|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
18 Oct 2012, 06:53 (Ref:3153704) | #1 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,216
|
Susie Wolff/women competing in motorsport (Merged)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/19981625
Susie Wolff (nee Stoddart)'s test was to familiarise her with driving an F1 car - she has spent several sessions in the team's simulator preparing for it. Wolff's driving was restricted to 100km in total because of F1's testing restrictions. |
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 10:54 (Ref:3153783) | #2 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,027
|
Quote:
I do wonder though, where this is all going? Km towards a Superlicense perhaps? I'd be delighted to see females competing in F1 but I'd rather they'd won a motor race or two first. I can think of at least one contender working her way up, so I wonder how this will all pan out? |
|||
|
18 Oct 2012, 11:07 (Ref:3153788) | #3 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
|
i'm split on these sorts of things. on the one hand, i think it's good that women taking part in very high level activities in motorsport is publicised, to show young girls that it IS possible and they're perfectly entitled to aspire to the same things as the male competitors and workers.
on the other hand i think it's almost negative to be making a special case of high achieving women (however they've got there) because it makes it seem special and amazing that a woman dares to or can even manage to haul herself up to compete with a man. and that's the wrong impression to be giving everyone, men and women. i don't really care about how or why she's doing the work in the car - all of everything in life is about who you know. especially employment, and even more especially motorsport. but it's still pretty cool when a driver of any gender or race gets to achieve one of their lifes ambitions. so congratulations to her in that respect. |
|
__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
18 Oct 2012, 16:23 (Ref:3153917) | #4 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,885
|
Quote:
In my politically incorrect opinion, men and women are built differently, for different reasons. We are not the same and never will be. Other than a small percentile of each sex, we don't act the same, communicate the same, think the same or have similar physical characteristics. I don't believe on the whole that there will ever be as many women interested in motorsports, cars or driving, compared to men. Nor are there many women who could ever reach the fitness and strength required to be winners in motorsport. So the numbers are never going to be there when it comes to motorsport, but I think everyone should compete on their own merits and abilities, regardless of sex, race, physical issues, etc. All this stuff about how we should put Susie on a pedestal for girls so that girls can aspire to have daddy or hubby to write a big check so they can flog around at the back of the DTM field, is nonsense. "Yes girls, you too can get your team owner husband to get you an F1 test drive. All it takes is a little bit of manipulation and drama and marrying the right rich guy and it will all be yours as well." So let women out there if they want to compete and make it happen, let em have it without offering special considerations, programs, idols or to try to drive women to do things just because men do them, as though that makes it all equal. You know one driver I do appreciate is Kat Legge. She didn't make a big drama about her sex, she went out there and knocked on doors and then did the best she could with the opportunities she developed. She didn't splay herself on a car in a bikini for the lads mags or hook onto a man to pay for her ambitions. |
||
__________________
Wolverines! |
18 Oct 2012, 19:23 (Ref:3153984) | #5 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 9,955
|
people open doors for their loved ones any way they can and if you have money that opens a lot of doors. should they feel shame for doing that? if the answer is yes then there are a lot of world champions who should feel a lot of shame. F1 fans should never complain about not liking those that have access to money.
from what i have read Toto Wolff was himself a racer (im guessing he came from money), made a lot of money during the tech bubble, bought part of an F1 team, married a race car driver who has now tested an F1 car. they are living the dream....how are these not the people you want involved one of the most storied F1 teams of all time? as for being a women, you guys are probably right in that the test wont change a thing for women. but if these two are going to be the face of Williams for the foreseeable future then she will really be in a position to make a real difference for women in motorsports and thats a positive imo. she's not the only one btw, she wont be the last one and each time someone new comes around there will be less people saying how silly or impossible it is. you see lots of women on TV walking around fully clothed and working in the pitlane these days so its not a stretch for me to imagine more of them behind the wheel in all categories as well. brilliant stuff if you ask me! |
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 20:18 (Ref:3154020) | #6 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,054
|
Quote:
If the Wolffs were the next owners of Williams then Susie would be in a great place to help female drivers as much as they could be helped. Mercedes love her, so she'd have some sway with them to maybe put some money into some sort of driver scheme, along with Williams, and of course Toto. Regardless of gender, I think pay drivers get an awful amount of stick for what is essentially 'living the dream', from people who know that if they had the money they'd do it too. |
|||
|
18 Oct 2012, 20:24 (Ref:3154021) | #7 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,027
|
Quote:
Personally though, if I just wanted to watch a load of rich and privileged drivers "living the dream" I'd go to the Goodwood Revival or virtually any FIA GT race. This is Formula One we're talking about, it really does have to be based on talent, even if it's just rich or well backed talent.....the very thought of drivers who have never won a race taking part is appalling. |
|||
|
18 Oct 2012, 21:07 (Ref:3154058) | #8 | |||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
|
Quote:
Quote:
i agree with chillibowl as well. susie has her head screwed on the right way. she'd be a great mentor for young girls getting involved with the sport. they absolutely should look up to her for her conduct, presentation and ability. anyway, isn't giedo van der garde essentially in the same position with the whole partner being well off and the family supporting his career thing? i don't see anyone calling him out for that, or suggesting he's with her for her family business, but i guess it's different if it's a guy |
|||
__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
18 Oct 2012, 21:56 (Ref:3154074) | #9 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,054
|
Quote:
Although she's nowhere near Danica's league when it comes to self promotion 'glamour'-wise. |
|||
|
18 Oct 2012, 23:11 (Ref:3154100) | #10 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,088
|
Quote:
In fairness to her she has used her points of err "differentiation" to build a successful career, and why shouldn't she? Jeff Gordon has traded on his looks and considerable talent to get where he is. Why shouldn't Danica? She has persued her career in a male dominated sport to the best of her ability, and in fairness done really well. She is quick and dedicated, and independent, and I would hazard a pretty fair role model for women in motorsport / sport. Most of the ill feeling directed at her is the mysoginist rubbish comming from those who resent women in motorsport. |
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 23:20 (Ref:3154108) | #11 | |
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 253
|
Awesome. Why not give her the young driver test days too? Is it because thats not to be wasted on publicity stunts? Alright then.
|
|
|
20 Oct 2012, 00:30 (Ref:3154594) | #12 | ||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
|
Quote:
and as a woman, close to motorsport, with plenty of female friends involved *in* motorsport in various occupations... i don't know if you're suggesting that statement covers me but... well, we're back to your own agenda there aren't we? but i agree there's usually a lot of either jealousy or resentment behind people who dislike danica and her career path. some people see it as just doing whats necessary to get what she wants and manipulating the male press, other see it the other way around and that she shouldn't be taking her clothes off for the odd photoshoot because it reinforces the "women are objects not people" concept that still underpins a lot of male dominated sports and environments. |
||
__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
18 Oct 2012, 11:18 (Ref:3153794) | #13 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,589
|
Personally, i think if a girl came along that blew the doors off her competitors (not a euphemism) through the junior ranks and arrived on the scene in F1 and was truly competitive, the gender issue would soon evaporate.
Trouble is, the more merely 'competent' girls you shove in F1 cars, the more people are going to point out the differences between men and women. |
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 12:12 (Ref:3153823) | #14 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,088
|
Quote:
|
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 12:23 (Ref:3153829) | #15 | ||
Subscriber
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,426
|
Quote:
On the other hand ... is it as much a case of having the required budget to bid to do the work? Or maybe in some cases the right contacts? |
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 12:43 (Ref:3153840) | #16 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,820
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
a salary slave no more... |
18 Oct 2012, 13:15 (Ref:3153859) | #17 | |
Subscriber
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,426
|
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 13:58 (Ref:3153874) | #18 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,105
|
Quote:
Ellen Lohr's post-DTM career seemed rather like that of a journeywoman, as most drivers careers do. She would have deserved a lot of better rides after DTM but the impression she made on the sport has been strong enough for the teams in the series to keep hiring women to drive one of their cars. I wonder if BMW will join in on this next year. |
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 16:15 (Ref:3153915) | #19 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 824
|
They won't. Marquardt hasn't made any indication that points towards a female BMW driver for next year.
Regarding Wolff, I can only shake my head in disapproval. Her performance in seven (!) years of competing in DTM doesn't even justify this short, promotional test. But being married to a shareholder of a F1 team surely helps. By the way, doesn't that tell a great message to all little girls, who aspire to do something in auto racing? "Just marry someone, who own shares in a F1 team. The rest will come from itself." As I'm reminded of Giovanna Amati (Who once had an affair with Flavio Briatore), didn't she have a test drive with Benetton, before or after her tenure with Brabham? |
||
|
19 Oct 2012, 14:15 (Ref:3154373) | #20 | ||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,573
|
|||
__________________
I've decided to stop reaching out to people. I'm just going to contact them instead. |
19 Oct 2012, 14:32 (Ref:3154385) | #21 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,393
|
Quote:
Albeit she never drove an F1 car, but the best female driver I ever saw in British National racing was Deirdre Garlick. |
|||
__________________
Columnated ruins domino |
18 Oct 2012, 13:21 (Ref:3153865) | #22 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,818
|
dam shes hot, but will she be quick enough? no..
|
||
|
18 Oct 2012, 15:56 (Ref:3153908) | #23 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,885
|
The fact that someone like Susie can always buy her way in thanks to daddy or hubby, I mean great for her to drive an F1 car, but it doesn't do anything for me or just blows me away in wonderment. Clearly she is not going to get a race drive in F1, ever.
|
|
__________________
Wolverines! |
18 Oct 2012, 16:11 (Ref:3153913) | #24 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,264
|
I've never really looked to sports people for attractiveness, because that's really secondary to why I'm watching them in the first place. If they have a distinct personality then I like that, but I can't say I've ever gotten much of an impression from Susie.
As long as people remember why she's doing the test - because she's connected to shedloads of money - there's no issue. Susie, Maria de Villota, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Jan Charouz, Fairuz Fauzy, none of them were ever F1 material but one way or another they paid for their tests (and probably had a good time). I know many people want to see a female F1 pilot but a back of the grid DTM driver is just never going to cut it. |
|
__________________
Michael Delaney was wrong. In between is not waiting - in between is the glory, the passion. In between is what elevates racing. |
18 Oct 2012, 16:26 (Ref:3153918) | #25 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,431
|
13 seasons
134 races ZERO wins ever 4 podiums Clearly F1 material! |
|
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Women in Circuit Racing | Dasher | Australasian Touring Cars. | 621 | 24 Jul 2020 12:35 |
Susie Wolff | BSchneiderFan | Sportscar & GT Racing | 27 | 5 Nov 2015 22:12 |
Women in Motorsport | Peter Harding | Marshals Forum | 24 | 1 Mar 2010 12:49 |
Women in motorsport | werner | Touring Car Racing | 27 | 13 Aug 2008 18:06 |
Women in motorsport (was F.Woman) | ss_collins | National & Club Racing | 645 | 22 Nov 2005 10:28 |