" A series claiming to NOT need sponsorship, the abilities of all interested drivers will be assessed in order to find the best candidates for the championship." https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/aiming-for-f1-candidates-for-inaugural-w-series-named-66628/3222458/
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a 'long list' of over fifty entries, includes FIA Women in Motorsport Advisor Carmen Jorda, British GT champion and British Formula 3 race-winner Jamie Chadwick and multiple Formula 3 winner Alice Powell. Sabre Cook is an Infiniti Engineering Academy winner and Betke Visser was highly rated as a kart racer.
HOWEVER
Higher-profile women racers such as IndyCar driver Pippa Mann, Sauber F1 test and development driver Tatiana Calderon and European Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch - have stated their opposition to the women-only championship. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/aiming-for-f1-candidates-for-inaugural-w-series-named-66628/3222458/
A series of six 30-minute races at former European F1 circuits will be conducted in a 2019 Tatuus T-318 one-seater, provided by W Series, with a 1.8-liter turbocharged motor with adjustable aero. Each will be fitted with a Formula 1-style “HALO” safety device, providing the highest level of driver protection possible.
the series will be free to enter, interested applicants will be narrowed down to only 20 competitors, by having them take part in simulator appraisals, fitness trials, on-track testing, and more. The array of tests will be judged by some big Formula 1 names, such as David Coulthard, Adrian Newey and Dave Ryan. https://www.turnology.com/news/new-w-series-in-search-of-first-female-formula-1-champion/
Coulthard said, “We at W Series believe that female and male racing drivers can and should compete on equal terms if they have the same opportunity and training – and we’re here to make that happen.”
except of course, that men aren't given a "free to enter" "judged by some big Formula 1 names" contest to get into F1. So, this is ridiculous, farcical, and sexist... all in order to accomplish what? get women drivers who can't currently get attention from team owners and sponsors, and who must not be capable of competing in F1 - as I have no doubts that any winning driver is what a team owner wants more than they care about the presence or absence of ovaries - a race of their own in which men aren't allowed to compete with them? To do what? Prove they are, in the absence of male competition, worth a team taking the chance on to give them a ride in co-ed F1?
Just what part of that makes ANY sense?
The last woman to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella Lombardi more than 40 years ago, and there has never been a female Formula 1 Grand Prix race winner. Giovanna Amati, was the last to try to qualify for a grand prix, for Brabham in 1992, but she soon showed her inexperience by spinning six times during practice in South Africa.
Not that I'm saying women weren't blacklisted by the powers that be that run car racing, or that they weren't prevented by sexist bigots from ever having a chance, I've never learned enough to know... on the other hand, 100 or so years of car racing, and no woman ever won an F1 grand prix race. So.... with all the countries, teams, owners, and filthy rich people that ever participated, women simply didn't stand a chance because they wear a bra? Well? What? Exactly what has prevented women from racing in, or winning, in F1, if not that the only winner is exceedingly the most talented race car driver at those speeds the world has ever sen competing at those speeds?
“We hope to transform the diversity of the sport – and perhaps even encourage more girls into professions they had not previously considered. This is a tremendously exciting time for motorsport in general and for women in particular, as we aim to bring the sport up-to-date and show the world just what women are really capable of. Many sports in which women and men compete equally also run segregated events purely to increase the numbers of women who participate. Until now, motor racing has been the only sport in which there were no separate series for women.” https://www.turnology.com/news/new-w-series-in-search-of-first-female-formula-1-champion/
Probably because in drag racing, there's no need for segregated racing, nor Nascar, or any other form of car racing in America... money gets it done, always has. Tell the daughters of John Force exactly what they need to compete with men in motor racing... I do believe they will simple say, money and sponsors and a race track. Nothing else.
More than 900 drivers have competed since the championship began in 1950 but only two have been women. The last official appearance was Lella Lombardi in 1976. South Africa’s Desiré Wilson raced for Tyrell in a non-championship meeting at Kyalami in 1981 and won a race in the short-lived British Aurora F1 Championship at Brands Hatch in 1980 in which F1 cars were competing https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/10/w-series-formula-1-women-drivers-promote
The series is being funded by the Scottish businessman Sean Wadsworth, who ran a recruitment business until 2016. With the motor sport industry competitive and financially very difficult to sustain, the series believes it has lasting backing .
“We have investors and it is funded through equity,” Muir said. “We need to turn it into a viable business. Conversations with sponsors have been exceptionally encouraging. We want to reach as wide an audience as possible. We won’t be selling TV rights for a couple of years. We want to go on terrestrial and digital platforms. As a former investment banker I live by spreadsheets and I think this one looks fantastic.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/10/w-series-formula-1-women-drivers-promote
W Series will provide identical cars for 18-20 drivers in season one (2019), all of whom will have entered and passed a rigorous pre-selection programme/examination involving on-track testing, simulator appraisal, technical engineering tests, fitness trials etc. The successful applicants will then be given a thorough training programme centring on driving techniques, simulator exposure, technical engineering approaches, fitness, media skills etc, all of it carried out by a group of experts with decades of Formula 1 experience, meticulously recruited for the purpose: David Coulthard (multiple Grand Prix winner); Adrian Newey (the most successful Chief Design Engineer in modern Formula 1 history); Dave Ryan (40 years’ Formula 1 experience in team management with the McLaren and Manor Formula 1 teams, as well having run his own GT racing team Von Ryan); Matt Bishop (15 years’ experience as a journalist and editor in Formula 1, followed by 10 years’ experience heading up McLaren’s communications, content, media and PR operation in Formula 1).
https://wseries.com/introducing-w-series/
David Coulthard said: “In order to be a successful racing driver, you have to be skilled, determined, competitive, brave and physically fit, but you don’t have to possess the kind of super-powerful strength levels that some sports require. You also don’t have to be a man." Then, why aren't there any women in F1?
https://wseries.com/introducing-w-series/
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/10/w-series-formula-1-women-drivers-promote
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2018/11/30/decades-women-have-failed-systemthe-all-female-w-series-least/
https://www.turnology.com/news/new-w-series-in-search-of-first-female-formula-1-champion/
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/playboy-model-speeding-toward-formula-1-dream
There aren't any women in F-1 because the guys footing the bill for the teams want to win above all else, so they won't take a chance with a women driver who hasn't proven herself in lower levels of competition. Catch 22, that attitude prevails at all levels of competition.
ReplyDeleteThis may prove to be a help if the races prove to be fun for spectators(which F-1 ain't) and become popular, maybe this will spark public demand for letting the ladies compete against the men. Maybe?
That also extends to men, at all levels. So, what's preventing women at the lowest levels from rising through the levels? The Force women have won at all levels, and will probably take the top fuel and funny car championships some day. So, why not in F1, Nascar? etc? I think it's lack of talented women even getting started, due to not being interested. Face it, Rich men have daughters (the John Force example again) as much as the poor ones, and there isn't a damn thing keeping the talented from being scouted, hired, and promoted through the ranks until they are running the top tiers. Except the lack of give a shit. Women don't have testosterone, and don't get thrilled by the same stupid shit as men, ask any women you like. They prefer to use their time differently, as anyone with a brain can see. Not that all women are alike, any more than all men, but they drastically are fewer in number at all levels of anything that men seem to prefer to do, like muzzle loading black powder rifle shooting, trapping, fishing, and thousands of other things.
DeleteAlso, women have the distinct advantage of looking pretty when they do anything, and that, that alone makes them far more likely to get hired to do any damn thing they are interested in... the quota of affirmative action and legal preferential treatment not withstanding, just like Hailie Deegan, and Danica Patrick proved. They'll get sponsors far easier, as sponsors want women to do the advertising, as they stand out among all the men in the sport.
Again, why hasn't this sponsorship advantage provided more women with the opportunities?
I still believe its the lack of women who want to do the same things that men like, due to that testosterone feedback loop of thrilling risks.
Am I wrong? Also, there are a fair number of women billionaires, and they don't seem to give a shit for the stupid things that men seem to like either... nor do they care to push for women to compete with men in F1, which I think proves that there is no demand among spectators for women racers, nor women sponsors, or women race track owners, car building companies, or any other facet of racing, media included
Another professional spec series with "identical" cars. Boring racing every time they have tried it anywhere. Destined for failure just like all the other.
ReplyDeleteI should qualify that opinion, it does work with amateur series where they don't depend on spectators or TV coverage. Fun to drive in, boring to watch.
it worked well in IROC, and the celebrities that raced in IROC... the tv and movie stars. People loved to root for the celebs in the racing Neons, Porsches, and Camaros. Or am I wrong?
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