Young local racecar driver Marie-Soleil Labelle shines in sport and advocacy work
Sophie Demers
Local 18-year-old Marie-Soleil Labelle participated in various races throughout the season and continued her advocacy work for those with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD), all while continuing her undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering and computer technology at the University of Ottawa.
Labelle placed second at the PolePosition Championship and third in the first two races at the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Ontario. In the third race of the season, she placed third at the Canadian F1 Grand Prix on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. At the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, despite Labelle’s skillful performance, she was not able to finish the course due to an accident by another driver. She was second before she was pushed off track.
The race car driver’s team says that Labelle’s undeniable performances in 2022 on the Quebec and Ontario circuits have shown that the 18-year-old Gatineau resident is smart, fast, and calm behind the wheel.
Labelle was the recipient of the Mérite de Gatineau, and her story can be found in the book Mission : Non aux Étiquettes! She accompanied a family to the Canadian Grand Prix as an Ambassador with Make-A-Wish Canada. She is also the spokesperson for Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD). The organization’s goal is to raise awareness of DLD, which affects one in four people.
On October 15, Marie-Soleil launched Quebec Language Developmental Disorder Week, as she is the spokesperson for Regroupement Langage Québec (RLD) in Gatineau. This non-profit organization promotes better understanding of DLD by implementing assistance services and developing tools for their nine regional organizations.
“I am very proud of my accomplishments in 2022,” said Labelle. “I like to see the difference I make directly on the ground, especially with Make-A-Wish® or with the Regroupement Langage Québec. I love giving back to the community.”
Labelle’s car will be on display this fall and throughout winter 2023 at the Musée Gilles-Villeneuve, located in Berthierville. She will be getting a new car in 2023, thanks to Le Groupe Véloce and Sioui Promotions & Design, who will power it. She will always race under the colours of the Gilles-Villeneuve Museum Racing Team, which will be celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2023.
“I can’t wait to be back on the track,” she said. “Plans for my 2023 racing season will be announced soon. In the meantime, I have a number of decisions to make about whether I am doing my first engineering internship with the Triple Eight Race Engineering team in Australia or other potential opportunities. “I am in contact with the Women in Motorsport Commission Canada who are assisting me with my career in motorsport. I am excited to see what the future holds.”
Photo credit: Courtesy of Marie-Soleil Labelle.
Photo caption: Marie-Soleil Labelle, local race car driver.
