – I get goosebumps just from watching the Singapore GP commercial on TV! I can’t afford the money to get involved in motorsports, so the closest I can get is writing about it.
How did you start writing?
Cheryl Tay: I was a race queen during my schooling days, having taken part in a contest (which I emerged empty-handed from) and I also worked at a few car events. My first story was about race queens.
What is it like being in the motoring journalism industry?
Cheryl Tay: There’s a common misconception that motoring journalists have it all because they are the first to get their hands on new cars. But it’s not all that perfect. There is a huge sense of responsibility required from us when we take a car out for a test drive. And it’s not always fancy cars that we get, we do have our fair share of economical/budget cars. But that’s no issue – in fact, it is more challenging to write about budget cars compared to luxury cars. I mean, how many bad things can you say about a Ferrari/Lamborghini on top of not being able to afford it? In addition, there are certain high-end cars that only selected media get to drive.
How does it feel being a female in a male-oriented industry? Do you feel threatened at all?
Cheryl Tay: I’d like to think that it’s my USP (unique selling point) rather than a disadvantage. I can’t deny that there are certain perks I enjoy and it’s hard not to stand out at times, but to remain in the industry and make progress requires more than just wearing a skirt; it takes a significant level of passion and interest for a start. I think it’s refreshing to have a woman’s voice as opposed to an all-male opinion; there are many female drivers on the roads these days to reach out to!
What are some of the challenges being in a predominantly male-oriented industry?
Cheryl Tay: When I first started out, I faced quite a lot of doubt. (In fact I still do.) There were people who doubted (and still do) that a girl could write about cars and some thought I was just gonna be a flash in the pan. It also didn’t help that youth was on my side. But I’ve since gone on to write more and am not gonna give this up anytime soon – I mean, how often do you get to do something which you really love?
Have you ever faced any form of discrimination before?
Cheryl Tay: Discrimination against female drivers on the roads is common and I’ve experienced it many times, eg. getting bullied on the road. Interestingly, there are other types of discrimination I’ve encountered.
My automotive passion and motorsports interest have actually scared off potential suitors. Some feel overwhelmed because I know more about cars than they do, some have no interest in cars and find it hard to keep up with me and the rest just feel that women should be entirely domesticated and not get involved in boy’s activities.
I once met this guy who disapproved of my automotive passion because he thinks it’s “too guy-ish” and that “there is too much insecurity involved” as I am in a male-dominated industry.
Cars make me happy and motorsports get me excited. I collect diecast model cars, browse the car magazines section in book stores and usually turn to the Sports section of the local papers first. I have no interest in make-up though my favourite colour is pink. But none of these make me any less a girl and I won’t give up this interest just because it’s deemed un-ladylike.
What are the stereotypes of women in the motoring industry?
Cheryl Tay: Females have longed been stereotyped as bad drivers – just ask around, how many guys out there are guilty of exclaiming “Must be a lady driver!” each time they encounter an incident of bad driving behaviour.
I guess one significant factor why women are seen as being inferior drivers to men is because cars are associated with men to begin with. Cars have always been ‘a guy thing’. During my primary school days, I remember McDonalds’ used to have Happy Meals that gave out Hot Wheels toy cars for boys and Barbie dolls for girls.
The question “Do men make better drivers than women?” has been around forever but there never seems to be an answer conclusive or convincing enough. I guess several factors contributed to the existence of this question – women’s general lack of interest in cars, women’s risk-adverse tendencies, less female drivers compared to male and hence less time behind the wheel compared to men.
What are some of your most memorable car-related experiences?
Cheryl Tay: The most expensive car I’ve tried was the Audi R8 V10 (about $650,000). When I got behind the wheel of the R8, I fully understood why people are willing to pay the price for such cars. It’s truly amazing and mind-blowing.
Other than getting to test drive good cars, I’ve had the privilege of going overseas for events like the Michelin Pilot Experience in 2008 where I got to try a Formula Michelin single-seater at Sepang. I’ve also gone on international car launches like the Renault Koleos in Fez, Morocco.
How important is it for a partner to share the same interest?
Cheryl Tay: A significant part of my life involves cars and motorsports, hence it would be helpful if my partner has a certain level of automotive interest. It’s very useful to have someone I can discuss and share with about cars/motorsports.
A guy I dated previously had zero interest in cars and it was quite an experience. I remember the Audi R8 V8 was launched in Singapore then and I was going on about how hot the car is when he said, “Yeah yeah that’s a nice car, I’ve always thought of getting the RX-8 for myself.” – a deafening silence followed – Like hello, the half-million dollar Audi R8 is in a totally different league from the Japanese Mazda RX-8!
On a more recent occasion, I remember telling this guy friend of mine about Toyota’s withdrawal from F1 on 4 November 2009. It’s quite sad because the team was trying very hard to get that elusive Grand Prix win to justify their existence. But all he said was, “Whatever.”
Does a guy with a hot car stand a better chance with you?
Cheryl Tay: Nope, simply because the cars aren’t mine, haha! The hot car will get my attention for sure but I can’t say the same for the owner of that hot car. But it would help if the owner is fully appreciative of his car and its performance. Some that I’ve come across only buy the car because it reeks of status and show-off miles, and are hardly aware of the car’s technical capabilities and prowess.
Future plans?
Cheryl Tay: I’ve recently taken a leap of faith and made a bold move by resigning from my full-time day job to concentrate on my automotive and racing interest. With the start-up of Cheryl Tay Pte Ltd, I will carry on writing for as long as I can and spread the love for cars and motorsports as far as I can. I’m very grateful and thankful to all the people who have provided me with valuable opportunities that allowed me to keep pursuing this. In addition, I hope to reach out to more people through my writing, especially the female segment of the automotive industry who have long been sidelined, misunderstood and overlooked.
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Did You Know?
10 Facts & Figures About Cheryl Tay That You Might Not Already Know
1. Cheryl achieved her First Solo award in 2003 (at the age of 16+) when she flew a Piper Warrior II on her own. Prior to that, she had clocked 19.6 hours in the air after successfully completing the Singapore Youth Flying Club Basic Flying Course Phase II. She was given the opportunity to progress to the next stage and achieve her Private Pilot’s Licence (even before she was eligible for a driving licence), but was stopped by her father who feels that women shouldn’t over-indulge in male activities. (Right…)
2. Cheryl was once nearly overweight and had to deal with the societal stereotypes of horizontally-challenged people. Read about her harrowing weight loss battle here.
3. Back in her schooling days, Cheryl represented the school in badminton (1999-2002) as well as cross-country (2003-2004). She was part of the badminton champion team in secondary school when they won the East Zone as well as National ‘B’ divisional championship titles.
4. Cheryl tried her hand at modelling before and has done fashion shoots, catwalk shows, TV appearances, as well as hosting.
5. Cheryl was a race queen before; having taken part in a race queen search too. Read about her experience here.
6. Cheryl does not know how to put make-up.
7. Cheryl has driven a single-seater before at the Michelin Pilot Experience 2008, where she tried the Formula Renault car.
8. Cheryl is scared of fish.
9. Cheryl’s family is quite Japanese-influenced – her parents met each other there (dad was there to work, mum was pursuing tertiary education) and her grandfather is the principal of a local Japanese school.
10. Cheryl cannot watch horror movies.