Liz Turner
  • Welcome
  • Woman Driver Blog
  • Top stories
    • Mario Andretti interview
    • WOMAC 2017
    • Getting connected in Melbourne
    • Fitting a baby seat
    • Haggling Academy
    • Men vs Women - the stats
    • First Mustang owner was a gal
    • Emma Peel vs Alice Morgan >
      • Jade shows me how it's done
    • Western Group Driving Day
    • Transport for four babies
    • Women lose advantage
    • Sam flies high
    • Jo Price beats the boys
    • They bought any car Dot Com
    • Fast women
    • E-types on film
    • In which I bought a car
  • Car Reviews
    • Mercedes B-Class
    • VW Golf SV GT 2014
    • Renault Twingo 2014
    • Audi A3 Cabriolet
    • Jaguar F-type
    • Fiat 500 Goes Large
    • Putting Paceman through its paces
    • Mazda6 and Concorde
    • Jaguar Land Rover Experience Day
    • VW up! - city car in the country
    • Joining the MX-5 Club
    • VW Driving Day
    • Face-lifted MX-5
    • Review: VW Golf 2013
    • SMMT Test Day 2012
  • Portfolio
    • Communications & PR
    • Beauty & the Dirt
    • UK newspapers
    • New York Post
    • Consumer magazines
    • Customer magazines
    • TV and radio
    • FortyOneSix Goodwood website
    • Books
    • Editorial Services >
      • Immediate Media Branded Content
      • Planet Sputnik
      • Tillergraph
      • Social Publishing Project
      • Paradigm People
  • Galleries
    • My cars >
      • Metropolitan
      • Volvo 1800 S
      • 1941 Chevrolet
      • Eunos Roadster (Mazda MX-5)
    • All-New Discovery at Gaydon
    • Silverstone Classic 2016 >
      • I-PACE launch
    • Hot rods at Pendine 2016
    • Hot rod heaven 2013
    • Classic Motor Show 2014
    • Goodwood Revival 2014
    • Beaulieu autojumble 2014
    • My favourite hotels
    • Bonhams Auction Goodwood 2014
    • Women in motoring history
    • Riding with BTCC Champ
    • Pink c'est chic!
    • Bond girls' cars
    • Women in Car Advertising
    • The woman driver onscreen
    • Disney without kids
    • Sweeney!
    • Geneva Show 2013 Gallery
    • Goodwood Revival 2012
  • Contact
  • Jaguar I-PACE launch

Can women win in F1?

3/22/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
It’s good to hear that the Marussia F1 team (previously Virgin) have taken on a female test driver: 32-year-old Spaniard Maria de Villota, daughter of 1980s’ F1 driver Emilio de Villota.
I wish her luck, and hope not only that she’s given a chance, but also that the car won’t be rubbish, looking at Virgin’s record last year (Nil point).
Of course, Maria’s appointment brings back the thorny question of whether a woman can win in Formula One. I remember David Coulthard coming out with some nonsense about women not having the necessary mental toughness. To that, I’d say: try going through two days of labour then immediately starting to look after a baby, matey.
I’m wondering about weight versus strength. In theory, a woman would have a serious weight advantage in a sport where every ounce counts. On the other hand, the drivers all work out like mad and built up Kryten-style necks to withstand the G-forces in the car. If they didn’t need those extra pounds of muscle, surely they would go for a body shape more like a marathon runner? Or would they all be jockey-height?
If you need muscles, a woman would be at a serious disadvantage.
One lady who has proved it’s possible is Danica Patrick. She’s tiny, with a normal neck, but she became the first woman to win an IndyCar race (an open wheel series similar to F1) in Indy Japan in 2008. She came third in the iconic Indianapolis 500 in 2009 and won pole position for the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona this year.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching her battle to second place at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix in 2007. She’s not scared of overtaking, and frequently finishes in the top 10.
After the announcement of the return of F1 to the USA this year, Bernie Ecclestone told ESPN Sport "To have someone like Danica Patrick in F1 would be a perfect advert” (Always thinking money is Bernie).
So go Maria!

Three of my woman driver heroines (there are many more):

Shirley Muldowney, drag racer – won the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 1977, 1980 and 1982, becoming the first person to win three Top Fuel titles. She has won has won a total of 18 NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) national events.

Pat Moss-Carlsson, rally driver - scored three outright wins and seven podium finishes in international rallies. European Ladies' Rally Champion five times (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964–65)

Michele Mouton, rally driver - missed winning the 1982 World Rally Championship by a couple of points. In 1985, won the terrifying Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb in 1985, setting a record time in the progress. In 1986, she moved to Peugeot and won the German Rally Championship.


0 Comments

    Woman Driver

    This blog is by a woman driver, for everyone to read

    Archives

    February 2025
    December 2019
    September 2019
    March 2019
    October 2018
    July 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    1001 Dream Cars
    101-year-old Woman Driver
    1930 Packard
    1934 Model 40 Special Speedster
    1968 Buick Century Cruiser
    2013 Lincoln Mkz
    2013 Mazda6
    2013 Viper
    65 Year Old Bike Racer
    Accessories
    Addison Lee
    Agatha Raisin And He Quiche Of Death
    Alfa 4C Spider
    Alfa Spider
    Anne Cecile Itier
    Anne-Cecile Itier
    Anne Hope
    Art Of Animation Resort
    Aston Martin Atom
    Auctions
    Audi A3 Cabriolet
    Audi A6 TDI Concept
    Audi Rs 6 Avant
    Autonomous Cars
    Auto Show
    Avalon
    Ayrton Senna
    Baboons
    Baby Seats
    Beaulieu Autojumble
    Beccy Gordon
    Bentley
    Biba At Goodwood
    Bmw I8 Spyder Concept
    Bond Cars
    BTCC
    Buick Y Job
    Buying A Car
    Buying Cars
    Car Maintenence
    Cars Movie
    Car That Drives Itself
    Celebrity Car
    Chevrolet
    Chevrolet Volt
    China Auto
    Chinese Grand Prix
    Chris Hemsworth
    Citroen Berlingo
    Citroen DS3 By Benefit
    Classic Car Insurance
    Colours
    Concept Cars
    Concorde
    Corvette
    Coty
    Courtesy Car
    Cute Doggies
    Damian Lewis
    Dan Gurney
    Danica Patrick
    Daniel Craig
    Denise Van Outen
    Desiré Wilson Racing Driver
    Disney
    Dodge
    Dorothy Levitt
    Do Women Love Their Cars?
    Drink Drive Awareness
    Drive A Supercar
    Economy
    Ecovelocity
    Electric Car
    Environment
    Exotic Driving Experience
    F1
    Facebook Campaign
    Febreze
    Female Racing Driver
    Ferrari 458 Italia
    Fiat 500
    Fiat 500l
    Fisker Karma
    Flying Car
    Ford Fiesta St
    Ford Ka
    Ford Model T
    Ford Mustang
    Formula 1 Women
    Fuel Consumption
    Fuel From Water Audi
    Future Technology
    Future Transport
    Geneva Show 2013
    Gerry Judah Interview
    Golf
    Goodwood
    Goodwood Revival
    Goodwood Revival 2012
    Goodwood Sculptures
    Great Women Drivers
    Green Car Show
    Green Motor Show
    Haggling Academy
    Her Majesty The Mechanic
    Honda Civic Tourer
    Hon Mrs Victor Bruce
    Hotels
    Hybrid
    Hyundai I30
    In-car Entertainment
    Infiniti Ev Concept
    Insurance
    Jaguar
    Jaguar F Type
    Jaguar F-type
    Jaguar Xf Sportbrake
    Japanese Classics
    Jensen Button
    Jodie Kidd
    Joe Pepitone
    Jon Lord
    Kids Test A Car
    Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
    Lana Del Rey
    Land Rover Experience
    Let Her Drive
    Lets Race 2014
    Lewis Hamilton
    Lightning Gt
    Lights
    Madonna
    Male Passengers
    Maria De Villota
    Marie Reilly Pepitone
    Matt Neal
    Mazda MX 5
    Mazda MX-5
    Mazda Mx-5
    Men Vs Women Drivers
    Mercedes-Benz Drivers
    Mercedes Concept Style Coupe
    Mercedes Sl65 Amg V12 Roadster
    Messerschmitt
    Mg
    MG Magnette
    Michele Mouton
    Mini Cooper D
    Mini Cooper S Convertible
    Mini Cooper S Paceman
    Mini D
    Mini New
    Mini Roadster
    Mitsubishi Asx
    Mitsubishi I Race Car
    Mom Buys Car For Son
    Mopar Graphics
    Mx 5
    MX-5
    New Technology
    New York
    New York International Auto Show
    New York Post Auto Show Preview
    Nico Rosberg
    Nissan
    Nissan Juke
    Nissan Qashqai
    Parking
    Pat Moss-Carlsson
    Pikes Peak
    Pink Cars
    Planet Sputnik
    Problems With Partners
    Ram 1500
    Range Rover Evoque
    Range Rover Evoque Convertible
    Range Rover Sport
    Renault Clio
    Renault Twingo
    Renault Twizy
    Renault Zoe
    Rent Your Neighbour's Car
    Retro Bicycle
    Road Rage
    Road Test Vw Range
    Robert Downey Jnr
    Samuel L Jackson
    Saudi Women Drivers
    Scarlett Johansson
    Scooters
    Sean Diddy Combs
    Shirley Muldowney
    Smokey & The Bandit
    Soy-based Seats
    Srt
    Stars And Cars
    Sue Baker
    Sustainability
    Sweeney Cars
    Teenager's New Car
    Terrafugia
    Terry Gilliam
    Test Track Experience
    The Avengers
    The Staves
    Toyota
    Toyota Avalon
    Toyota Aygo
    Traffic
    Truempg
    Vauxhall Cascada
    Victoria Beckham
    Viewt
    Viper Srt
    Vw Beetle Cabriolet
    VW Golf SV GT
    VW Up!
    Walt Disney World
    Wgmw Driving Day
    What Car?
    Win A Sat-nav
    Womac
    Women
    Women In Motor Industry
    Women In Motoring

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.