The Official F1 2021 silly season *contains speculation*
Discussion
Change of subject - Jamie Chadwick now has 25 super license points.. If she does well enough in an applicable series next year she just needs another 15 points, and she can drive in F1.
It's not beyond imagination that a team looking for a HUGE positive PR boost and some keen new sponsors would give a female racer a drive, even if not strictly on merit... Obviously Williams already have her under their wing, and I could just about see it happening that they end up handing her a drive for the PR..
Just a thought to ponder, the next female F1 driver might not be that far off.
It's not beyond imagination that a team looking for a HUGE positive PR boost and some keen new sponsors would give a female racer a drive, even if not strictly on merit... Obviously Williams already have her under their wing, and I could just about see it happening that they end up handing her a drive for the PR..
Just a thought to ponder, the next female F1 driver might not be that far off.
TheDeuce said:
Change of subject - Jamie Chadwick now has 25 super license points.. If she does well enough in an applicable series next year she just needs another 15 points, and she can drive in F1.
It's not beyond imagination that a team looking for a HUGE positive PR boost and some keen new sponsors would give a female racer a drive, even if not strictly on merit... Obviously Williams already have her under their wing, and I could just about see it happening that they end up handing her a drive for the PR..
Just a thought to ponder, the next female F1 driver might not be that far off.
I really want to see her go through the F3/F2 ranks - that is a real measure of talent these days. With Williams behind her, SL points, and 1/2 million dollars to bring to a team, I would have thought an F3 seat next year should be well within reach.It's not beyond imagination that a team looking for a HUGE positive PR boost and some keen new sponsors would give a female racer a drive, even if not strictly on merit... Obviously Williams already have her under their wing, and I could just about see it happening that they end up handing her a drive for the PR..
Just a thought to ponder, the next female F1 driver might not be that far off.
JonChalk said:
I really want to see her go through the F3/F2 ranks - that is a real measure of talent these days. With Williams behind her, SL points, and 1/2 million dollars to bring to a team, I would have thought an F3 seat next year should be well within reach.
She won half a million last year too, and hasn’t done much other racing with it. Williams need to find whatever is needed to get her into FIA F3 next season. She has enough points to participate in an FP1 session in F1 now, so it will be interesting to see what Williams do, if anything.
The problem she has now is where to get the next 15 points. To be seriously considered for F1 she needs to step up to either F3 or F2, but she would need to finish in the top 5 in F2 or top 3 in F3 to get the points. If she just hangs around in FW and scoops another 15 points there then she will have enough, but without ever having proved herself in an open category, which would make her largely unselectable for F1, even with a Super Licence.
The problem she has now is where to get the next 15 points. To be seriously considered for F1 she needs to step up to either F3 or F2, but she would need to finish in the top 5 in F2 or top 3 in F3 to get the points. If she just hangs around in FW and scoops another 15 points there then she will have enough, but without ever having proved herself in an open category, which would make her largely unselectable for F1, even with a Super Licence.
Sandpit Steve said:
JonChalk said:
I really want to see her go through the F3/F2 ranks - that is a real measure of talent these days. With Williams behind her, SL points, and 1/2 million dollars to bring to a team, I would have thought an F3 seat next year should be well within reach.
She won half a million last year too, and hasn’t done much other racing with it. Williams need to find whatever is needed to get her into FIA F3 next season. Actually... can she simply compete in FW again next year? That would be the required 15 points if she wins it again, as she has done twice already. That might be her best bet?
JonChalk said:
TheDeuce said:
Change of subject - Jamie Chadwick now has 25 super license points.. If she does well enough in an applicable series next year she just needs another 15 points, and she can drive in F1.
It's not beyond imagination that a team looking for a HUGE positive PR boost and some keen new sponsors would give a female racer a drive, even if not strictly on merit... Obviously Williams already have her under their wing, and I could just about see it happening that they end up handing her a drive for the PR..
Just a thought to ponder, the next female F1 driver might not be that far off.
I really want to see her go through the F3/F2 ranks - that is a real measure of talent these days. With Williams behind her, SL points, and 1/2 million dollars to bring to a team, I would have thought an F3 seat next year should be well within reach.It's not beyond imagination that a team looking for a HUGE positive PR boost and some keen new sponsors would give a female racer a drive, even if not strictly on merit... Obviously Williams already have her under their wing, and I could just about see it happening that they end up handing her a drive for the PR..
Just a thought to ponder, the next female F1 driver might not be that far off.
In a weird way, avoiding that challenge and getting the required points in an easier series could actually increase her chances of an F1 drive, assuming a team was to consider giving her a drive for the PR as much as on merit. Which is a very cynical way of thinking but.... ya'know, it's F1 and it would be commercially attractive to get woman in to modern F1 on many a level.
TheDeuce said:
Is F3 the most likely place for her to do well enough to get the required 15 extra points though? She'd need to end at least 3rd which is a big ask...
Actually... can she simply compete in FW again next year? That would be the required 15 points if she wins it again, as she has done twice already. That might be her best bet?
Hanging around in WS for another season would IMHO be a pretty bad look. The whole point of the series is to find women of a standard who can move up the racing ladder, and she needs supporting to do that. Actually... can she simply compete in FW again next year? That would be the required 15 points if she wins it again, as she has done twice already. That might be her best bet?
My money is on Abbi Pulling to win WS next season, whether Chadwick is there or not.
thegreenhell said:
She has enough points to participate in an FP1 session in F1 now, so it will be interesting to see what Williams do, if anything.
The problem she has now is where to get the next 15 points. To be seriously considered for F1 she needs to step up to either F3 or F2, but she would need to finish in the top 5 in F2 or top 3 in F3 to get the points. If she just hangs around in FW and scoops another 15 points there then she will have enough, but without ever having proved herself in an open category, which would make her largely unselectable for F1, even with a Super Licence.
Depends why she's selected - it's not always about being the best driver available. Mazepin selected for his money... And whilst I love him as a driver, I find it impossible not to consider that Williams in part took on Kubica because of the powerful PR hit from a returning disabled driver - in spite of the fact there was little reason to expect that he would still be quicker than other drivers available that could have stepped up to F1 in 2019.The problem she has now is where to get the next 15 points. To be seriously considered for F1 she needs to step up to either F3 or F2, but she would need to finish in the top 5 in F2 or top 3 in F3 to get the points. If she just hangs around in FW and scoops another 15 points there then she will have enough, but without ever having proved herself in an open category, which would make her largely unselectable for F1, even with a Super Licence.
Sandpit Steve said:
TheDeuce said:
Is F3 the most likely place for her to do well enough to get the required 15 extra points though? She'd need to end at least 3rd which is a big ask...
Actually... can she simply compete in FW again next year? That would be the required 15 points if she wins it again, as she has done twice already. That might be her best bet?
Hanging around in WS for another season would IMHO be a pretty bad look. The whole point of the series is to find women of a standard who can move up the racing ladder, and she needs supporting to do that. Actually... can she simply compete in FW again next year? That would be the required 15 points if she wins it again, as she has done twice already. That might be her best bet?
My money is on Abbi Pulling to win WS next season, whether Chadwick is there or not.
Jamie would look bad remaining at FW to scoop the points to you and I. But realistically only so many people even watch FW or know who she is. Most people would only hear about her when the headline broke that F1 had a female driver, and they wouldn't care how she got there...
Sandpit Steve said:
Hanging around in WS for another season would IMHO be a pretty bad look. The whole point of the series is to find women of a standard who can move up the racing ladder, and she needs supporting to do that.
My money is on Abbi Pulling to win WS next season, whether Chadwick is there or not.
Exactly!My money is on Abbi Pulling to win WS next season, whether Chadwick is there or not.
For the sake of not being misunderstood - I would also far rather a female driver went the traditional route and arrived in F1 fully on merit.
But I'm not an idealist, I'm a realist. Commercial and PR focussed minds will be calculating the potential value of a female driver, even if not arriving on merit - they're bound to be. Not saying it will happen but it's got to be at least a possibility, and more so now that Jamie is within a years reach of getting the super-license.
But I'm not an idealist, I'm a realist. Commercial and PR focussed minds will be calculating the potential value of a female driver, even if not arriving on merit - they're bound to be. Not saying it will happen but it's got to be at least a possibility, and more so now that Jamie is within a years reach of getting the super-license.
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff