1ST Woman WDC Maria de Villota ???????????????

[xpman]

Maria de Villota
Spanish woman racer Maria de Villota has an agreement to be the Lotus (formerly Renault) team's reserve driver next season. "Really it's just a matter of the contract being signed, but all parties agree," she said.


http://www.mariadevillota.es/#!english

Good luck to her and Hope she dose well and she has driven a Ferrari in anger allbe it not a F1 Ferrari .

[NJB13]

Jeeze I'd love to see a woman good enough and given the opportunities to win races in F1 (in a Ferrari of course )

Not sure if Maria has that in her.

[Kingdom Hearts]

They are doing this for the media attention, nothing more. There is too much competition, for a woman to be an official drive and maybe to be WDC someday, she needs to be something really special.

[NJB13]

They are doing this for the media attention, nothing more. There is too much competition, for a woman to be an official drive and maybe to be WDC someday, she needs to be something really special.

TO be a WDC anyone (he or she) needs to be special. I have no doubt there are women with the required talent. All they need is the same opportunities to develop their talent. When one proves good enough to earn a top drive they should get that chance. Hope it happens in my time - and soon for that matter.

[impactX]

TO be a WDC anyone (he or she) needs to be special. I have no doubt there are women with the required talent. All they need is the same opportunities to develop their talent. When one proves good enough to earn a top drive they should get that chance. Hope it happens in my time - and soon for that matter.

Physically, females are just not built the same... and F1 is a physically demanding sport.

Before anyone expresses a different opinion, remember, there's a reason why male and female don't compete with each other in most Olympics events.

[NJB13]

Physically, females are just not built the same... and F1 is a physically demanding sport.

I'd say triathlons are more demanding, and Jenson Button, a WDC and current racer who is considered pretty fit and physically capable as an F1 driver has been beaten by lots of women in the tri's he completes in. So I'm certain there are women who would be more than capable of bringing themselves up to the necessary physical standards required.

Before anyone expresses a different opinion, remember, there's a reason why male and female don't compete with each other in most Olympics events.

Good point, but it works both ways.

Also, some might argue that women have some distinct advantages when it comes to F1 racing. For example women have a larger hippocampus (area of the brain) that relates to memory. Also men have more amygdala processors probably making them more prone to aggression where women may have a tendency to stay calm under stress.

I'd love to see a woman that displays the talent get the chance to develop her talent - I would not be one bit surprised to see a woman achieve at the highest level in F1.

[NJB13]

Physically, females are just not built the same... and F1 is a physically demanding sport.

I'd say triathlons are more demanding, and Jenson Button, a WDC and current racer who is considered pretty fit and physically capable as an F1 driver has been beaten by lots of women in the tri's he completes in. So I'm certain there are women who would be more than capable of bringing themselves up to the necessary physical standards required.

Before anyone expresses a different opinion, remember, there's a reason why male and female don't compete with each other in most Olympics events.

Good point, but it works both ways.

Also, some might argue that women have some distinct advantages when it comes to F1 racing. For example women have a larger hippocampus (area of the brain) that relates to memory. Also men have more amygdala processors probably making them more prone to aggression where women may have a tendency to stay calm under stress.

I'd love to see a woman that displays the talent get the chance to develop her talent - I would not be one bit surprised to see a woman achieve at the highest level in F1.

[Jose Lorca]

If Eric Boullier is stupid enough to give Maria de Villota a drive, she will be like Yuji Ide or perhaps worse. Her gender is irrelevant; this person just isn't good enough. There is nothing special (or even good) about her performances in low racing leagues. She's being used as a publicity stunt at Renault.

[racingbradley]

Certainly not a part of their young drivers programme. :xmaswink:
Nah I only want to see a woman in F1 if she is good enough to win her place. :xmasrolleyes: Not sure what Reno are up to with Kimi on board and now Maria. :xmasfrown:
Time for Petrov to shine if he stays. That boy could show them all but then there's Gosjean........................................... .. :xmasconfused:

[Tifosi]

I always KNEW* it was my Hippocampus holding me back all these years



* only I kept forgetting!

[REDARMYSOJA]

I always KNEW* it was my Hippocampus holding me back all these years



* only I kept forgetting!

I didn't know I had a Hippocampus. But I'm sure the women did.

[Greig]

Kimi out, Maria in

[REDARMYSOJA]

Kimi out, Maria in

[Grinsomx]

when the rumors about danica patrick started i got curious and looked into female drivers a little and even if they had little (no) succes.
it's never going to be the first time or even that long ago since we had a female driver.
it would be nice to see a woman get a seat in F1, but like others have said..only if she has the skills to deserve it.

not sure if these are all of them, but they all failed in their attempt
Italy Maria Teresa de Filippis 1958 - 1959 Maserati, Behra-Porsche
Italy Lella Lombardi 1974 - 1976 March, RAM, Williams
United Kingdom Divina Galica 1976 - 1978 Surtees, Hesketh
South Africa Desiré Wilson 1980 Williams
Italy Giovanna Amati 1992 Brabham

[gimeagui]

I'm from Spain and this girl is famous just for her surename.
She's not very good...
:xmaswink:

[REDARMYSOJA]

when the rumors about danica patrick started i got curious and looked into female drivers a little and even if they had little (no) succes.
it's never going to be the first time or even that long ago since we had a female driver.
it would be nice to see a woman get a seat in F1, but like others have said..only if she has the skills to deserve it.

not sure if these are all of them, but they all failed in their attempt
Italy Maria Teresa de Filippis 1958 - 1959 Maserati, Behra-Porsche
Italy Lella Lombardi 1974 - 1976 March, RAM, Williams
United Kingdom Divina Galica 1976 - 1978 Surtees, Hesketh
South Africa Desiré Wilson 1980 Williams
Italy Giovanna Amati 1992 Brabham

Lella Lombardi and Desire Wilson are probably the best two. Lella won a Formula Ford and Sport Car championship before moving to F1 and is the only woman to score points in an f1 race, albeit 1/2 point for a shortened race. Desire Wilson won an Auroura race at Brands Hatch, which was a series using year old F1 car, and against some pretty good competiton. The best woman racer ever might have been Helen DeLangle/Hele Nice of pre-war "The Bugatti Queen" fame.

[Agron]

IMO that's good, Maria surely won't be WDC, but with enough women driving F1 cars, maybe some girl with great talent will be inspired and finally challenge the other male drivers in the sport and earn a WDC (or several).

[Alonsomaniac]

If a team decides to put a woman in an F1 car they should be sure she is good enough - otherwise it will be bad for all female racingdrivers who want to reach F1 in the future.
The only one I think was capable of driving F1 races at a reasonable level (which means midfield or with a great car subtop) was Danica Patrick. She really can drive a racingcar and understands the game too.
But we will never know because she did not even want to.....
De Villota I don't know, but what I read about her is not overall giving me great confidence.

[F2008]

I remember her, she was driving for Atletico Madrid in Superleague Formula. She was comfortably slowest in that series.

[NJB13]

I don't really know Maria de Villota, but I suspected what a few local's have said - that she really doesn't have the talent to be in F1. That's a pity because she may do more harm that good to women's chances. There is no way a woman should be given a position unless she has shown the talent.

And, I don't know of any woman who has shown the talent to go to F1 - yet. I don't think Danica is there really either. It would be interesting to hear of any local up and coming talents.

What needs to happen is for spotters to recognise some your up and coming female talents and to give them the opportunities and breaks they need to develop and show those skills. The FDA should stay on the look-out IMO.

[NJB13]

I didn't know I had a Hippocampus. But I'm sure the women did.

Maybe you forgot

[REDARMYSOJA]

Maybe you forgot

Forgot what?

[NJB13]

Forgot what?

That it was your round next

[Meiga]

Certainly no-one seems to have high expectations on her performing well, but that is probably irrelevant - I doubt we will see her behind the wheel of an F1, even in a Friday practice session (current test drivers don't seem to get any mileage at most teams).

However, we may see her in the car in one of the winter sessions in Spain; but then we will have no way to tell how good/poor she is, unless she either beats everybody else's time by 5 secs or stalls the car... :xmaswink:

[Hornet]

To be fair to her, if the are going to hire her, they should let her run at least during a test session or something.

[theforce]

1ST Woman WDC Maria de Villota ???????????????

You got enough question marks there? :xmassmile:

[Homan13PSU]

Physically, females are just not built the same... and F1 is a physically demanding sport.

Yes, females are physically different. However; if I'm not mistaken there are several studies out there that state due to the make up of the female body they are actually able to better cope with g loading than men are.

[Pekka]

She'll never be a WDC..

[xpman]

she has driven the Lotus already

http://www.xydo.com/toolbar/27469049...ta_auto123_com

and this is her in action driving the Lotus Renault at Paul Ricard track

http://youtu.be/RsRjHOxoFD4

[brembo man]

Good luck to her. She has to be at least as good as a 40+ year old has been still allowed on the track. Or a drunkin sailor at the helm pf a F1 car.