Susie Wolff

Susie Wolff born 6 December 1982 in Oban is a British racing driver from Scotland. She has progressed through the ranks of motorsport, starting off in karting, then moving up to Formula Renault and Formula Three before moving to the DTM to compete for Mercedes-Benz since 2006. In 2012 she was signed by the Williams Formula One team to work as a development driver and she is still in that role.
She lives in Ermatingen, Switzerland with her husband Toto Wolff, since January 21, 2013, executive director of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team. The two were married in October 2011.

Susie is aiming to be the first ever woman since 1976 and Lella Lombardi to race in F1.

She has her own TV program on Sunday 24.3.2013 BBC2 8pm : Driven: The Fastest Women in the World.

Her race record is none to impressive at zero wins, and you would have to say she would not deserve a drive based on that alone. However it is way beyond time that a woman driver should be in F1 and if Susie can open that door which has been closed since 1976 then I say good luck to her and I hope she gets a drive in a decent car.

 

[FB]

I do the same but it doesn't seem to work for me...

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Sometimes I create a bit of cleavage to get served quicker at the bar. Same thing.

Inflatable bra?

 

[Hamberg]

F1Yorkshire Tell a female friend that it's impossible to touch your bellybutton with both elbows at the same time... then you'll see

I don't believe this is off topic as it's a similar tone to the way I feel about Susie Wolff's expectations.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

There's only 1 girls cleavage for me. I might ask her to try it but I may end up with bruising....

 

[Il_leone]

to gain an F1 superlicence you need to do at least 1 season of Gp2 and pass the stringent fitness tests of two full race distance in a day under testing

also be able to do escape out of a cockpit in less than 5 seconds when parked due to mechanical failure or accident


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Drivers who have done F3/ GP3 maybe also be considered if they spend a year as test driver

Although previously if you were a F3 champion you could be considered

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the last controversial superlicence was Kimi Raikkonen who did not do F3 or F3000 as it was and only Formula Renault and got allowed into F1 by Bernie under "mitigating circumstances"

 

[racecub]

This is an interesting thread. Can I Start by saying that I absolutely believe that always the team should take the best driver available. The driver should be there on merit.
That said I think there is more to this than immediately meets the eye. Issues like the historical view of F1 , the historical view of suitable jobs for 'the ladies', opportunities available at a earlier age. And not just women but other minority groups. We may be missing the fastest ever because they don't think it's something available to them or the opportunities aren't there for them. If a five year old girl and boy are watching f1 what are the role models predominantly available to them? racing drivers for the boys and grid dollies for the girls. I think there's a definite attempt to address this and more women are entering the sport but it takes a long time to work through. There's a young girl on the Red Bull programme on merit ( may already have been mentioned).
This is an interesting article on the need to encourage diversity in F1,

http://willthef1journo.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/racing-dna-diversity-needs-acceptance/

But the answer isn't to take drivers not up to the mark.

 

[Hamberg]

I'm sorry are we back in 1907?

The only thing stopping anyone that has the skill and will is money.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

The sad thing is that other drivers are not being considered even though they are quicker than Susie Wolff but she has the place as she can bring in more money.

 

[Fenderman]

An individual can be financed by family, friends and themselves (if they have a day job) up to a point. Beyond that point in order to make significant progress in a motor sport career they need sponsorship. I would suggest that it is the reluctance of sponsors to put their faith and money behind young women is probably the main obstacle that they face. if one looks at the sacrifices and commitment of the families of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to get them through karting and feeder series one can see that it's no mean feat for working class people (in the UK at least) to reach the upper echelons of the sport.

On top of the financial issues it really doesn't take very much prejudice or discrimination to make that challenge impossible for a lot of people. The vast majority of young girls are still not encouraged to even think about motor sport as something for them and that is a subtle form of discrimination. Generally speaking, it is not intentional on the part of those bringing up their children or the educators of the children.

Attitudes are changing and opportunities are opening but let's not pretend that the only obstacles are somehow down to a lack of capacity or ability in young people to make the grade. If the opportunities are really there and sufficient encouragement and support is given to the young people, whatever their sex or background, then we will see more diversity. If the diversity isn't there then the reasons for that need to be explored and exposed. That is something that we at least are doing here on CTA and I believe it is happening, albeit slowly, within the sport itself.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Sometimes I create a bit of cleavage to get served quicker at the bar. Same thing.

I sometimes do that as well Hamberg

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Sometimes I create a bit of cleavage to get served quicker at the bar. Same thing.

I've been working on my cleavage but it just seems to get me thrown out of bars

 

[Bill Boddy]

When I was working in a bar if any girl flashed a bit of cleavage she would be kept waiting so the lads could get a good eyeful. Not that I looked, of course.

 

[Hamberg]

Fenderman I think an important point that people are forgetting here is that gender stereotypes often exist for a reason. Most of my girl friends are into shopping not Motorsport and think I'm a bit weird. Growing up I liked gross things like slow worms but my brother was the one making broom broom sounds in his go kart and got into a car first opportunity unlike me who waited several years until a boyf forced me as he was sick of being my chauffeur. Same opportunities!

As I've said skill and will have to be there, followed by money (either through sponsorship, family wealth or parents giving up their life to support little johnnies talent). Susie Wolff has shamefully exploited her gender. She's obviously not shit but she's miles off average and should not be there.

If a girl wants to be a racing driver in this or other westernised countries she has the same opportunity, if not more now due to the minority card.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Susie has had more opportunity than most men to get into motorsport from a very early age and yet she just does not have the skill to be in F1 or any other level of motorsport judging by her record....

If she was good enough then I would say great, fantastic go for it girl, but she ain't so I won't.....

In fact there are far better female drivers than her out there who will probably never get the opportunity and that is sad.....

 

[Fenderman]

Hamberg Gender stereotyping starts in the cot as does all conditioning of an individual to fit in with the particular culture in which the individual may be raised. Driving a vehicle is not and never has been a natural skill. Whilst a natural level of intelligence and aptitude may be required, the actual skill has to be learned so money is a factor from day one. Yes, the individual certainly does need to want to do it but if he/she has been raised in an environment that does not encourage that interest then it is a block.

Anyway, my views are clear on the subject of the OP and a re-read of my earlier posts should be sufficient to clarify anything one does not understand. I will now content myself with reading further replies that seem to be more interested in discussing cleavage. I wonder what that implies?

 

[Mephistopheles]

Apparently a cleavage is supposed to represent a bum crack Fenderman

 

[Mephistopheles]

The nature over nurture argument has never been resolved and I don't think it will be on this forum....

 

[Hamberg]

How very pessimistic Mephistopheles, next you'll be saying who's the best out of Hamilton and Button won't be resolved either on this for....

**** it, they're both infinitely better than Sooz.

 

[downforce]

I think Alice Powell is a better bet than Wolff. It would be good for her to get into GP2. Does anyone know what she's doing this year?

Patrick is of course the better bet and It would have been very interesting to see her do a year of GP2 followed by F1 after her indy career instead of nascar.

 

[gethinceri]

She's running in F3, shame. winning it though:
http://www.f3cup.co.uk/drivers-2013/alice-powell.aspx