Discussion
Dynamic Space Wizard said:
It'll be good if she turns out to be three seconds a lap quicker than George and Robert.
I don't think she'll be driving anything but the Sim yet from what was written.Obviously if she blows their socks off in the sim it's still pretty embarrassing. But I don't think George is slow...
Dynamic Space Wizard said:
It'll be good if she turns out to be three seconds a lap quicker than George and Robert.
Even a sign she was a couple of tenths faster probably get her a seat.I'd love it! I'm not really sold on the segregation that Formula W has introduced, I get the logic but it feels like a backwards step. What we really need to get more girls into karting is an ultimate female driver, in an F1 car.
I'm aware that she is also in FW and that's a factor in her selection by Williams. I don't think any aspiring racer needs to go through formula W to get into F1 though, they just need take the more traditional route starting with karts, and make sure they beat the boys
Munter said:
I don't think she'll be driving anything but the Sim yet from what was written.
Obviously if she blows their socks off in the sim it's still pretty embarrassing. But I don't think George is slow...
That's how I read it too. Makes little difference either way though. If she did beat either driver by the slimmest of margins consistently in the simulator, shed be dropped into one of their cars at the first opportunity.Obviously if she blows their socks off in the sim it's still pretty embarrassing. But I don't think George is slow...
All pie in the sky speculation of course. No reason at all to think she has that kind of potential. You never know though..
If I was at Williams right now I’d be looking at potential sponsorship for a female driver vs RK’s contribution and want to go for it. At the end of the day RK is at the back every race so the ‘risk’ of a new and interesting driver would be enough for me as you’re not actually going to be any worse off.
Petrus1983 said:
If I was at Williams right now I’d be looking at potential sponsorship for a female driver vs RK’s contribution and want to go for it. At the end of the day RK is at the back every race so the ‘risk’ of a new and interesting driver would be enough for me as you’re not actually going to be any worse off.
On the face of it, that’s a reasonable thought. But do you honestly think it’s easy to triangulate for some marketer the right sponsorship angle for what we can presume is mainly a male viewership off the back of a lady in the seat?Not saying it’s impossible, but if you’re running a business like Williams I think you’d rather take the easy $10m (?) off Kubica’s backers. There might be someone smart at Young & Rubicam who can see the angle but I suggest it’s more effort for less reward than you might think.
I agree too. I previously made some similar comments about the positive headlines RK's return would generate.
It's pretty clear cut for me. If there is nothing positive to talk about performance wise, and the best driver in the world couldn't fix that, then you look at other factors. The first contemporary F1 team to field a female driver will get huge interest, regardless of the teams of drivers actual performance, it will be a talking point.
It's pretty clear cut for me. If there is nothing positive to talk about performance wise, and the best driver in the world couldn't fix that, then you look at other factors. The first contemporary F1 team to field a female driver will get huge interest, regardless of the teams of drivers actual performance, it will be a talking point.
Petrus1983 said:
Genuinely yes I do. The number of female focused products is massive, from very valuable companies. They’d get amazing coverage not only on tv but in every single woman’s magazine on the planet from people who don’t even usually watch F1.
I know, I don’t doubt you. I see it on the TV and magazines too...But how does it translate to a predominantly male viewership of what’s becoming - angle on the word ‘becoming’ due to the PPV debate - more and more a minority sport? Nerdy anorak blokes tend to squirrel their afternoons away watching F1. Natural audience for L’Oreal or a women’s shaver?
Like I say, pick someone’s brain at somewhere like Y&R or Ogilvy and ask them how they square that.
tigerkoi said:
I know, I don’t doubt you. I see it on the TV and magazines too...
But how does it translate to a predominantly male viewership of what’s becoming - angle on the word ‘becoming’ due to the PPV debate - more and more a minority sport? Nerdy anorak blokes tend to squirrel their afternoons away watching F1. Natural audience for L’Oreal or a women’s shaver?
Like I say, pick someone’s brain at somewhere like Y&R or Ogilvy and ask them how they square that.
Oh, I see where you’re coming from. But how does it translate to a predominantly male viewership of what’s becoming - angle on the word ‘becoming’ due to the PPV debate - more and more a minority sport? Nerdy anorak blokes tend to squirrel their afternoons away watching F1. Natural audience for L’Oreal or a women’s shaver?
Like I say, pick someone’s brain at somewhere like Y&R or Ogilvy and ask them how they square that.
The predominantly male audience ignores the end plate with Tampax on it - but for that brand the brand recognition by being associated with the first female F1 driver in a generation is worth the investment to Williams and subsequent massive PR.
How much of the advertising benefit actually comes directly from race-viewers seeing a tiny logo on a speeding racing car? Isn't it more about the product then using the F1 association in its own marketing, which can be much more targeted, such as through advertising women's products in women's magazines, where they can then leverage the woman in a man's world angle, or whatever? Plus all of the other PR stuff they can weave around it.
Or are they really going to try to subliminally influence male viewers into buying tampons for their wives...
Or are they really going to try to subliminally influence male viewers into buying tampons for their wives...
Petrus1983 said:
tigerkoi said:
I know, I don’t doubt you. I see it on the TV and magazines too...
But how does it translate to a predominantly male viewership of what’s becoming - angle on the word ‘becoming’ due to the PPV debate - more and more a minority sport? Nerdy anorak blokes tend to squirrel their afternoons away watching F1. Natural audience for L’Oreal or a women’s shaver?
Like I say, pick someone’s brain at somewhere like Y&R or Ogilvy and ask them how they square that.
Oh, I see where you’re coming from. But how does it translate to a predominantly male viewership of what’s becoming - angle on the word ‘becoming’ due to the PPV debate - more and more a minority sport? Nerdy anorak blokes tend to squirrel their afternoons away watching F1. Natural audience for L’Oreal or a women’s shaver?
Like I say, pick someone’s brain at somewhere like Y&R or Ogilvy and ask them how they square that.
The predominantly male audience ignores the end plate with Tampax on it - but for that brand the brand recognition by being associated with the first female F1 driver in a generation is worth the investment to Williams and subsequent massive PR.
But say, take Tampax, for Proctor & Gamble to feel it’s a punt worth taking, over their existing marketing expenditure then they’ll listen to the likes of JWT, or Ogilvy who’ll give them some pretty focussed views on whether they think it’ll work, and that’s notwithstanding all the other POVs from media buyers and planners along the advertising chain.
Large corporates in this post-Crash, Brexit-inspired malaise are all over the place right now on decision making for things like this. It would take visionary championing on many levels and in many different places for people to push something like this further.
Williams may place a lady in the car seat one day. But that’ll be off the back of a really concerted industry effort to break the mould.
Not poo-poohing the thinking, just spelling out the harsh reality. Williams can’t influence the world, so Kubica’s dollars are an easier oasis.
Meanwhile, CW says there are no problems with team morale, and they're all one big happy family...
https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/22882
https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/22882
thegreenhell said:
Meanwhile, CW says there are no problems with team morale, and they're all one big happy family...
https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/22882
“Kumbaya!”https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/22882
She’ll be handing out Freddos next.
Honestly, if there’s literally one thing she could learn from Zak Brown now, like one thing, it’s “...stop talking...”
I would love to see more women in motorsport until it becomes the norm instead of a novelty. That for me would be the problem with Williams being the one to do it.
Firstly, it would be seen as a token gesture to get some publicity. If a woman has made it through the glass ceiling then I want her to be in a competative car because that will do thee sport good. Currently if a woman was in the williams seat the response would be "yeah, Williams tried a woman driver and they were at the back of the grid". Maybe totally unfair on the driver but that would be the narrative.
Secondly, it wouldn't do williams any good.They need an experienced driver to tell them how the car is crap. Someone new to F1, man or woman, is going to struggle with that.
Thirdly, the problem isn't the driver. It is dear old Frank pulling strings and likely blaming others when it doesn't work. Forget sponsorship - that is never going to solve williams problem when williams is the problem. (frank and claire)
Firstly, it would be seen as a token gesture to get some publicity. If a woman has made it through the glass ceiling then I want her to be in a competative car because that will do thee sport good. Currently if a woman was in the williams seat the response would be "yeah, Williams tried a woman driver and they were at the back of the grid". Maybe totally unfair on the driver but that would be the narrative.
Secondly, it wouldn't do williams any good.They need an experienced driver to tell them how the car is crap. Someone new to F1, man or woman, is going to struggle with that.
Thirdly, the problem isn't the driver. It is dear old Frank pulling strings and likely blaming others when it doesn't work. Forget sponsorship - that is never going to solve williams problem when williams is the problem. (frank and claire)
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