W Series for Women

[SnoodyMcFlude]

I don’t k is whether I like this idea or not. I get the principle but it seems like a bit of a circus to me. Hopefully it will genuinely lead to support in higher series as historically we’ve seen that the few women who get to the top just aren’t quite good enough. That’s sadly just a ratio thing, for every Susie Wolff there are 10 blokes that are just that little bit quicker.


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[S griffin]

Anyone remember when the WRC had a ladies title? What was thought of that at the time?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Asa

I am surprised people say women are at no disadvantage to men when it comes to driving racing cars. Either today's racing cars are too easy to drive or today's women drivers are more tough than they let on.

Is it really that different now? Michelle Mouton did alright in Group B - and those cars were absolute *******s to drive.

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

That’s sadly just a ratio thing, for every Susie Wolff there are 10 blokes that are just that little bit quicker.

I understand what you're saying about the ratio - if 1 in 100 drivers are women then the chances are the best driver is unlikely to be that woman. Get 25 drivers in 100 being women and the chance is hugely improved. So if there are going to be more women drivers at the top end of motorsport you need more at the bottom end - maybe this series will encourage more to take up karting? That would be a good outcome for it - then once numbers are up you could bin this series. But generally I'd agree that the D2BD approach is a better one - encourage grass roots participation and build from the bottom. It'll take time to get the talent through - there's no "instant fix" which seems to be what people are looking for.

Susie Wolff is a good example of the problem - Mercedes needed a female driver in DTM and their choice was so limited that had to put Susie Wolff in the car.

The other thing I've noticed is that a lot of stuff seems to be focused on the "lack of funding for female drivers" - a lot of drivers (of whatever gender, race or other differentiating factor of your choice) fall off the ladder when the money runs out. That's one area where it's very much equal.

[Sodemo]

I always thought it was a shame Suzi Wolff didn't get a race seat when she was at Williams. I was really gutted she didn't get a shot, even when one of the race drivers was out of the picture, a massive shame. I think it would have been good for Suzi, good for women in motorsport, and good for the image of the team. Oh well.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I always thought it was a shame Suzi Wolff didn't get a race seat when she was at Williams. I was really gutted she didn't get a shot, even when one of the race drivers was out of the picture, a massive shame. I think it would have been good for Suzi, good for women in motorsport, and good for the image of the team. Oh well.

Really? The problem was she wasn't a credible option - look at her results. On what basis did she deserve a shot in an F1 car? She was consistently amongst the slowest drivers in DTM - never won, never got on the podium and rarely troubled the points. Do we want women in F1 because they're good enough or women in F1 just so we can say they're there?

[grantp]

The best opportunity here would be tack something to the Formula E circus and take advantage of the city centre nature of the calender and benefit fomr the 10 or so years of further development of the market as political preferences for electric motivation take over from fossil fuel based racing.

Soccer seems to be supporting women's football financially using big name clubs (and presumably some of their money) in order to try to create a self supporting show.

Formula E in its current iteration seems to be supported by some big name manufacturers and so could probably support a women's based series alongside the regular man series. Also maybe a second level series that could be a feeder for people of any sexual persuasion to the main event.

Given the apparent rush to eliminate ICE powered vehicles and change the world to electric within a decade or so - and Formula E seems to be part of that - the opportunities for successful deployment of the budget would surely be greater in Formula E than the more established but rather saturated alternative routes, especially as they would seem to be heading towards a looming dead end in core technology terms.

It's not what I would wish to see - but in pragmatic terms it might make more sense.

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by Asa

I am surprised people say women are at no disadvantage to men when it comes to driving racing cars. Either today's racing cars are too easy to drive or today's women drivers are more tough than they let on.

The only disadvantage women have that has ANY effect on motorsport is that it requires extra work for a woman to acquire and maintain an identical level of strength and endurance that males do(generally speaking - there are of course some exceptions).


But women who get into racing tend to overcome this pretty quickly. If they really want to make it, they're more than willing, and more than capable, of doing that extra work. Thus by the time a competent lady racer gets to the cockpit, she is at no more of a disadvantage physically than she can be expect of her opponents.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Really? The problem was she wasn't a credible option - look at her results. On what basis did she deserve a shot in an F1 car? She was consistently amongst the slowest drivers in DTM - never won, never got on the podium and rarely troubled the points. Do we want women in F1 because they're good enough or women in F1 just so we can say they're there?

I hear you, and I agree to a point. However in that scenario, if you are the test driver, it stands to reason that if one of the race drivers has an issue, the test driver should step up - that's how it has worked in countless other similar situations in the past. I guess it wasn't a surprise that Suzi announced her retirement soon after this occurrence.

[Moneyseeker]

All sounds a bit patronising to me. If someone has got several million to support 'women in motorsport' would be better doing a Womens Racing Steps or similar.


Not a fan of this type of PR puff before a car has even turned a wheel either..!


"W Series drivers will become global superstars - inspirational role models for women everywhere - and every organisation, every company, every sponsor and indeed every single person who helps W Series' winners and champions achieve those ground-breaking successes will be able to celebrate their part in it, publicly, to lasting worldwide acclaim.
"W Series is an inspiring innovation whose time is now."

I would respectfully suggest that there are relatively few 'global superstars' on the F1 grid already, aside from Lewis, I would wager that most of the F1 grid could walk down the street unrecognised, let alone a junior formula becoming 'global superstars'. Sorry to be a cynic, but the people behind these things set themselves up for a fall with the fantastical ambitions and hype before it has even happened and we've seen all these ground breaking series before that were going to break the mould of tradtional motor sport - Superformula, A1GP, etc

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by bella

the fact they've got a whole bunch of men to run it kind of says it all to me.

Yes your not kidding...

[andrewc]

So a young girl starts karting at the age of six. By the time she's sixteen and had 10 years of mixed gender racing, she moved into her first single seater category, and possibly within one or two seasons, moves up the ladder where for one or two seasons she races exclusively against the best racers that happen to share XX chromosomes, and then from then on she's racing with those with XY chromosomes again.

Whilst I think its good people are thinking of how to make it easier for women to access what is predominately a male sport, I don't think this is the best way of doing it, unless those that are stumping up the cash don't think that sponsoring individual women in specific series could lead to their involvement being diluted amongst the rest of the grid - Formula W would mean that the message whatever that is gets across.

In my opinion its not the women drivers who need a particular break, but its the other women involved in motorsport - those building and preparing cars, those on the pit wall, data analysts, all the aspects of motorsports where women are overlooked or its assumed they're not capable - so insist that the majority of the team are women with men involved in only a supervisory or advisory role, probably because they have more experience, because its easier for a male to get involved in motorsport.

[jimclark]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

the article mentions Catherine Bond Muir as the CEO of the series...not familiar with the name myself but she is a women in a leading role.

Just curious...any relation to Brian? (Australian driver, '60-70s)

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by andrewc

so insist that the majority of the team are women with men involved in only a supervisory or advisory role, probably because they have more experience, because its easier for a male to get involved in motorsport.

So you're saying have men there to tell the women what to do? That'll be popular

I see that this series will be on the support bill for the DTM - so that at least does give you some decent trackside crowds.

[andrewc]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

So you're saying have men there to tell the women what to do? That'll be popular .

Simply realistic as the more senior team personnel are likely to be male

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by andrewc

Simply realistic as the more senior team personnel are likely to be male

And herein lies another problem with the concept. Despite my issues with how seriously people will take the performances by drivers in a segregated championship, it would get my absolute support if it was also used to encourage female participation in OTHER areas of the sport such as the mechanical side. As a training ground for all areas, the whole thing would be taken a lot more seriously.


Unfortunately there's been no indication that this is being done as of yet.

[chunder]

Its shambolic and holds no support from the vast majority of people involved in world motorsport especially women, other than the sad cretins who are involved in it.

Story of world motorsport actually, lets face it.

[jimclark]

I know I'm a male chauvinist and all , but in this day and age, maybe, just maybe, besides desire to be there; genetics and ability may have something to do with the lack of participation? Do I really need to name the women that have made it? Not one of them claimed that thy were discriminated against, as far as I know; and I followed them closely. I know of no, and I know many, businesses period, mom and pop or mega, that will risk being discriminatory.

Heaven forbid maybe it's just natural.

BTW, I need to pee...and I feel like a woman today. Can/may I use the ladies room...it's closer....

[EffectiveSprinkles]

Originally Posted by jimclark

I know I'm a male chauvinist and all , but in this day and age, maybe, just maybe, besides desire to be there; genetics and ability may have something to do with the lack of participation?

Nah.

[FIRE]

Are there 15 tot 20 young female drivers who have single seater experience?

[NaBUru38]

FIA Formula 4 has very few female drivers.

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Are there 15 tot 20 young female drivers who have single seater experience?

Ask David Coulthard. He seems to know a lot about junior racing

[S griffin]

I think they should make it entry level, not F3 level for it to work

[jimclark]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Are there 15 tot 20 young female drivers who have single seater experience?

Originally Posted by Juntos

Ask David Coulthard. He seems to know a lot about junior racing

Better yet, ask James Hunt. Methinks he might have more of a clue about "single seater"..... Aaaahhhh, never mind....'no can do......

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Are there 15 tot 20 young female drivers who have single seater experience?

...And are eligible for an International C licence

[FIRE]

I am afraid you get 3 to 5 drivers who run at the front and the rest is off the pace. Does it make sense to fund this 90% the grid?

It's good women get more involved in motorsport, as a driver, engineer or other role in a team but this W Series is wrong. They should use the money to support young talents who make the move from karts to single seaters. Support to the best of them to F3 and F2.