Female driver 'wouldn't be taken seriously' - Ecclestone

[Bouncer]

Bernie Ecclestone believes a female driver "wouldn't be taken seriously" if they ever secured a race seat.

There has not been a female driver at a grand prix since Lella Lombardi competed at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. In 1992 Giovanna Amati failed to qualify for three races, while in 2014 Susie Wolff competed in a free practice session ahead of the British Grand Prix.

Just this week Wolff, who retired in late 2015 due to her lack of race opportunities, launched the Dare to Be Different campaign aimed at increasing female participation at all levels of motorsport. However, F1 boss Ecclestone has been less flattering about the chances of seeing a woman in the sport.

Asked by TSN if he expects to see a woman on the grid any time soon, he replied: "I doubt it. If there was somebody that was capable they wouldn't be taken seriously anyway, so they would never have a car that is capable of competing. There was a girl that was driving in GP3 for a whole season so it is not something that hasn't happened."

Carmen Jorda, the GP3 driver Ecclestone referred to, is currently Lotus development driver. However she has not driven for the team since signing in early 2015.

When asked if a woman would ever drive in F1, he replied: "No, I don't think so."

Female driver 'wouldn't be taken seriously' - Bernie Ecclestone

[Bouncer]

Is he right or wrong? We know women can't compete with men in physical sports but racing is a bit different. While you still have to be in amazing shape and top mental clarity to race f1 level I feel like a woman may have a chance. How do female reflexes and depth of field vision compare to men?

[Turbo3000]

I bet they would take a women seriously if she got out there and started beating the majority of the drivers.

[BEAST]

I bet they would take a women seriously if she got out there and started beating the majority of the drivers.

Exactly.

And above all I don't think driving a race car interests most of the female population. And the few out there that is interested doesn't have the opportunity to drive for a huge racing team.

Put it this way, including back up and testing drivers there are what 100 people in the world who drive an F1 car? That's 100 in population of 7 billion. So I'd say no we won't be seeing one anytime soon.

[Bouncer]

Here's my question though. Say we take the top female racing driver in the world and put her in the exact same Merc F1 car that Lewis Hamilton drives. Given all the practice and experience in the world would her lap times even come close to Hamiltons? I feel like there may be some advantage of men over woman. Men are more likely to be aggressive and take risk due to hormone levels etc..

[FitnessBrat]

Here's my question though. Say we take the top female racing driver in the world and put her in the exact same Merc F1 car that Lewis Hamilton drives. Given all the practice and experience in the world would her lap times even come close to Hamiltons? I feel like there may be some advantage of men over woman. Men are more likely to be aggressive and take risk due to hormone levels etc..

This is a really interesting point. I know I'M not aggressive or "daring", but that can't apply for all women. If a woman is even willing to race an F1 car, do you think she feels/thinks differently than the men do?

[rado]

Is he right or wrong? We know women can't compete with men in physical sports but racing is a bit different. While you still have to be in amazing shape and top mental clarity to race f1 level I feel like a woman may have a chance. How do female reflexes and depth of field vision compare to men?

Women do compete with men and they also do a very good job at it. They may not do well, but they do compete.

[Bouncer]

This is a really interesting point. I know I'M not aggressive or "daring", but that can't apply for all women. If a woman is even willing to race an F1 car, do you think she feels/thinks differently than the men do?

I do. I think women and men think differently about almost everything. Women are almost always better at things that require patience. Men almost always have a quicker fight or flight response. When it comes to sport and reflexes that is especially important in Formula 1 when you have to make instant aggressive decisions in a split second. I think men have the clear advantage here. It's ashame this isn't studied more. You almost can't talk about it without sounding sexist.

Women do compete with men and they also do a very good job at it. They may not do well, but they do compete.

[redback]

Guy is an idiot. Women can do anything.

[Mr I]

If they were good enough they would get employment, simple.

[Bouncer]

Damon Hill says women competing with men in F1 is 'extremely unlikely' | Autoweek

[jack tors]

I thought women have better hand eye coordination then men? I don't know the sport of F1 at all. I like it but I just don't know whats involved in the training and competition etc. besides they drive cars. Are they just being realistic? Didn't Danika Patrick do pretty well in NASCAR? Not sure what the difference is with F1 car...

[FitnessBrat]

I do. I think women and men think differently about almost everything. Women are almost always better at things that require patience. Men almost always have a quicker fight or flight response. When it comes to sport and reflexes that is especially important in Formula 1 when you have to make instant aggressive decisions in a split second. I think men have the clear advantage here. It's ashame this isn't studied more. You almost can't talk about it without sounding sexist.

I get all of that, but that's not really what I meant. That is sort of a "on average" type thing. I'm talking out of the norm. Surely it is possible for a woman to feel/think those same feelings and perform in those ways.

[Bouncer]

I get all of that, but that's not really what I meant. That is sort of a "on average" type thing. I'm talking out of the norm. Surely it is possible for a woman to feel/think those same feelings and perform in those ways.

"Feeling and thinking" is different from the ability to actually put something into practice.

Serena Williams comes to mind. She "feels and thinks" like a tennis player and was ranked #1 in the world but she was destroyed by guy who was ranked something like #45 in the world. It wasn't even close.

It's not to say "men are better yay". It's that men are wired completely differently for competition.

[FitnessBrat]

"Feeling and thinking" is different from the ability to actually put something into practice.

Serena Williams comes to mind. She "feels and thinks" like a tennis player and was ranked #1 in the world but she was destroyed by guy who was ranked something like #45 in the world. It wasn't even close.

It's not to say "men are better yay". It's that men are wired completely differently for competition.

I'm not really conveying what I mean, but I also understand what you are saying.