CoopsII wrote:CaptainGetz12 wrote:But is the "physical difference" problem not applicable here? F1 cars are certainly not easy cars to drive, as much as they seem to be today. In the "is F1 too easy? " thread there was a discussion about F1 drivers having to be very well trained physically to even compete in modern-day machines. If that is the case, then perhaps the current caliber of F1 cars are tuned for the male standard, a standard that few women, if any, could be competitive against?
I'm not sure it is applicable these days, I think there's a requirement for stamina rather than upper body strength, if that's what you mean?
Indeed. With power steering, muscle mass is not at the top of the priority list. That's not to totally discount its importance, but it's not the number one factor any longer either.
Your neck needs to be able to stand the G-forces involved in the high speed cornering that the high downforce cars of today generate. The races are still reasonably long (longer than typical feeder series' races at the very least), and the conditions in the cockpit are cramped and hotter than the atmospheric conditions, so it requires much stamina. Being able to consistently perform at the same level both mentally and physically for between 100 and 120 minutes straight is vitally important.
Now, I am no expert on the human body or the differences between genders, but at least from a common sense point of view, that doesn't seem like a particular area where men would excel over females on a natural level, simply by being born into that gender. It's all about putting in the hours to maintain general fitness levels as high as possible. The fitness level in itself does not correspond to a driver's adeptness at the wheel, it merely helps them be as prepared as possible and avoid their performance suffering a decline over the course of the race.
Plus, if you are talking about natural differences in physiology between the two genders, women already begin with a headstart - their average height and weight in comparison to males gives them an advantage in ensuring the car can find a better balance - less driver weight means the extra ballast required to meet minimum weight (or perhaps just the location of components if the car is designed around a lead driver that is female) can be put where it is needed to help find a better car balance, away from the cockpit.
We don't need seperate classes for males and females. It's just women are playing against the odds in what is a numbers game. Disclaimer - None of the following numbers are accurate, they are merely estimates to demonstrate a point;
You have rookies 100 drivers per season joining the entry-level single seater feeder series (FRenault 2.0, F4 and the like). Of these, only 5 are women. Of the 100 drivers, two will make it to Formula 1. Every 5 seasons, one of these ten drivers that made it to F1 will become a world champion. Another three will win an F1 race. Look at how slim the odds that one of the five women that joined every year would go on to be a top driver in that scenario. That is the reality - there are not enough female racing drivers to expect more than one of them every few decades to be any good. We experienced the last instance of this in the 1980s - Michèle Mouton was that one female driver who made it big. She came so close to being a World Champion.
It's been 33 years since Mouton finished 2nd in the WRC Drivers' Championship, and 31 since she last stood on the podium at an official round of the WRC. We are due another world class female driver.
But only one. Any more than one would simply be against the odds. It's not a case that women are automatically inferior, oh no. It's merely that there aren't enough involved in racing to begin with for there to be many instances of truly great female drivers. Either there is a major societal shift where becoming a racing driver is as popular a dream career for girls growing up as it is for boys, or the situation stays the same.
There must not be a separate championship for women. There aren't enough talented female drivers to fill such a series, because there aren't enough women drivers in general to help filter out the talented ones from the mediocre ones. In terms of the overall calibre of the field, such a series would barely rival Auto GP, and would not be justified in calling itself a counterpart to Formula 1.