“We had three-hour races in those days. You needed tremendous concentration.
Now races are only one hour and 10 minutes.
“We’ve got some very strong and robust ladies, but, when your life is at risk,
I think the strain of that in a competitive situation will tell when you’re
trying to win.
“The mental stress I think would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with
in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have aptitude to win a
Formula One race.”
He said that when racing against Maria Teresa de Filippis, who in the 1950s
became the first woman to compete in Formula One (winning no championship
points in the five seasons she competed), he used to “blow a kiss if ever
I’d lap her”.
Only five women have ever driven in a Formula One race, the last in 1992, with
just one managing to finish in the points. Formula
One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone said that though there was “no
reason” why a woman should not be able to compete with a man, he did not see
it happening in the near future.
“Unfortunately, the way things are, I don’t imagine a lady will ever get the
chance to drive a Red Bull or a Ferrari,” he said.
“The only chance is with a lesser team – and they only take someone if they
come with a good sponsor.
“Regretfully, the problem is that many ladies who could compete probably as
well as the guys won’t get chance.”