Georgie Shaw, an advisor to the British
Women Racing Drivers Club (BWRDC), has seen that attitude ever since
she began racing saloon cars in the 70s, and went on to work for F1’s
magazine. Shaw, now 68, says the biggest obstacle to women is “being taken
seriously”.
“People don’t understand the amount of effort it’s taken to get there,” she
says. “They see a blonde
woman walking around the track like Susie Wolff [who is a member of
the BWRDC] and think she’s just dreaming of being an F1 driver.”
Shaw thinks this old-fashioned and sexist view has stopped women from getting
into the racing industry, but also prevents them from growing when they do
break through and start racing and. She says: “It’s attitude that hasn’t
often allowed some of the women beforehand enough time to develop. You have
got to have enough time and testing.”
Alice Powell, the first female racing driver to win the Renault championship
and the first and only female to score points in the GP3 Series – one
category below the F1 – finds it incredibly hard working in such a
male-dominated industry. She wants to be Britain’s next F1 star, but finds
herself coming up against numerous hurdles.
Alice Powell after winning the Formula Renault race
She says: “Being a female in a very male-dominated sport is hard, but it’s not
going to stop me from enjoying the sport and wanting to compete in Formula
One. As a female racing driver, you do hear comments from people saying, is
that a girl driving? They can’t race surely? Or you would hear the mechanics
say to their male drivers, don’t let that girl beat you! You can’t be beaten
by a girl!
“To be honest, what else would I expect, it just makes me even more determined
to beat them and makes me chuckle, so I don’t care about what they think.”
Her positive attitude – as well as Wolff’s evident determination – are
direct testaments to Sir Stirling’s comments about women not being mentally
strong enough. Shaw adds: “Mental attitude is vitally important but a lot of
women have huge mental strength. Let a man experience having a child and
that says it all.”
But what about physical strength? Some experts say that because F1 is actually
a very physical sport, some women find it incredibly challenging. Shaw
disagrees: “You only have to see what sort of training Susie [Wolff’s] been
undertaking the last 18 months.
“You need a lot of strength for these cars and the cockpits are extremely hot.
You have got to be very fit to withstand the G-forces, endurance and extreme
temperatures. Susie’s been training with a six kg ball. Women are definitely
strong enough.”
Susie Wolff
Powell, who won her first car championship in 2010, says: “It is talked about
that women are not fit enough to drive in Formula One. We may not be as
strong as men initially (we naturally have 30 per cent less muscle);
however, it does not mean we can’t work to be race fit. It just means we
have to work that bit harder on building our strength and stamina.”
These women are clearly proving to the world that the Grand Prix is not
strictly for men only, but will it encourage more girls to sign up for a
gruelling expensive career where two years racing can cost more than two
million pounds and everyone is fighting for sponsors?
Powell has already made her decision, and is glad of it: “Some people ask me
why I bother, but I say that I do it because my love of the sport is great
and actually, the challenge of getting fit and finding the money, is just
another challenge that comes with the job and I won’t let it get in the way
of my success.”
But Shaw isn’t so sure other young women will make that same choice,
ultimately because of their parents. “You need the family behind you,” she
says. “You can’t just go and jump in a car because of the cost element. It’s
really because the parents aren’t thinking the girls would be interested.”
In the 21st century, it is shocking that only one woman is currently competing
in Formula One, let alone the fact that it is for the first time in more
than two decades. But, it looks like the racing world is finally waking up
to the idea that woman can race, and hopefully this attitude will pass on
down to young girls watching a Grand Prix on TV. Who knows – perhaps if I’d
grown up watching someone like Susie Wolff, I’d be on the track with her.