Female Drivers making the starting grid?

[idfx]

I was impressed with Maria Teresa de Filippis.She defended the Maserati team, the Epoca Fanggio

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QzHfkVbDZo[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0DHSy27kpA[/youtube]

[Tommy Cookers]

can they endure constant repetitions of 4-5g for 90 minutes?

There are a number of female drivers in the IndyCar series that do this on a weekly basis. Formula 1 is not the only motorsport where 4 G is common - try running an IndyCar at 220 mph around the 24-degree banking of Texas Motor Speedway!

Not all 4G's are equal though, and it is exactly banking that makes ovals less demanding. The more banking there is, the more of the cornering force acts along the spine, pressing drivers into their seat. In F1-style unbanked corners all of that force is pulling the driver sideways which is much harder on the spine and muscles.
Plenty of rollercoasters pull 4-5G's safely on ordinary visitors because they are built with acceleration forces staying parallel to the riders' spines in mind. Do the same thing on a flat track and they'll be screaming in pain and all their energy drained in minutes.
That's not to say women couldn't deal with it, because I really have no idea. All I wanted to say is that a 24-degree banking makes things easier rather than harder as you seemed to imply.

simply, the 'g' problem is blood going to one's boots rather than to one's brain
so in a car 4g flat is easier than 4g banked (ie head to feet is far worse than side to side)

without a 'g' suit a short or skinny male or a short and skinny male can manage 8 g head to feet (I have done this)
this requires bracing all muscles from the diaphragm down (stopping breathing for the duration helps this)
the 'straining' technique, used even with a 'g' suit (not so different from what killed Elvis)
AFAIK women of usual physique have less 'g' tolerance because their lower bodies are less able to squeeze out the blood as above
though aerobatic flying has only rather brief periods of high 'g' (the plane runs low on energy)

blacking out means partial or complete loss of vision, not loss of awareness
at 8 'g' everyone will have at least severely 'tunneled' vision (without a 'g' suit anyway)
though tunnel vision may not be an issue in F1 ?

[Roland Ehnström]

can they endure constant repetitions of 4-5g for 90 minutes?

There are a number of female drivers in the IndyCar series that do this on a weekly basis. Formula 1 is not the only motorsport where 4 G is common - try running an IndyCar at 220 mph around the 24-degree banking of Texas Motor Speedway!

Not all 4G's are equal though, and it is exactly banking that makes ovals less demanding. The more banking there is, the more of the cornering force acts along the spine, pressing drivers into their seat. In F1-style unbanked corners all of that force is pulling the driver sideways which is much harder on the spine and muscles.

Well, an IndyCar also pulls 3.5 G at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has only 9 degrees of banking, and the drivers of the IndyCar series endure this for almost 3 hours during the Indy 500, male and female alike.

[beelsebob]

simply, the 'g' problem is blood going to one's boots rather than to one's brain
so in a car 4g flat is easier than 4g banked (ie head to feet is far worse than side to side)

without a 'g' suit a short or skinny male or a short and skinny male can manage 8 g head to feet (I have done this)
this requires bracing all muscles from the diaphragm down (stopping breathing for the duration helps this)
the 'straining' technique, used even with a 'g' suit (not so different from what killed Elvis)
AFAIK women of usual physique have less 'g' tolerance because their lower bodies are less able to squeeze out the blood as above
though aerobatic flying has only rather brief periods of high 'g' (the plane runs low on energy)

blacking out means partial or complete loss of vision, not loss of awareness
at 8 'g' everyone will have at least severely 'tunneled' vision (without a 'g' suit anyway)
though tunnel vision may not be an issue in F1 ?

Except, we're not talking about head to feet G tolerance. If an F1 car is accelerating upwards, something is badly wrong.

Latteral and longitudinal g-tollerance of humans is much higher than vertical.

[idfx]

I like the ambition of women in sports risks, the reality is that they should start very young. Men and women can compete together. If she has talent we should support.

The problem is old: paying driver.

You are right.
And when we come to "pay driver" we have to come to the question who will pay a female driver?
-Venezuela?
-Oil sheiks?
-Russia?

The money has to come from Europe or the US, because nowhere else women have an equal status. And there are not many payers in Europe or the US left.
For me TorroRosso is the only chance for a women to be promoted. They have the money, the seat and the backing to try it.
If Visser would have been better this year she would have had the big chance...

question
The sauber team is headed by a woman (Monisha Kaltenborn).
 The Williams team is in a process of transition from command (Claire Williams).
The two team have a woman driver and team of the same nationality.
It's coincidence or way of attracting investors or marketing strategy ?
have to let women have access to sport, talent and effort is essential.
Money and politics be considered as the main factor is wrong.

Edit
The same situation would require a Japanese Honda drivers in mclaren or willians. This is the reason for the return kobayashi ?
Money and politics ?

[aral]

Sorry if anything is missing name.
F1
Maria Teresa de Filippis
Lella Lombardi
Divina Galica
Desire Wilson
Giovanna Amati
Maria de Villota
Susie Wolff

Indy
Bia Figueiredo
Danica patrick
Janet Guthrie
simona silvestro
mika duno
sarah fisher

Dtm
Katherine Legge.

Katherine Legge competed in Indy, more successfully than in DTM. Further, Maria and Susie have not competed in F1

[WillerZ]

What I want for (and from) the first woman in modern F1 is a debut season like Lewis Hamilton's, and for much the same reasons. I think that at this point there is a lot of (quiet) sexism in F1, and I think the first woman needs to arrive as a top driver with a top car so that if anyone wants to perpetuate the myth that women can never cut it in F1 they can be smacked down with the results book.

This article has some comments from Lewis on racism in F1 and the lower series. I wager women have the same (or worse) trouble getting sponsors.

[mnmracer]

What I want for (and from) the first woman in modern F1 is a debut season like Lewis Hamilton's, and for much the same reasons. I think that at this point there is a lot of (quiet) sexism in F1, and I think the first woman needs to arrive as a top driver with a top car so that if anyone wants to perpetuate the myth that women can never cut it in F1 they can be smacked down with the results book.

This article has some comments from Lewis on racism in F1 and the lower series. I wager women have the same (or worse) trouble getting sponsors.

With all due respect to Lewis, that is one of the worst kinds of click-bait headlines I've ever seen. It claims to be an article about racism in racing, yet it barely talks for two paragraphs about alleged racism, and then never mentions it again.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't give enough background information to make a judgement call on Lewis' situation, but going to people with a prejudice of racism is not the way you get sponsors, no matter what the color of your skin. Based on what is in this article, one can not objectively claim racism. Suggesting that it was racism that held back Karthikeyan and Chandock doesn't cement the article as having much quality either.

It does actually point to one of the big problems in this whole discussion though: people are too quickly to blame others than objectively look at themselves. If a woman / black person doesn't make it, it doesn't mean it is because of racism. Most, as with most white drivers, are simply not good enough; Karthikeyan and Chandock are actually perfect examples of that, and unfortunately, none of the female drivers currently making waves have shown to have the skills to really set them apart.

[fritticaldi]

I believe Simona di Silvestro is capable of getting decent results in F1. It would be great for sponsors and Bernie Ecclestone if a female could land a full time drive in F1. The last woman was Italian Giovanna Amati ( Brabham) to try F1. Also Desire Wilson entered the 1980 British GP at Brands Hatch in a privateer Williams FW07. She failed to qualify although in the private tests held prior to the event she had set a time that placed her middle of the pack. Wilson did win a race in the British AFX Aurora series.

[hollus]

Talking of Desiree Wilson...
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/02/26/r ... ing-woman/

[Roland Ehnström]

What I want for (and from) the first woman in modern F1 is a debut season like Lewis Hamilton's, and for much the same reasons. I think that at this point there is a lot of (quiet) sexism in F1, and I think the first woman needs to arrive as a top driver with a top car so that if anyone wants to perpetuate the myth that women can never cut it in F1 they can be smacked down with the results book.

This article has some comments from Lewis on racism in F1 and the lower series. I wager women have the same (or worse) trouble getting sponsors.

With all due respect to Lewis, that is one of the worst kinds of click-bait headlines I've ever seen. It claims to be an article about racism in racing, yet it barely talks for two paragraphs about alleged racism, and then never mentions it again.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't give enough background information to make a judgement call on Lewis' situation, but going to people with a prejudice of racism is not the way you get sponsors, no matter what the color of your skin. Based on what is in this article, one can not objectively claim racism. Suggesting that it was racism that held back Karthikeyan and Chandock doesn't cement the article as having much quality either.

It does actually point to one of the big problems in this whole discussion though: people are too quickly to blame others than objectively look at themselves. If a woman / black person doesn't make it, it doesn't mean it is because of racism. Most, as with most white drivers, are simply not good enough; Karthikeyan and Chandock are actually perfect examples of that, and unfortunately, none of the female drivers currently making waves have shown to have the skills to really set them apart.

This is all very easy to say being a white male, is it not? I'm a white male as well, but at least I am not blind.

[Sebp]

...

This is all very easy to say being a white male, is it not? I'm a white male as well, but at least I am not blind.

It's the old "you can do anything if you try hard enough"-lie in denial of a certain amount of luck.

[mnmracer]

...

This is all very easy to say being a white male, is it not? I'm a white male as well, but at least I am not blind.

It's the old "you can do anything if you try hard enough"-lie in denial of a certain amount of luck.

Most certainly not.
What you are actually displaying is the classic "white males get everything on a golden platter, so if I don't succeed, the only possible explanation is racism/sexism" fallacy.

Every year, thousands of boys and girls of all colors don't make the cut simply because they're not good enough. Formule One drivers are one out of thousands if not ten thousands. If for whatever reason whichever minority chooses not to go into the field of racing as often, it is their own choices that diminishes the chances of a black/female driver.

If you can accept that a white male can be "not good enough", you should accept that a girl or a black guy can be not good enough. Trying to shoehorn in the racism/sexism card is just a weak attempt to not have to take responsibility for one's own actions.

If it really is a problem, than it should be addressed. But there is no objective information to suggest there is, most certainly not based on what little information is provided in that article.

[krisfx]

What I want for (and from) the first woman in modern F1 is a debut season like Lewis Hamilton's, and for much the same reasons. I think that at this point there is a lot of (quiet) sexism in F1, and I think the first woman needs to arrive as a top driver with a top car so that if anyone wants to perpetuate the myth that women can never cut it in F1 they can be smacked down with the results book.

This article has some comments from Lewis on racism in F1 and the lower series. I wager women have the same (or worse) trouble getting sponsors.

I disagree, women in racing are less common, most motorsport fans are male so advertising with a female driver makes things a lot easier to get coverage.

[WillerZ]

I wager women have the same (or worse) trouble getting sponsors.

I disagree, women in racing are less common, most motorsport fans are male so advertising with a female driver makes things a lot easier to get coverage.

It doesn't really work like that until they are in F1, at which point they don't have so much need of personal sponsors. Getting there is where all the money needs to be spent: drivers need to find €5M for a GP2 seat. If you want me, as a businessman, to pony up that kind of cash you need to be able to show that I can expect to get €5M of value out of it. You can't realise that from GP2 alone: your only hope of getting that back is if the driver to get to F1 and retain your logo on his collar for a season or two, and do a good job while there. That could be worth maybe €25M, so you need to persuade me it's a 20% or better shot.

When there had been no successful black drivers in F1 ever, that was a hard sell for Lewis. While there have been no successful female drivers in F1 ever, this remains a hard sell for ladies in the lower formulae.