I would love to see a woman in F1 but...

[peanutaxis]

Argument:
1. F1 drivers are elite athletes.

2. No other sport where competitors are described as elite athletes has women [successfully] competing against men.

Conclusion: A competitive woman in F1 is extremely unlikely.
/Argument

Again I would love a woman to be in F1, but I just can't see how. In order to counter this argument you must counter point 1, point 2, or argue that F1 is somehow an exception to this 'rule'.

[hollus]

Well, women seem to do mighty good in sports practiced on top of a horse, so I’d argue that once you remove muscle-strength / weight ratio as a key factor, things get much more equal.
Crucially F1 with power steering and drive by wire does that (huge on endurance, though), but lesser formulas do not.

Is there any study comparing male athletes to female athletes on reflexes?
Or on jet fighter pilot performance at 4-5 G?

[organic]

Introducing power steering to junior formulae would be a step in the right direction

How many fields have historically people said "women can't do x they're just not capable of it" and reality has thoroughly disproven it? Countless areas across sports, politics, jobs, life in general. It feels ridiculous to be repeating that now

[Big Tea]

Possibly allow a 3rd car entry for female drivers where there is a sprint race and see how it goes?
Genuine head to head without the teams risking loss of points over the season and not the length of an experienced driver's fitness which can only come from racing.

[organic]

Possibly allow a 3rd car entry for female drivers where there is a sprint race and see how it goes?
Genuine head to head without the teams risking loss of points over the season and not the length of an experienced driver's fitness which can only come from racing.

I don't think there is sufficiently developed talent for that yet. We don't have F2 calibre female drivers yet due to the issues with getting girls through the Motorsport ladder.. trying to promote them too soon will have a damaging effect (creates pushback etc)

[leblanc]

Possibly allow a 3rd car entry for female drivers where there is a sprint race and see how it goes?
Genuine head to head without the teams risking loss of points over the season and not the length of an experienced driver's fitness which can only come from racing.

I don't think there is sufficiently developed talent for that yet. We don't have F2 calibre female drivers yet due to the issues with getting girls through the Motorsport ladder.. trying to promote them too soon will have a damaging effect (creates pushback etc)

Agreed. The talent pool is both small and shallow, at no fault of women, who are not interested in competing in motorsport or sports in general. Given enough time, there will be another high-caliber female driver in F1. But, there have been five that have ever competed, and only one of those won a race… 44 years ago.

[peanutaxis]

On the want to compete: Personally I think that it IS the "fault" of women. Women are less likely to have the temperament that even wants to compete in motorsport - there's no point in forcing it.

On the physicality: The lack of power steering is definitely a problem in lower formulae and the sideways G's will be a problem in F1. In military jets the G's are always working with the skeleton; not so in F1 where you need massive neck muscles. Even the brake pedal forces I think are a problem - over 150kg I believe. For two hours at many corners on a track - that would be one strong woman.

[peanutaxis]

How many fields have historically people said "women can't do x they're just not capable of it" and reality has thoroughly disproven it? Countless areas across sports, politics, jobs, life in general. It feels ridiculous to be repeating that now

Okay. So what sport where the competitors are described as elite athletes can women compete with men?

[sp8472]

How many fields have historically people said "women can't do x they're just not capable of it" and reality has thoroughly disproven it? Countless areas across sports, politics, jobs, life in general. It feels ridiculous to be repeating that now

Okay. So what sport where the competitors are described as elite athletes can women compete with men?

Women compete equally in Sail GP (F1 of the sea) and the Vendée Globe, arguably one of the toughest endurance sports on the planet.

I think there is nothing physical limiting women competing in Motorsport. The lack of representation I think comes from only a small pool of those who desire to compete. This makes it difficult for the Motorsport machine to get behind them.

When you think of the number of males competing at lower levels and how few make it to the elite levels it’s not surprising that with smaller numbers of women at the lower levels we do not see any at the top. It’s rarified air up there. You have to be more than pretty dam good to compete in F1.

If there were more women interested in competing at lower levels I am sure we would see some in F1 eventually. But there just are not the numbers. Unless there is a rare talent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peanutaxis]

Women compete equally in Sail GP (F1 of the sea) and the Vendée Globe, arguably one of the toughest endurance sports on the planet.

Now we're getting somewhere. Given that Sail GP seem to be forced to have a female crew member suggests that they would naturally choose not to. Perhaps you are right and this is just because of chauvanism and less exposure of women in the sport. Now that the pathways for women are established, if in ten years teams would still choose only men then I think that would indicate that it is a strength thing.

My claim is that if male F1 drivers feel the need to have a neck as wide as their ears then it will be too physical for women. Male F1 drivers aren't doing this just for fun.

[bluechris]

On the physicality: The lack of power steering is definitely a problem in lower formulae and the sideways G's will be a problem in F1. In military jets the G's are always working with the skeleton; not so in F1 where you need massive neck muscles. Even the brake pedal forces I think are a problem - over 150kg I believe. For two hours at many corners on a track - that would be one strong woman.

This is the problem for me. Power steering is one factor but how many of you want to see a woman driving an F1 car in high level with a neck like HULK as all the drivers have?

[Greg Locock]

Sail GP has one compulsory female per 6 person crew, in the strategist job. No physicality required.

[Tommy Cookers]

On the physicality: The lack of power steering is definitely a problem in lower formulae and the sideways G's will be a problem in F1. In military jets the G's are always working with the skeleton; not so in F1 where you need massive neck muscles. Even the brake pedal forces I think are a problem - over 150kg I believe. For two hours at many corners on a track - that would be one strong woman.

This is the problem for me. Power steering is one factor but how many of you want to see a woman driving an F1 car in high level with a neck like HULK as all the drivers have?

don't women have smaller lighter heads and smaller lighter crash helmets ?
and smaller heads might be better at sideways g

I turned down a chance to meet Svetlana Kapanina (the photogenic 7-time women's world aerobatic champion)

[mclaren111]

Introducing power steering to junior formulae would be a step in the right direction

How many fields have historically people said "women can't do x they're just not capable of it" and reality has thoroughly disproven it? Countless areas across sports, politics, jobs, life in general. It feels ridiculous to be repeating that now

If you look at men competing in woman's sport at the moment it's pretty convincing proof that men are a hell of lot better / stronger physically...

[hollus]

Even the brake pedal forces I think are a problem - over 150kg I believe.

Any reason why they have to be 150 kg?
Isn’t that just how the BBW has been calibrated for a man that can (but rarely does, grip limitations!) produce those 150 kg of force?