Joe Saward's take on the matter including comments from Michelle Mouton. Makes sense to me.
http://joesaward.wor...omen-in-racing/
Michèle Mouton's thoughts are interesting and, given what she achieved, obviously deserve respect. I suppose we could extrapolate from her comments that most women are too sensible to do something as crazy as motor racing, and that, if they do, and are good at it, they are likely to have an instinctive aversion to life-threatening risk which may, finally, limit their success. But maybe Tony Brooks, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda and others were similar in outlook, and they were winners. I still think that women, with the right opportunities, can reach the top.
I've read some interesting pieces by Joe Saward, but this contribution strikes me as rather simplistic. A small example; the March team's chassis damage mistake is not mentioned as a factor in limiting Lella Lombardi's GP career.
His final flourish 'others must do the same' brings to an end a rather half-baked argument regarding the double-edged sword of sexism, and an implied criticism of women drivers, and teams, for allowing themselves to be promoted beyond their capabilities, at the expense of better qualified men. It happens, undoubtedly. But rich young guys are over-promoted too. Money, family contacts and perceived commercial potential all have influence in a capitalist, male-dominated society /sport.
What we need, as others have argued more coherently above, is for attitudes towards women within motor sport to mature, for female racers to become commonplace, and for their potential as karters, drivers, testers and racers to be assessed as fairly and logically as for their male equivalent. This will probably take a while yet so, in the mean time, who can blame an aspiring woman racer for grabbing all opportunities, however they arise?
Edited by john winfield, 03 May 2013 - 09:28.