Jamie Chadwick - First competitive female driver in F1?
Discussion
mat205125 said:
Yazza54 said:
They should start off in more affordable but still competitive forms of Motorsport like everyone else does. Karting, club racing etc.
They've nearly all been there and done that.They're not STARTING their careers in FW
So what does that tell you?
They probably just aren't good enough, like 99% of the blokes aren't!
So FW is basically a lower league of racing (in terms of talent on the grid) to give women's racing a platform, the premise that it is a feeder to anything is completely wrong. If they weren't women the majority of them might not be racing at all, at least not on Sky TV.
This thread is now making me question FW more than ever - and I was always quite dubious about the principle of introducing segregation into the sport in the first place.
I understand the supposed purpose of FW and I can just about imagine that a young girl watching female racers would get drawn in the same way I did watching the male stars of the day when I was young. So in terms of young ladies being drawn in and inspired... Fine, that can probably work.
But how does that translate in to getting more girls into karts? It might increase the chances of them asking their parents about how to become a racer, but surely most parents that could afford the expense of karting are going to take a broad look at FW as a target and be clever enough to conclude it's basically a dead end.
So in conclusion: FW achieves its goal at getting more girls interested but also, by it's very nature, proves it's a waste of time anyway
I understand the supposed purpose of FW and I can just about imagine that a young girl watching female racers would get drawn in the same way I did watching the male stars of the day when I was young. So in terms of young ladies being drawn in and inspired... Fine, that can probably work.
But how does that translate in to getting more girls into karts? It might increase the chances of them asking their parents about how to become a racer, but surely most parents that could afford the expense of karting are going to take a broad look at FW as a target and be clever enough to conclude it's basically a dead end.
So in conclusion: FW achieves its goal at getting more girls interested but also, by it's very nature, proves it's a waste of time anyway
If women have the skill to compete and make it to f1 then they should not be getting special treatment or an easy ride they should start at the beginning like every other male driver competing against males.
What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
Formula Woman was / is a completely different thing, altough when people in this thread say FW or Formula Woman they mean W Series.
Originally a 2004 Mazda RX-8 based competition, it was looking for 'most improved' through the series. A similar thing was run in 2005 / 2006, using Caterhams.
It came back in 2021, and is now using Ginettas I think.
Originally a 2004 Mazda RX-8 based competition, it was looking for 'most improved' through the series. A similar thing was run in 2005 / 2006, using Caterhams.
It came back in 2021, and is now using Ginettas I think.
SmoothCriminal said:
If women have the skill to compete and make it to f1 then they should not be getting special treatment or an easy ride they should start at the beginning like every other male driver competing against males.
What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
They have put females into F1 cars.What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
One of them won half a point once: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_Formu...
SmoothCriminal said:
If women have the skill to compete and make it to f1 then they should not be getting special treatment or an easy ride they should start at the beginning like every other male driver competing against males.
What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
This is how I feel. What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
I am all for women in top level Motorsport, but formula woman is a marketing farce, and Ultimately, it's positive discrimination.
TheDeuce said:
So in conclusion: FW achieves its goal at getting more girls interested but also, by it's very nature, proves it's a waste of time anyway
You could argue it's a waste of time for the current generation of female drivers (unfortunately). However it should hopefully pay dividends with the next generation of drivers. With more females competing, they might be able to compete with the males on a level playing field and then they can do away with FW/WS.MontyPythonX said:
TheDeuce said:
So in conclusion: FW achieves its goal at getting more girls interested but also, by it's very nature, proves it's a waste of time anyway
You could argue it's a waste of time for the current generation of female drivers (unfortunately). However it should hopefully pay dividends with the next generation of drivers. With more females competing, they might be able to compete with the males on a level playing field and then they can do away with FW/WS.Isn't it a waste of time for most people, male or female, to try to take up motor racing as a career (as opposed to a fun hobby)? The number who actually make it anywhere near a paying profession are a minuscule proportion of those who start at out at the bottom, and the rest are just pissing in the wind.
This female-only series is a dead end in terms of progression up the motorsport ladder, but it probably represents the most media exposure and potential prize money that any of them will ever see in this sport, so it's easy to see why they would do it even knowing they probably won't ever get to F1. Or maybe even because they know that.
This female-only series is a dead end in terms of progression up the motorsport ladder, but it probably represents the most media exposure and potential prize money that any of them will ever see in this sport, so it's easy to see why they would do it even knowing they probably won't ever get to F1. Or maybe even because they know that.
Another who cant really see the point in the series, but I am aware these days that it is all about the representation.
I know a few females who are into this stuff.
Went to school with a girl who was well into F1, used to chat to her about it. This was about 20 years ago. She came out of college to a job at a local race engineering firm while she studied at uni then got a job at McLaren. She didn't need some scheme to show her a woman could do it and nothing told her she couldn't so she went and did it and beat men to the job on equal footing.
Used to race karts with a couple of sisters who were pretty handy, would podium at most meets, both raced until their mid/ late teens then just went off into normal life. Could have got somewhere if determined.
Another girl / young lady we had on one of our 24hr kart teams, again very handy and well into motorsport. She is still involved but has not progressed beyond amateur karts herself, had a family and all that jazz, looking to get her kids into karting, her hubby is into it too. She has been involved in promoting women in motorsport, had an all female kart team and is part of Motorsport Women which promotes women in all sorts of disciplines.
None of these girls needed a female lead or forceful parent to get them into racing it was just something they liked. I feel these are the sorts of people you will need to get a woman to high level in motorsport, as with the men, you will need someone who is willing to dedicate their life to it.
I have a friend that I had never been beaten by in karts. I stupidly didn't chase my dream so have done nothing more than trackdays, karting and test days. He gave up everything, including moving across the world, to chase the dream and fair play to him he has made it, been successful in a variety of series and is properly living the dream.
On the other hand you have people like my other half's aunt who moan like buggery that even though companies turned up to her daughters career day at school waving all their inclusivity banners etc she had a whinge that if they did not have a bloke and woman on the stand to talk to the boys and girls it wasn't good enough and her daughter just couldn't envisage herself doing any of those jobs.
I know a few females who are into this stuff.
Went to school with a girl who was well into F1, used to chat to her about it. This was about 20 years ago. She came out of college to a job at a local race engineering firm while she studied at uni then got a job at McLaren. She didn't need some scheme to show her a woman could do it and nothing told her she couldn't so she went and did it and beat men to the job on equal footing.
Used to race karts with a couple of sisters who were pretty handy, would podium at most meets, both raced until their mid/ late teens then just went off into normal life. Could have got somewhere if determined.
Another girl / young lady we had on one of our 24hr kart teams, again very handy and well into motorsport. She is still involved but has not progressed beyond amateur karts herself, had a family and all that jazz, looking to get her kids into karting, her hubby is into it too. She has been involved in promoting women in motorsport, had an all female kart team and is part of Motorsport Women which promotes women in all sorts of disciplines.
None of these girls needed a female lead or forceful parent to get them into racing it was just something they liked. I feel these are the sorts of people you will need to get a woman to high level in motorsport, as with the men, you will need someone who is willing to dedicate their life to it.
I have a friend that I had never been beaten by in karts. I stupidly didn't chase my dream so have done nothing more than trackdays, karting and test days. He gave up everything, including moving across the world, to chase the dream and fair play to him he has made it, been successful in a variety of series and is properly living the dream.
On the other hand you have people like my other half's aunt who moan like buggery that even though companies turned up to her daughters career day at school waving all their inclusivity banners etc she had a whinge that if they did not have a bloke and woman on the stand to talk to the boys and girls it wasn't good enough and her daughter just couldn't envisage herself doing any of those jobs.
thegreenhell said:
Isn't it a waste of time for most people, male or female, to try to take up motor racing as a career (as opposed to a fun hobby)? The number who actually make it anywhere near a paying profession are a minuscule proportion of those who start at out at the bottom, and the rest are just pissing in the wind.
This female-only series is a dead end in terms of progression up the motorsport ladder, but it probably represents the most media exposure and potential prize money that any of them will ever see in this sport, so it's easy to see why they would do it even knowing they probably won't ever get to F1. Or maybe even because they know that.
It is a waste of time in the sense that most drivers of any sex have a very limited chance of a paying career, I agree. But at least in the main series there is a chance to progress up the formulas if you're good enough to win at each stage. In W series it's all but a foregone conclusion that success still leaves you dead-ended - at least in terms of progression to F1. Obviously some W series winners do go on to pickup a pay check in other series, but they become fairly obscure and it's unlikely to lead to a lasting and particularly profitable career.This female-only series is a dead end in terms of progression up the motorsport ladder, but it probably represents the most media exposure and potential prize money that any of them will ever see in this sport, so it's easy to see why they would do it even knowing they probably won't ever get to F1. Or maybe even because they know that.
what will Chadwick do after year three in W series? go to some random series we have never heard of? Become a resident instructor at a circuit someplace? All perfectly valid but it would be more exciting if she could have some experience is faster open wheel cars than W series and then perhaps slot back in to F3 and do battle there on a more even footing.
TheDeuce said:
SmoothCriminal said:
If women have the skill to compete and make it to f1 then they should not be getting special treatment or an easy ride they should start at the beginning like every other male driver competing against males.
What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
They have put females into F1 cars.What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
One of them won half a point once: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_Formu...
Cold said:
TheDeuce said:
SmoothCriminal said:
If women have the skill to compete and make it to f1 then they should not be getting special treatment or an easy ride they should start at the beginning like every other male driver competing against males.
What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
They have put females into F1 cars.What is the point of women racing against each other like Chadwick who then goes into a formula and gets absolutely smashed by males with less experience than her
I really wish someone would put a female into an f1 car so we can be done with this debate.
One of them won half a point once: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_Formu...
It's certainly not the 100% failure rate that female F1 drivers have in the sport.
The issue is that so far, other than perhaps Galica and Wilson, nearly every female racing driver certainly in F1 was eitehr "Mingling" with the right peopel to get there a la Jorda, Amati and Wolff, or used money to get there a la Calderon.
Only one of these is possible with men, a guy cant really use his looks to get to the top as Jorda managed to, she had no talent to speak of yet managed to get to that level very quickly through one way or another.
Blokes can only by there way in, and it has been the case for a long time, way back to guys like Hector Rebaque, Zunino, right through to even half decent guys like Diniz, a lot of Japanese drivers etc.
Women stand a far better chance of being promoted, but you still need to be good and most of them aren't
Only one of these is possible with men, a guy cant really use his looks to get to the top as Jorda managed to, she had no talent to speak of yet managed to get to that level very quickly through one way or another.
Blokes can only by there way in, and it has been the case for a long time, way back to guys like Hector Rebaque, Zunino, right through to even half decent guys like Diniz, a lot of Japanese drivers etc.
Women stand a far better chance of being promoted, but you still need to be good and most of them aren't
LukeBrown66 said:
The issue is that so far, other than perhaps Galica and Wilson, nearly every female racing driver certainly in F1 was eitehr "Mingling" with the right peopel to get there a la Jorda, Amati and Wolff, or used money to get there a la Calderon.
Only one of these is possible with men, a guy cant really use his looks to get to the top as Jorda managed to, she had no talent to speak of yet managed to get to that level very quickly through one way or another.
Blokes can only by there way in, and it has been the case for a long time, way back to guys like Hector Rebaque, Zunino, right through to even half decent guys like Diniz, a lot of Japanese drivers etc.
Women stand a far better chance of being promoted, but you still need to be good and most of them aren't
It's all moot these days anyway as not just anyone can buy or flirt their way into a drive, the superlicense sees to that. Anyone wanting a seat regardless of whats nestled betwixt their legs needs to at least have achieved 'something' in F3 or F2 and another series - basically Mazepin is about as talentless as anyone can be and still get a seat regardless of deserving it or not.Only one of these is possible with men, a guy cant really use his looks to get to the top as Jorda managed to, she had no talent to speak of yet managed to get to that level very quickly through one way or another.
Blokes can only by there way in, and it has been the case for a long time, way back to guys like Hector Rebaque, Zunino, right through to even half decent guys like Diniz, a lot of Japanese drivers etc.
Women stand a far better chance of being promoted, but you still need to be good and most of them aren't
Before the superlicense days some of the no hopers to beg a seat couldn't even qualify for many races. Which led to some hilarious driving spectacles but I'm glad those days are gone.
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