The hiring of Susie Wolff to Williams

[kris]

I'd say you need to be able to take a car to the limit. If you take a car to the limit, you achieve stuff in your career. Name me one test driver for succesful F1 teams that have not achieved winning races or even championships.

Wouldn't Luca Badoer (ferrari's longest serving F1 test driver) qualify as one (If we ignore his F3000 results)

For comparison when Luca finished first in 1992 in F3000, barrichelo was 3rd and DC 9th. We remember how each of their F1 carrrers spanned out. So much for comparison between drivers and their performance in other series.

He won the Italian karting championship and won many races in Italian Formula 3 (before being disqualified on a technicality), then walked away with the International F3000 title beating many other future F1 drivers, then competed in 50 F1 races, outpacing many of his team mates. If we forget all that, then yeah he hasn't achieved much in his racing career and Ferrari shouldn't have recruited him.

I agree that there have been worse drivers. However his F1 career has not been stellar or even impressive. A wave of bad luck or whatever, doesn't he have the distinction of the driver with most starts and no points scored?
However his carrer in F1 might have panned out, he has been one of the best testing drivers ferrari ever had. So testing and racing are totally different.

[Websta]

I agree that there have been worse drivers. However his F1 career has not been stellar or even impressive. A wave of bad luck or whatever, doesn't he have the distinction of the driver with most starts and no points scored?
However his carrer in F1 might have panned out, he has been one of the best testing drivers ferrari ever had. So testing and racing are totally different.

That's true, but he had more than enough credentials from his junior racing career to warrant his position in F1. His experience in F1 driving for the crappy teams would probably have stood him in good stead for a testing role as he would have had good experience in developing those cars. He certainly didn't set the world on fire, but I wouldn't expect a world champion to take a testing role either so back-marker F1 drivers are the next best thing. The fact that he is Italian would have also helped him land the role with Ferrari, but it's not like he was sleeping with one of the execs.

Back on topic

As outside observers, we can only judge Wolff based on her results so you can't really argue that she might turn out to be a good test driver despite a very mediocre racing record. It seems very unlikely that she would considering her limited open wheel experience.

[Echo]

Q)=3. Married to a Williams investor, did I read? Ok. So what? What bearing does that have on anything? If you fit the job description and do what's needed - that's all there is to it.

A)Are you honestly serious? It is so morally bad! Is it fair that the biggest shareholder of apple, puts his son as Designing Executive with a little experience but he is crap at drawing and haves no style at all? Have a feeling you are working for Williams?

Q)4. Still may have potential as a race driver anyway.
[/quote]

A) Waow, If she haven´t won anything in karting (which is competitive) the only way to make it to F3/Formula Renault/other formula´s is by paying. Obviously she failed brutally in DTM. Now she´s a test driver for a legendary f1 team. So you think she haves potential?

[PlatinumZealot]

A) Waow, If she haven´t won anything in karting (which is competitive) the only way to make it to F3/Formula Renault/other formula´s is by paying. Obviously she failed brutally in DTM. Now she´s a test driver for a legendary f1 team. So you think she haves potential?

Wasn't directed at me, but yeah, Frank sure thinks she has potential...

Potential to rock his wheelchair all night long!

[flynfrog]

Q)=3. Married to a Williams investor, did I read? Ok. So what? What bearing does that have on anything? If you fit the job description and do what's needed - that's all there is to it.

A)Are you honestly serious? It is so morally bad! Is it fair that the biggest shareholder of apple, puts his son as Designing Executive with a little experience but he is crap at drawing and haves no style at all? Have a feeling you are working for Williams?

Q)4. Still may have potential as a race driver anyway.

A) Waow, If she haven´t won anything in karting (which is competitive) the only way to make it to F3/Formula Renault/other formula´s is by paying. Obviously she failed brutally in DTM. Now she´s a test driver for a legendary f1 team. So you think she haves potential?[/quote]
maybe one day you can buy your own F1 team. Then you can pick your own test drivers.

[Jersey Tom]

LOL! God forbid IF we do have a "morally bad" thing happen in F1 which is so straight up and honest with no hint of politics or other malarkey.

Still. Who f'ing cares. Williams has to win races. They can go do that in whatever means they want. And if Susie Wolff does the job she's tasked with then who cares about anything else?

[Miguel]

What is a real shame is that Williams perhaps have the best car they've had since 2005. One of their drivers is there because PDVSA pays ~$30m (admittedly won GP2, though). The other one has strong financial support from Embratel for about $10m (did win races in GP2) and his most striking feature is an eerily similar look to his uncle. Their test driver is promising, but so was Nico Hulkenberg.

I say the least of Williams' worries is who they employ to perform straight line tests. I just hope they don't sideline Bottas for the young drivers' test in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year.

By the way, how's it different to get a test driver role because you are married with a member of the board different from getting a drive because PDVSA pays for it. Or, as an Alonso fan, because Santander wants you in Ferrari. It's an honest question.

[FrukostScones]

love birds

[Lycoming]

William's driver choices have always baffled me.

[bhall]

I've never seen a five-page thread devoted to the appointment of a development driver.

[jordangp]

I've never seen a five-page thread devoted to the appointment of a development driver.

She must be good then

[ESPImperium]

Personally, i think its a good thing. She is maybes the wrong side of 24/25 for F1, however you never know, Williams once hired a driver that was a 32 year old TD into a race seat and then 5 years later won the WDC and Consructors title with him.

However one thing it does, same with Maria De Viltoa at Marussia, it gives Women a hope to get into F1. Lower down there is a decent ammount of women racers to come thru, GP3 this year will have Vikki Piria, Carmen Jorda and Alice Powell tested for Status and could take their last seat for this season.

Even lower down that that, F2 and local Formula Renault series have plenty of women racing. Its only time that one breaks thru, and enters F1. I think that that there is more and more capable F1 ready women ready to race in the next few years. Time will tell, and i mean time, as both time to develop and lap time will show when and where the first woman to race for almost 4 decades in F1 will start a race.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fe ... ne_drivers

And according to that list Susie isnt the first to step into a Williams car.

[Racer_D]

Santander sponsors Alonso's drive because they think he's good and they want him to perform. Good for their home market maybe? Stuff like that.

Susie is a development driver because her husband funds Williams. Slightly different.

And to get women into F1, this is definitely NOT a good example as it shows women you have to marry the right guy to make it happen.
You definitely do not have to win races in your career as a women. Marriage will do.

[FW17]

You guys are getting it wrong.

Susie should be compared against Ralf.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Deuts ... ers_season

[bhall]

You guys are getting it wrong.

Susie should be compared against Ralf.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Deuts ... ers_season

Nice!