Will there ever be women F1 drivers?

[hamsmith]

I do not follow any other motor sports but have come accross the names of women drivers in lower formulas. i read an interview with a woman called Suzzie Stoddard who is entering GP2 which supposedly follows into F1 and she felt if she works hard this year she will have a good chance of getting into F1.
If anyone would like to explain GP2 that would be great but my real question is do you think it is likely to see women drivers compete in F1 and is this something you would like to see?

Remember there are quite a few female posters here so no sexism please.

[Sheila M]

Originally posted by hamsmith
I do not follow any other motor sports but have come accross the names of women drivers in lower formulas. i read an interview with a woman called Suzzie Stoddard who is entering GP2 which supposedly follows into F1 and she felt if she works hard this year she will have a good chance of getting into F1.
If anyone would like to explain GP2 that would be great but my real question is do you think it is likely to see women drivers compete in F1 and is this something you would like to see?

Remember there are quite a few female posters here so no sexism please.

Never heard of Davina Gallicia, Lella Lombardi or Giovanna Amati then?

All three drove in F1 and apart from Giovanna (I think) scored points.

[jase]

Don't forget Desire Wilson (early 80's)

[Sheila M]

Originally posted by jasongore
Don't forget Desire Wilson (early 80's)

Sorry I just did!!

So that's four women F1 drivers so far then. Any more?

Hamssmith you may like to study the history of F1 a little more??

Better still, take more notice of the lower formulas where women regularly race.

[mcurtis26]

There was Maria Teresa de Filipis back in the 50s. The only women to actually qualify are de Filipis and Lombardi. And lombardi was the only woman to score points when she got a half point in the 1976 spanish gp which was stopped early, hence half points. Desire Wilson did win a non-championship race (part of the British aurora series) back in the early 80s. Wilson and Lombardi both won world championship sports car rounds as well

[Sheila M]

Originally posted by mcurtis26
There was Maria Teresa de Filipis back in the 50s. The only women to actually qualify are de Filipis and Lombardi. And lombardi was the only woman to score points when she got a half point in the 1976 spanish gp which was stopped early, hence half points. Desire Wilson did win a non-championship race (part of the British aurora series) back in the early 80s. Wilson and Lombardi both won world championship sports car rounds as well

I stand corrected!!

[hamsmith]

i wasnt actually looking for history but took your advice and checked out history. Autosport.com holds a database of every f1 driver since 1950.
Galliicia no points
Lombardi 0.5 points
Amatti no points
Willson no points

Also came across Nicola Larini scored 7 points raced as recently as 1997 i am only assuming 'Nicola' is female.
Back to my point. I'm not looking for female drivers of the past or in general so i do not need to follow lower formulas i am looking for oppinions about the future of F1 and if that future will/should include women. Thanx for info anyway

[Sheila M]

Originally posted by hamsmith
i wasnt actually looking for history but took your advice and checked out history. Autosport.com holds a database of every f1 driver since 1950.
Galliicia no points
Lombardi 0.5 points
Amatti no points
Willson no points

Also came across Nicola Larini scored 7 points raced as recently as 1997 i am only assuming 'Nicola' is female.
Back to my point. I'm not looking for female drivers of the past or in general so i do not need to follow lower formulas i am looking for oppinions about the future of F1 and if that future will/should include women. Thanx for info anyway

Nicola Larini was a very nice looking BLOKE!!!

Speaking as a woman, F1 is a very physically demanding sport and I personally don't think women are designed to cope with the G forces encountered in modern day F1 but if anyone else has any other comments on the subject I'd be pleased to discuss them.

[Gt_R]

The good thing is what we have is "World Drivers Championship", and not "World Male Drivers Championship", so yes, if there are female drivers in F1, who can get into F1, it should not be frowned upon.

However, we must be cautious not to be artificial. Drivers ought to get into F1 due to skills/performance, and sex/race/age/status shouldn't be a factor. If a lady earned her seat, great for her, but i won't want Bernie or any teams to drag in a girl just for publicity's sake.

[Wrex]

Not sure if I agree totally with that Sheila

I agree that it is quiet physical, but I dont doubt there are women up for the job. Its simple mathematics.

There are 20 seats on the F1 grid. Very very very few top drivers get the chance. Only 3 or 4 seats become available every year. To get one of the 4 available seats, statistically 25% of the drivers would need to be women.

However, we will see women in F1 again. You just have to work out the probability (which is quiet low) that one of that small % demographic falls into that even smaller % of drivers that is talented and lucky enough to get the chance.

[crozier74]

Originally posted by Sheila M
Speaking as a woman, F1 is a very physically demanding sport and I personally don't think women are designed to cope with the G forces encountered in modern day F1 but if anyone else has any other comments on the subject I'd be pleased to discuss them.

I'd question that theory Sheila, but more through an open mind rather than actual knowledge of male/female physiology and ability to cope with G-forces. They've done it in F1 in the past, and Sarah Fisher doesn't seem to have any trouble with the high G's in the IRL (frequently over 4G), so no, I don't think they would struggle.

I believe, and hope, that there will be women drivers in F1 soon, hopefully at least within the next 10 years. At least on the calender side of things, F1 is supposedly "broadening its horizons", and IMO this should apply to drivers as well. As many nationalities, races, religions, etc. as possible, and such thinking includes both sexes as well. It's in the championship's best interest (particularly seeing as its unfortunately become a dressed-up marketing stage) to appeal and reach as many people across the world as possible, and a woman driver I'm sure would get plenty of support from women across the globe (and, dare I say it, if she's fit, a lot of men too! ) Having said that though...

However, we must be cautious not to be artificial. Drivers ought to get into F1 due to skills/performance, and sex/race/age/status shouldn't be a factor. If a lady earned her seat, great for her, but i won't want Bernie or any teams to drag in a girl just for publicity's sake.

Totally agreed with you there F1 should always be, theoretically, for the top 20 drivers in the world. Unfortunately, as we've seen with Mazzacane, Baumgartner, et al, this isn't always the case. The very best scenario for a woman to enter F1 would be that they are someone who can beat off the boys fair and square, in a straight fight, and for that reason, not only would they gain a fan base for simply their gender, but standing up on their own feet in this otherwise male dominated sport, and sticking 2 fingers up at it

Just a small selection of the top women in motorsport atm, with a small chance at F1:

Sarah Fisher
Huge fanbase in the US. Took an impressive pole at Kentucky a few years back, but seems to be stuck in midfield obscurity atm, but IMO that's down to being in an anonymous team and not her driving. Is the latest women to drive an F1 car - a McLaren at Indianapolis in 2002. But that was more for promo purposes than anything else. And is an all oval series really the right place to be for a link to F1?

Susie Stoddart
Guess who's my favourite of on this list Being on the Autosport Award shortlist (and putting in a good performance in it) will boost her morale and reputation. This will be a make or break year for her in FRenault, and hopefully if she can go well in GP2 in '05 she'll raise a bit of interest in F1. Unlike Fisher, she's on the right ladder for European style racing to achieve F1.

Vanina Ickx
Daughter of one of the legends of motorsport. Currently racing in (I think) FRenault V6, a feeder category to F1. But is she there more thanks to her gender and illustrious surname? Results thus far may suggest so, unfortuntely

Oh, and Linda Rose

[Mackmot]

I think Vanina might be a bit old? She has been about for ages in GT and Sportscars and all sorts.

Susie has to be the favourite, she is definately the best female driver out there but I dont think it would befair to pass up many male drivers who are better then her simply because she is female.

[fordtc87]

Sarah Fisher has excellent abilities to qualify a car, but she seems to buckle under pressure of the race. Her McLaren drive was through Tag Heuer, they used her fan base as a huge push at the 2002 USGP. Danica Patrick is working up to a Champ Car bid, but that might soon end with Rahal going over to IRL. But even the series here (Nascar had Shawna Robinson a few years ago, but couldn't land a sponsor)have trouble keeping people interested in women drivers.

[Korr]

Fighter planes are far more physically demanding then F1 cars are. And women do just fine as pilots, so I should think that driving a F1 car wouldn't be that big of a deal to a woman who is fit.

[oziengineer]

I'd love to see a woman in F1, but they just don't seem to take off. They do in Champcars/IRL though, so maybe someone should bring one over.

[golem]

Actually, was watching a Docco and they found that in terms of G Forces, womens bodies actually cope better in the extreme G conditions, so I don't see F1 G forces being a problem.

Secondly, a woman's body is better than a guys from an F1 engineers point of view as they have more weight to their hips and less at the upper trunk / bust, as well as arms and head in general. They're also generally a little shorter.
From a designer's point of view, this is ideal. In a modern F1 car, your hips are your lowest point in the car so you have a lower COG. Which is very handy.
Generally a woman driver also should fit easier into a car. Just ask Justin Wilson about how important this actually is in F1.

It is purely a demographic and interest thing. Until Women are as interested in racing as men, the chances of female driver's appearing is less. But thankfully, they're starting to come in. I've seen women drag car drivers and drifters, etc so I hope the day comes where they appear in numbers.

However, my reasons aren't entirely all for the good of mankind and all that. I'd simply like to meet a girl who's eyes wouldn't glaze over the moment I mention racing.

[dynamik gal]

If I get my way I'll be in one!!

[Rob29]

Originally posted by oziengineer
I'd love to see a woman in F1, but they just don't seem to take off. They do in Champcars/IRL though, so maybe someone should bring one over.

Not much evidence that this is the case.About the same number of females have attempted USAC/CART/IRL;
Janet Guthrie
Desire Wilson
Lyn St.James
Sara Fisher

No American MEN have 'come over' for years!

[BootsOntheSide]

Lyn St James managed to qualify 6th at Indy one year - just in front of Mansell, and Sarah Fisher is indeed a great qualifier.

The danger is that the next woman to reach F1 will only get there due to the right backing, and will prove to be no better than Baumgartner and the like, which could put teams off hiring future women who prove fast enough.

Danika's probably the best right now, and she has friends in high places, so maybe she can get a decent career together.

That Nicola Larini thing made me laugh - I remember assuming he was a woman myself when I first started watching F1.

[hamsmith]

Thanx for admitting you thought Nicola was a woman too. I don't feel as much of an @rse

[hgmonaro]

they shouldn't have as much discomfort from crutch straps

[kdr]

Originally posted by Mackmot
I think Vanina might be a bit old? She has been about for ages in GT and Sportscars and all sorts.

Vanina is only 29. i thought she did quite well in her couple of outings at le mans, considering the cars shes been in she was posting times very much comparable with male drivers. of course the demands of gts aren't the same as f1.

[Mr V]

For fear of sounding sexist, which is not my intention.

I could imagine a team lower down the grid taking on a female driver, imagine the spotlight it would bring to the team and its sponsers, but i doubt that a top team would ever want to, or indeed need to when they can have the pick of the best male drivers out there.

[Bridget Stone]

Maybe its better to first have an all-women race class, cause in most sports women and men competitions are seperate events. In all fairness i dont think a woman really can compete with a man in f-1, due to physical (not mental! :-) differencies.
And doesn't it sound beautiful to have names like Jacqueline Villeneuve, Josephine Verstappen and Michele Schumacher.

love, bridget

[Rob29]

Sorry Bridget,but its already been proved that women have no pysical disadvantage,only financial.