F1 boss Stefano Domenicali questioned over ‘meteorite’ comment on female drivers
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has been questioned over his choice of words on female drivers.
The Italian landed in hot water when he said that he does not expect a woman to race at the top level of F1 in the next five years.
“Realistically speaking, unless there is something like a meteorite, I don’t see a girl coming into F1 in the next five years. That is very unlikely,” he claimed via BBC Sport.
READ MORE: Only woman to compete in F2 series to make surprise comeback at Belgian Grand Prix
So far only two women have ever started an F1 Grand Prix – one was Maria Teresa de Filippis, who competed five times in the 1950s. The other was Lella Lombardi – who took part in 12 races in the mid-1970s.
Domenicali had said it was ‘crucial to give the maximum possibility for women to come to F1 – we are totally dedicated to that’. And that: “We are working on that to see what we can do to improve the system. And you will see soon some action.”
(Image: Live Media/IPA / SplashNews.com)
However four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has called out the chief for his words, saying that it sent the wrong message to female drivers. “It’s statements like that which I guess women or girls are probably confronted with when they are growing up and sharing their dreams, sitting at breakfast saying I want to become a racing driver,” Vettel said.
“And the father might just have read exactly statements like that and say: ‘You do like other things, why not focus on other things?’
“Maybe they do focus on other things and drop racing or the idea. It is important we don’t say these things because there are sparks everywhere.”
(Image: (Photo by Joe Portlock – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images))
F1 is currently promoting the female-only W Series by launching its races at a number of grands prix this season.
“We are very happy with the collaboration with Formula W,” Domenicali said. “But we believe that to be able to give the chance to girls to be at the same level of competition with the guys, they need to be at the same age when they start to fight on the track at the level of Formula 3 and Formula 2.
“We are working on that to see what we can do to improve the system. And you will see soon some action. We want to build up the right parameters with the right approach for them to start racing against the guys, at the right age, with the right car.”
READ NEXT:
