When Venusians Take the Wheel

Personal commentary. 

We are exactly one week away from the season opener in Australia. If detailed figures are what you are asking for, I am pleased to announce that we are technically one day away to the Australian GP week, five days to the first two practices and six days to the third practice along with qualifying. 

What is more important is the fact that today marks the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of the MH370. It still remains a mystery on how the plane ever disappeared from the face of this earth. I am not really good with words on serious matters like this but I do hope the best for the loved ones of the victims. I understand how hard it is to recover from this disastrous tragedy seeing how there is not a single piece of evidence to come to a resolution. I wish them to stay strong and hopefully (just hopefully) they will grow numb to this significant one year of their disappearance. I know it does sound cruel of me but I think it is the best for all. Forgetting and leaving the people we love most in the deepest abyss of our memories leave us more time to enjoy the remainder of our lives. Just take a moment to imagine this. Our lives revolve around a large hour glass. The amount of sand in it is infinite right up to when the last bits of sand passes through its neck. Each of us has a certain number of chances from a permanent visit with Death, each of us has a different shape and size of a personal hour glass. I wouldn't say it is about luck, it is more of when is one's "time up". SO in conclusion, don't blame anyone, don't hold grudges, don't be sad. No one wanted that to happen, no one even saw that happening. Wherever these victims are, living or dead, it is time to wake up and start reliving. Again, I wish the best for the family members, friends, acquaintances and colleagues who had these people in any part of the lives. Just move on, one wouldn't know when those remaining grains of sand will touch the bottom of your hourglass. 

Coincidentally, this day also marks a momentous milestone for women: a day to celebrate the many achievements of a woman. Thank you to all the women out there who have become inspirations to younger girls like me by proving themselves as stronger heads than the opposite sex. The gratitude also extends to the men who have given these women the opportunity to rise up the ranks. There is definitely still room for improvement. There are still women who have been disregarded as sex symbols; women who are deemed trophy wives or full time managers of the household.

My main purpose of coming up with this blog post today is to discuss about the women in the motorsport world, acquiring this inspiration from last week's announcement of Carmen Jordá's new role in F1. It is International Women's Day after all and what better way to get one's thinking cap on about this disputed topic by blogging about it in a female motorsport fanatic perspective.

Let's admit this, everything gets controversial whenever there is a woman involved in a male-dominated industry. I have to admit that men are the stronger sex, they seem to be born with that naturally powerful image. Even so, has anyone contemplated if the world had started the other way round? What if women was the sex god chose to be at the top of the sex pyramid? Just think about it. Yes, men are the breadwinners but what makes them so special just because they are physically built to be muscular so they can work on the more demanding tasks? I might also include that men are also the factor towards the gender of a baby but has anyone spared a thought for women? Women are the ones who have to put up with a new being in the womb for nine months, adding weight to the mom as she has to travel and carry on her day. They face the monthly “shaves of death” (you should know what I mean, the hint would be “monthly”) and yet there are those masochists who still look down on women.

Having women in the motorsport world is not a foreign issue. There are many ways of seeing who is the first woman to break into the motorsport scene. The first woman to compete in a form of motorsport dates back to 1897. It was just a motorised tricycle race but at that time, it was one of the rare occasions to have women behind a steering device. The first woman to actually race on an international level is French driver Hélène van Zuylen just one year later. She had this participation advantage due to her husband who was the organiser of the III Grand Prix de l'ACF, also known as the French Grand Prix when it was not part of the Formula One championship. She was an influential female motoring pioneer who had gathered female drivers of her time to compete under the Belle Epoch together. As more women receive more rights, the post World War I period saw more women take part in motor racing. 

Here is just a list of some prominent woman figures who have the honour of representing the female population and their highest achievements in some well-known motorsports:

Formula One: 1958 Maria Teresa de Filippis (Italian), pioneer in the sport (5 races with 3 starts)

Formula E: 2014* Katherine Legge (British), 24^th (2 races with 1 start)

                              Michela Cerruti (Italy), 22^nd (4 races with 3 starts)

WEC: 2012 Keiko Ihara (Japanese), 3^rd (2014)

DTM: 2006 Susie Wolff (British), 13^th (2010)

                   Vanina Ickx (Belgian), 19^th (2006)

WRC: 1990 Louise Aitken-Walker (British), FIA Ladies’ World Rally Champion

NASCAR: 1949 Sara Christian (American), 13^th

Indy Car Series: 1977 Janet Guthrie (American), 9^th (1978)

* season still ongoing

Of course, some female drivers have surpassed their fellow heroes’ accomplishments but I personally feel there is still a long way to go. I would say this is still in its beginning stages despite the fact that many women have successfully broken into the motorsport world. Just look at the highly prestigious motorsport category. Have we seen any female F1 drivers having a full time drive: racing in all seasons throughout the season and not just during practices? NO. Take GP3 for another example, the only female driver to have scored points is Alice Powell. She only scored that one point in one race. Then what about the latest female F1 driver recruit Carmen Jordá? Hasn’t won a single motorsport category she has participated in her life (so far) and voila: “We are happy to announce Carmen Jordá as a Development Driver for Lotus F1 Team.” This, to me, definitely does not make the most logical sense.

Isn't it strange to hear this from a girl? I know I do sound really critical of this entire situation but trust me, I would say I am 99.9% feminist. I look up to Malala Yousafzai, Christiane Amanpour, Aung Sang Suu Kyi, Amelia Earhart, Katniss Everdeen and Disney’s Mulan (I know the last two are fictional). I love seeing women in any kinds of motorsport, just like how I love seeing how my women of inspiration get to succeed in getting their  points heard and fulfilled. The current female drivers deserve to be where they are now, getting places, getting promoted but the question once again comes down to this: do some of them deserve this? Is it worth seeing a female driver get that desired role only to not perform up the mark and receive more gender stereotypes as a result? Also, is it just me or do most female drivers have rather sensual poses in their photoshoots? I understand they are women but is it really necessary to portray them that way? It is basically sending the wrong message to the audience, that women drivers are only pretty to the eye and they are basically not skilful racers (Danica Patrick is one of the exceptions).

In spite of all the negatives I have pointed out so far, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. There are a good deal of girls who have taken an interest in karting at a very young age in this 21^st century. They grow up loving and embracing it; dreaming of joining the major leagues when their time comes. For now, having a steady number of women getting their hands on higher categories of motorsport is a good way to start of in this eminently men-populated sport. We even see that in the management side of motorsport; Claire Williams and Monisha Kaltenborn are the only female F1 team principals we have so far who show a great deal of authority in holding their position over the team. I believe female drivers will soon be on equal footing as the male drivers in a few years time and add another few more years down the road to actually outdo them.

Once again, I would like to wish all women Happy International Women’s Day. To all the female drivers, thanks for sacrificing your time to actually concentrate full time on your motorsport career (I know how hard it is to be a normal woman: starting/raising a family when you’re in this field) and thank you for proving to us that women CAN race. Lella Lombardi for one is by far the only female F1 driver to have scored points (though it is just a 0.5). You ladies are the greatest inspiration of all to future female drivers and you should be really proud of how far you have come. :) Keep up the fabulous job and kick the guys’ asses! :p 

I would like to acknowledge Google and FIA for the immense amount of information I have extracted as part of this blog post. They truly deserve the credit. :D