Formula W: A New Series for Female Racers Announced.

[Richard Dastardly]

Even if you add Lella Lombardi and Louise Aitkin Walker, that is still not a very long list for the past 45 years.

Vanina Ickx, Claudia Hurtgen, Jamie Chadwick, there's a whole bunch of others I've missed. Still not many for 45 years, but there's been women in top-level sportscar racing at least for decades. Drivers are not the stars in sportscars, so they don't get as much exposure.

Like other sports (e.g. football and cycling), if by having a female only competition it increases the awareness of and participation of women in motor racing, then surely that is a good thing. And hopefully it will result in a longer list of women competing in major competitions in the next 45 years.

The ones you suggested are athletic sports, where there often *is* a measurable difference ( although honestly I don't think there's a huge difference in football - the main problem there might be simple infrastructure ), This event smacks of marketing - throw all the cash it takes to run it into basic level exposure ( reduced price karting events with people there to talk about motorsport careers, for instance ) and then you might get something *actually* happening. Every woman I've talked to about this idea has been either dismissive of it or actually annoyed - if I was a driver I'd probably appreciate the relatively low competition for the prize, I guess.

 

[TrumpetReich]

So will all pit crews and mechanics be female?

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

I want to know when the series is going to be created for "slightly over-weight middle-aged men who never got the opportunity to take up go-karts as a kid", 'cos I'll be there like a shot!!

Isn't that the BTCC?
*runs away*

(Or for that matter, GT3 Am drivers )

Vanina Ickx, Claudia Hurtgen, Jamie Chadwick, there's a whole bunch of others I've missed.

Sabine Schmitz famously won the 24 hours of the Nürburgring and VLN series back in the 90s

 

[belevezero]

Not quite the same there. UFC has a women's class and a Men's class.....they are two different classes that each sex competes in.

That is correct, but the reason I use the UFC is because although women and men compete separately for obvious reasons, they do appear on the same fight cards, which wasn't always the case. If you look at women's boxing for example, it was (and still is) held in separate events.

In MMA, women can compete in Invicta to establish themselves in the women's-only championship, but the top fighters graduate to the UFC to compete on the same platform as their male counterparts. It may not be against men, but it's held up to the same standards, and in some cases can surpass the men in popularity and in PPV buys.

 

[V10v8v12]

Once again the fia are being a bunch of idiots why does there need to be a series for women only that is extremely sexist, motorsport is one of the few spots series were women can compete against men on equal terms because pure physical strength is not that important in motorsport this is nothing more but the fia being politically correct again.

 

[Michel Forest]

I don't see how it's a step in the right direction when you level the playing field by creating a series for one specific group of people

Maybe because the playing field isn’t leveled to start with?

Sometimes, it is a bit disheartening to realize how reactionary motorsport fans can be... At least based on the comments about electric cars and women racers... Any bold idea is shot down immediately. Obviously, innovation is only acceptable when it’s about technology...

 

[BP]

This happened already. Serena was challenged by a guy outside the Men's Top 200 ranking and she got completely destroyed. The guy then admitted he was a bit drunk and wasn't even taking it seriously, just that the women were completely unable to hit any shot with a bit of spin on it.

https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,,543962,00.html

Going off-topic, but to put this story in perspective:
Serena Williams was 16 at the time and ranked No. 96.
Karsten Braasch was 30 at the time and ranked No. 203.

So besides the fact that he had well over a decade of experience on the pro circuit, this was a still growing, not as strong and experienced Serena against a grown, stronger, more experienced pro. Had she more experience with dealing with such shots and in her prime (lets say late 2000's Serena) it wouldn't have been such a blowout...I still think she could hold her own when she was at her prime. Plus the fact that he had to boast about beating a 16 year old girl in one set while drunk just sends off the wrong vibe...too much bragging over nothing.

 

[Rory Wetherington]

Post race fight's will be fun.

 

[josenemin]

what a stupidity, only the female pilots who feel that they are inferior than the male pilots will race in that series, im sure that pilots like Susie Wolf will still race in her competition

 

[Damage Inc]

What I don't like is the "men get all the chances" crap....I'm a man, I would have LOVED to have got into motorsport but had NO opportunity...how is this though? I'm a man, I have the meat and two veg dangling betwix my legs so would have had a god given red carpet fast track to motorsport glory yeah?......erm nope. So please can all the lefties drop this "advantaged man" crap.

The sad fact is humans ARE baised and bigotted...ALL of us, every single one. Almost every type of human white/black/gay/straight/man/woman has been discriminated against in the course of human history.

And now we have people who think putting the word "positive" in front of the awful word "discrimination" makes things ok......a certain Wayne said something about monkeys and a butt that is relevant here.

 

[MarcG]

I don't understand, the Womens Rights Activists wanted Grid Girls banned so what are they gonna say now? Equal Equality has been their Rage and yet here we are with a Female only Racing Series....nope....don't get it.

IMO Women can Race Cars/Bikes alongside men just fine, put them on a Rugby pitch together however and yeah there's a gender disquality going on as Men are simply Bigger. This Race Series reeks of Two Steps Forward - One Step Back by the same women crying for equality in the first place.

 

[Durge Driven]

If you need proof that women, when accepted, can do it as good as anyone you only need look at the NHRA .............oh I forgot drag racing is nothing but point and squirt, anyone could do it >>

Thing is other drag racers treat them as one of their own, they are family
They train them from little kids and not just in racing but in life

That is why you won't see drag racers acting like children

Other forms of Motorsport are more sexist no doubt

P.S. Women in NHRA Drag Racing have won over 100 events and world titles

Australia has crowned its first female professional drag racing champion with 33 year old Queensland woman Kelly Bettes
https://www.dragnews.com.au/news-al...g-with-400-thunder-top-fuel-championship.html

 

[Austin Ogonoski]

I think I've figured it out.

In Pippa's blog she notes the organizers want you to sign your marketing rights away. In the WSeries announcement, they talk about no up-front cost, just an audition process. To me, that sounds like IROC. No teams, identically prepared cars by house mechanics, you just show up, drive, and attend promo events to help promote the series.

Interesting. I wonder what benefits there are, as a woman in the post-weinstein era, to having the sanctioning body itself look after you and your race car rather than trying to get onboard with private entities run by old rich dudes?

I'll give you a hint; a girl my cousin races almost went down the latter path.

This series exists to protect women from predatory team owners and oversee their career in European motorsports by placing them in the hands of trustworthy people. I think Coulthard & Newey have seen some stuff that's hush-hush in the garage area, and this is their way of trying to clean things up.

It is still astronomically retarded to promote segregation in auto racing, but there might be an underlying issue here they are trying to solve via the WSeries.

 

[Durge Driven]

Danica Patrick, Michèle Mouton, Katherine Legge, Christina Nielsen, Sophia Floersch, Michelle Halder, Carrie Schreiner, Lilou Wadoux, Simona de Silvestro and Flick Haigh won't be happy about that. Garbage series.

You kidding ! never mentioned women drag racers who have been World Champions for decades

Shirley Muldowney 78 is a living legend

 

[paracletus]

.

 

[Hailstorm BLX]

Maybe because the playing field isn’t leveled to start with?

If one can't successfully compete against the most diverse group of drivers possible at a certain level it's not so much a matter of the playing field not being level as it is the driver in question not being talented enough. They can then either accept their role as a backmarker or compete at a lower level, hopefully with more success, against an equally diverse lineup. A gender-exclusive series is not the answer.

Now, if someone gets her big break after doing well in FW, then good for her; for the series' sake I hope that will happen.

 

[Richard Dastardly]

I think I've figured it out.

In Pippa's blog she notes the organizers want you to sign your marketing rights away.

I think you nailed it there, not with the rest of it...

Relatively easy prize money at least!

 

[Will Mazeo]

I think I've figured it out.

In Pippa's blog she notes the organizers want you to sign your marketing rights away. In the WSeries announcement, they talk about no up-front cost, just an audition process. To me, that sounds like IROC. No teams, identically prepared cars by house mechanics, you just show up, drive, and attend promo events to help promote the series.

Interesting. I wonder what benefits there are, as a woman in the post-weinstein era, to having the sanctioning body itself look after you and your race car rather than trying to get onboard with private entities run by old rich dudes?

I'll give you a hint; a girl my cousin races almost went down the latter path.

This series exists to protect women from predatory team owners and oversee their career in European motorsports by placing them in the hands of trustworthy people. I think Coulthard & Newey have seen some stuff that's hush-hush in the garage area, and this is their way of trying to clean things up.

It is still astronomically retarded to promote segregation in auto racing, but there might be an underlying issue here they are trying to solve via the WSeries.

Honestly.. there are plenty of histories like this on football with young boys, they get attention from sports program once every 10 years and then nobody cares

 

[Austin Ogonoski]

Honestly.. there are plenty of histories like this on football with young boys, they get attention from sports program once every 10 years and then nobody cares

Things are a bit different now.

 

[Durge Driven]

Women in NHRA
https://www.pinterest.com.au/earnstewfan314/women-drag-racers/
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/308567011951426200