Women in Formula One

[Furinkazen]

I did say generally. There are exceptions yes.

Shouldn't you be busy spec'ing cars?

How is your attitude about one of my series to do with anything to do with this topic? Bit of a cheap shot there.

Also you said there are hundreds of male drivers more qualified for F1. You know why? Because proportionally there are many times more male than female drivers in motorsport.

 

[Akmuq]

Also you said there are hundreds of male drivers more qualified for F1. You know why? Because proportionally there are many times more male than female drivers in motorsport.

Thank god captain obvious is here to save the day.

 

[Nicksfix]

Maybe I worded it wrong but women do generally have more of a cautious attitude when it comes to danger. Stirling Moss knows what's up 👍

The good percentage here dis-agrees

Woman do have a place in F1 ..... and other Motorsports.

 

[ROB 256R]

How is your attitude about one of my series to do with anything to do with this topic? Bit of a cheap shot there.

Also you said there are hundreds of male drivers more qualified for F1. You know why? Because proportionally there are many times more male than female drivers in motorsport.

Just making conversation

You seriously think i don't know Motorsport is predominantly male contested? That's kind of my point though about a woman in F1 just being a gimmick. It's not really based on anything other than them being not a male. If Susie Wolff was a guy who had the exact same career path and results would he be a Williams development driver and potentially next in line for a seat at Williams? Not a chance.

 

[Furinkazen]

Just making conversation

You seriously think i don't know Motorsport is predominantly male contested? That's kind of my point though about a woman in F1 just being a gimmick. It's not really based on anything other than them being not a male. If Susie Wolff was a guy who had the exact same career path and results would he be a Williams development driver and potentially next in line for a seat at Williams? Not a chance.

Actually yes. If F1 bosses had a choice of a driver who could drive well, deliver reliable testing results, then they wouldn't actually give a monkeys what gender they were.

 

[ROB 256R]

The good percentage here dis-agrees

Woman do have a place in F1 ..... and other Motorsports.

I'm not in any way trying to argue women should not compete in Motorsport. The topic is women in F1 and I just think with F1 being the pinnacle it's important it keeps it's integrity by only employing the best drivers regardless of what sex they are. If the top however many potential F1 drivers are all men then that's just the way it is. Sorry

 

[Furinkazen]

That's kind of my point though about a woman in F1 just being a gimmick. It's not really based on anything other than them being not a male. If Susie Wolff was a guy who had the exact same career path and results would he be a Williams development driver and potentially next in line for a seat at Williams? Not a chance.

I'm not in any way trying to argue women should not compete in Motorsport. The topic is women in F1 and I just think with F1 being the pinnacle it's important it keeps it's integrity by only employing the best drivers regardless of what sex they are.

Just contradicted yourself.

 

[ROB 256R]

No, I don't think so. But CBA arguing so you win.

 

[FlyingFox]

Her career has been dominated by DTM - a touring car series. It's hardly the most representative series for assessing a driver's ability in Formula 1.

Don't say that to Paul Di Resta!

 

[Nicksfix]

I just think with F1 being the pinnacle

In your eyes it's the pinnacle of Motorsports ..... others, I'm sure may dis-agree.

it's important it keeps it's integrity by only employing the best drivers

Which would include the female gender. If she's fast and can run a consistent lap right up there with the big boys, then why not ? It's good for the team in the overall picture. A woman driving an F1 car, who is cutting down good laps will bring publicity to her team.

Just contradicted yourself.

Ya beat me to it.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Just making conversation

You seriously think i don't know Motorsport is predominantly male contested? That's kind of my point though about a woman in F1 just being a gimmick. It's not really based on anything other than them being not a male. If Susie Wolff was a guy who had the exact same career path and results would he be a Williams development driver and potentially next in line for a seat at Williams? Not a chance.

That may be, but they have to be given a change to pave the way for other women.

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

The lady in the #9 kart is just as fast as anyone else, really, but she's less likely to shove people out of the way, I've found. At my kart track, an inability to push/shove people out of the way is looked down upon as a source of weakness. Do women have the cut-throat tenacity it takes to spin someone, cut them off, or otherwise, for one's own personal gain?


Guys, and this has been proven, feel much less sympathetic, and, especially during competitions, will do anything to win.


If there's a cutthroat woman who can actually fight for her track position (without Danica'ing herself into a wall in a fit of rage,) she'll probably do well.


The fact is, though, the percentage of men/women means that there are more shots in the gun for the guy's side, and next to none for the women.

 

[Bopop4]

Comparing a 10hp club level kart race to F1 is ridiculous.

If there is a woman that is skilled enough to be able to drive an F1 car with the very best in the world, then we will see it in due time. Not right now though, 30 years old is when you start getting slow, not into the drivers seat.

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

Comparing a 10hp club level kart race to F1 is ridiculous.

If there is a woman that is skilled enough to be able to drive an F1 car with the very best in the world, then we will see it in due time. Not right now though, 30 years old is when you start getting slow, not into the drivers seat.

The fact that, as the faster guys at my kart track started to pass me, she was the only one who didn't push me out of her way, that's also ridiculous. I'm showing valid proof of a psychological difference in men and women that's especially prevalent in motorsports, and in all forms of motorsports. Women are gentlemanly drivers. Yes, that oxymoron was intentional.

Yes, the speeds are different in F1, but the thing is, Danica Patrick had no problem controlling her Indy car at the sorts of speeds F1 drivers only dream of. I see no reason to think that their ability to run fast laps and control a fast car is to blame. The psychological difference seems more prevalent. Women become too emotional sometimes; Danica Patrick becomes too angry, puts herself in a wall. Others, become too sympathetic. Sure, I'm occasionally nicer than I need to be on the track, but that's my choice; I'm a rally driver at heart, anyways, so I see no need to try to pass other cars/karts in an aggressive manner.


But, women have a different approach to racing. I've seen countless women running as fast, or faster than men. But, when it comes down to the race, the women are rarely causing the wrecks, driving like lunatics.

 

[DK]

I think that perhaps Wolff should try her hand at GP3, GP2 or F-Renault 3.5 first, to build up some experience in single-seaters. If Wolff falls flat on her arse after diving straight into F1, and ends up struggling to hang on to the likes of Chilton or van der Garde, those opposed to women racers are just going to use her to prove their hypothesis that women can't race.

 

[ROB 256R]

In your eyes it's the pinnacle of Motorsports ..... others, I'm sure may dis-agree.



Which would include the female gender. If she's fast and can run a consistent lap right up there with the big boys, then why not ? It's good for the team in the overall picture. A woman driving an F1 car, who is cutting down good laps will bring publicity to her team.



Ya beat me to it.

Yes, but I don't acknowledge she is quite good enough. I thought that was obvious from my line of reasoning. So it's not contradictory. She is there more for the benefits she brings off track, than on, as far as I can see. Same reason I don't agree with the whole 'pay driver' fiasco.

 

[ROB 256R]

Ok this is my last reply in here. My closing argument, you might say. And also because I don't want to be around when the replies start coming in for this one. But everyone is aware of the Maria de Villota incident right? Well ...

"Auto Motor und Sport said de Villota's trajectory from the Duxford runway to the temporary pits included a curve, resulting in her struggling to find the clutch lever as the steering wheel was not in the normal 9 and 3 o'clock position.
Spaniard de Villota had reportedly already forgotten to push the neutral button, and with cold tyres and brakes then struggled to stop the car as the 750hp engine powered it forwards in a low gear.
A role may also have been played by "panic", or "doing the wrong thing at the wrong moment", the German publication added."

Truly a horrendous accident and one that i have the greatest sympathy for which could have happened to any test driver. But it didn't. It happened to the one female test driver (other than Susie Wolff) to drive a modern day F1 car in the last 20 years. To argue that gender had absolutely nothing to do with it would be pretty difficult even just from a statistical point of view.

 

[Pupik]

Wait, you're saying that only gender could possibly be a deciding factor because of a mistake behind the wheel of an automobile? You, know...there's some really good evidence out there that men die or get injured in auto racing accidents, too, because that would be 99.9% of that unfortunate tally. There's also a 32,000-character post limit in this forum.

Nice of you to duck and run, so I won't be waiting for your response. Also, start digging upwards.

 

[AlvaroF]

Maria de Villota tested for Marussia until she had a terrible crash in one of the tests.

Williams development driver is a british girl named Susie Wolff

This means that girls are closer and closer of gaining a place in the hot seat of F1

 

[Alex.]

No it doesn't. Not if they aren't any good.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Ok this is my last reply in here. My closing argument, you might say. And also because I don't want to be around when the replies start coming in for this one. But everyone is aware of the Maria de Villota incident right? Well ...

"Auto Motor und Sport said de Villota's trajectory from the Duxford runway to the temporary pits included a curve, resulting in her struggling to find the clutch lever as the steering wheel was not in the normal 9 and 3 o'clock position.
Spaniard de Villota had reportedly already forgotten to push the neutral button, and with cold tyres and brakes then struggled to stop the car as the 750hp engine powered it forwards in a low gear.
A role may also have been played by "panic", or "doing the wrong thing at the wrong moment", the German publication added."

Truly a horrendous accident and one that i have the greatest sympathy for which could have happened to any test driver. But it didn't. It happened to the one female test driver (other than Susie Wolff) to drive a modern day F1 car in the last 20 years. To argue that gender had absolutely nothing to do with it would be pretty difficult even just from a statistical point of view.

Hang on. You're arguing that just because it happened to driver who happens to be a woman, that proves that it is because of her gender?

 

[A2K78]

All this talk of women in F1 remind me of how Danica Patrick was nothing but a sideshow to fuel IndyCar marketing machine. Thankfully though Andretti dropped her and gave the seat to somebody who was actually competitive and continue to be prove to be.

Overall when it come to F1, MotoGP or whatever, I don't have a problem with woman competing, but I have a problem with rides being given to people who are technically uncompetitive and who exist merely as a marketing sideshow.

 

[OK8]

I wish Susie Wolff would get her chance although her career results aren't very flattering (4 points in 7 seasons of DTM, in not very competitive machinery I admit, but it's still difficult to make those sort of numbers look good), but given that she's 30 already, I don't think she really stands a chance. I guess all we can hope is for Maldonado to get a really bad stomach flu and Susie gets her chance as a reserve driver, just so she can race at least once in an F1 car.

Beitske Visser on the other hand has shown really a lot of promise in ADAC Championship. She's already a part of the Red Bull Junior Team, so I hope we'll see her climb the ranks in the coming years (unless she decides to start a family that is).

 

[Carbonox]

I guess all we can hope is for Maldonado to get a really bad stomach flu and Susie gets her chance as a reserve driver, just so she can race at least once in an F1 car.

I'd never hope for that. She's got to earn her seat like everyone else.

 

[m8h3r]

I have to agree with a couple of the comments I have read. I couldn't care less if someone's a woman, you earn your seat, you race. You want "equality" well getting a seat BECAUSE you're a woman is sexist. Shoe can go on both feet.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

So what if a race is during her time of the month?

 

[niky]

In other words, when she drives most like a man?

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

Doesn't "that time of the month" only affect whether she will engage in sexual activities and her mood? Well, when it's that time of month, she'll go from being Kobayashi ("I'm happy to be in an F1 car in my home country and I'm really happy") to being Kimi ("Just leave me alone, I know what I'm doing.")


I remember hearing about the things my ex-girlfriend didn't want to do because of that time of the month... No wonder it didn't work out. But, since it's entirely irrelevant from driving a car, and 100% of menstruating women are still just as capable of driving cars during their time of the month, your point is also irrelevant.


I've driven my go-kart (which pulls something like 2G in the corners) with a sore ribcage, with a pulled muscle and a bruised lung... So, no, her cramps won't bother her much, either.


So, what if she's on her time of the month cycle? What if? Nothing happens....

 

[Liquid]

Meloncholy.

Leave. Leave now and do not ever come back to the internet.

 

[PeterJB]

Well, sometimes the male drivers wet themselves in their overalls during the race. So she'll urmm....urmm...yeah...