Female Racing World Championship?

[Soundtrack]

But what point is that, is the point to make the best series possible or to grow Female participation?

And why on earth would both be mutually excluding?

Anyway, I'm afraid the only thing Bernie wants to see grow when it comes to female is his own business.

Stimulating women involvement in racing would be the competence of the FIA's Woman in Motorsport Commission, and from her president's first comments support for Ecclestone's proposal is not a given.

 

[Grand Prix]

I suspect Bernie is just trolling people with this suggestion. Probably to direct people's attention away from some other ridiculous change he wants to make to F1.

 

[Pupik]

I suspect Bernie is just trolling people with this suggestion. Probably to direct people's attention away from some other ridiculous change he wants to make to F1.

Such as removing Monza and Spa? (He'll never get Monaco off the calendar in his lifetime.)

 

[Grand Prix]

Such as removing Monza and Spa? (He'll never get Monaco off the calendar in his lifetime.)

Maybe.

 

[Dennisch]

Such as removing Monza and Spa? (He'll never get Monaco off the calendar in his lifetime.)

We're talking about a guy who will probably live to be 120.

 

[Com Fox]

This is pretty much sexist and is only there so Bernie can get some bucks, I feel like FIA will treat this already dumb idea in the first place like how the WWE treats its Diva Division. We'll all go on a potty break when its on and no one will even give a 🤬 who succeeds.

 

[05XR8]

I wonder how long it'll take Maria Herrera and Ana Carrasco to get to MotoGP if they both wanted to move up. Or have they tried already?

 

[TenEightyOne]

Sir Stirling is at it again...

 

[DRJULESSTEELE]

As a female I think it's a stupid idea, the female drivers need to earn their seat on merit just like their male counterparts. Michelle Mouton is probably the only true iron maiden of the track.

 

[chzsln485]

As a female I think it's a stupid idea, the female drivers need to earn their seat on merit just like their male counterparts. Michelle Mouton is probably the only true iron maiden of the track.

This. Martin Brundle said of Max Verstappen and the controversy of his young age that "if you're good enough, you're old enough." The same fundamental idea can be applied to female drivers, if you're good enough, anything else is immaterial. The physicality argument that has been banded about is pretty much moot as well, with Anthony Davidson basically saying how he was a short, slim, and not especially well-built individual, and that if he can win the WEC, anyone can, in terms of build/strength.

 

[twitcher]

I think a Female only support series is a pretty aweful idea.

With all due respect to Sterling Moss, 🤬 outta here!!! The man clearly has no idea what he's talking about. If females have the mental aptitude to become some of the worlds best fighter pilots and astronauts, you better believe they can drive F1.

We don't see them in F1 because we are living in the shadow of the past, where women were not encouraged to participate. It will take time to change that, but the change can happen. Having a female only F1 is not the correct path though, in my opinion.

Ever heard of "female only flight school", or a "female only fighter squadron" (who of course, only fight against other female fighter pilots)?? Didn't think so.

Yes, other sports have female only divisions. Those sports are purely focused on the physical attribute of a competitor. No woman on earth is going to stand a chance at surviving a 7-game NHL playoff series against Chara. Racing however, is about controlling a machine. Yes, there are physical attributes required, but they are attributes which the two sexes share more closely as opposed to raw strength or physical size.

If we want to see more women in F1, or Motorsports in general, we can work towards that, but it's not going to happen over night. To me, it will take several generations.

In an ideal scenario, current top level drivers who have daughters would get theirs girls into racing, and mould them into top level drivers. These first "breakthrough female drivers" then become roll models for a new generation, so on and so forth, until you reach a sort of "critical mass" were a female being interested in racing is as common as a male. Look at the current USA women's Olympic hockey team. Off the top, roughly half of that team is daughters of former NHL players. These ladies are damn good too. You can tell mostly by their dexterity and understanding of the game, that if it were not raw physical difference, they could compete with males.

Last point...some female only sports work quite well, primary example being tennis. To me though, what makes female tennis successful, is that there is are fundamental differences between the male and female game. With that in mind, how would female F1 differ from male F1? Be slower? Less powerful cars? If there is no fundemental difference, what's the point?