Women lack mental aptitude for Formula 1 - Moss

Yes, definitely women fighter pilots - don't you remember the 'and finally' bit on the news when a woman finally got to play with the red arrows?

Interesting point about g forces and necks upthread - David Coulthard was talking about it with Lewis Hamilton in the bumf bit before the race yesterday, I was looking at old photos and Coulthard's neck no longer looks like it belongs on a Marvel Superhero! Hamilton was saying that the support in the cockpit of more recent cars is fantastic compared with when he first started.

And second LRD octanegirl - well done - can I come along for a ride one day?

There were women pilots during wars, at least.

I will admit I know about this because I recently found out that W E Johns, who wrote the Biggles books, also wrote a series of books about a woman pilot during the war, which is fairly similar in tone.

A difference in genetically-programmed attitude to risk, rather than mental ability, I reckon. F1 drivers, in particular, are mentally prepared to win at whatever cost, get in that car and drive as fast as possible. They don't think about possibility of killing themselves when they're in the actual act of racing. Women are more likely to calculate risk and outcome and adjust behaviour accordingly, especially if they've something to protect.

Btw, I am mega impressed and/or jealous of you, octane.

I remember reading about the women astronauts, slug. Though the USSR had a better record (slightly).

I have my racing licence. Quite frankly I was amazed that I was able to stop thinking about bunny rabbits, cupcakes and handbags for long enough to pilot the car around the track in the assessment. Do I get a medal?

I think its a numbers thing. Look how many men race and how few make it to F1. Now look at how FEW women race - no wonder there aren't any in F1.

Actually, women, because of the higher percentage of fluids in their bodies, actually cope better with G Forces than men.

There was a whole parallel female astronaut training programme in the 60's. The American need for 'heroes' (for that read men) in the space programme meant they never made it into space.

I wonder if the design of cars might be part of it. Lots of cars are designed for men, aren't they? Women's bodies are quite different so I imagine that to optimize a woman driver's performance you'd have to do some redesigning and perhaps think outside the box a bit.

If G force is an issue then why are there female astronauts?

Disorganised there was a brief comment made about necks in the documentary last night but it was very much in passing in a "ooh my helmet nearly flew off" kind of a way.

I had something to do with a woman racing driver professionally. Now, this may be bollocks and hopefully someone will know for sure, but she told me that the shortage of women at the top of Formula 1 (in motor racing generally) is because our necks can't take the G force. Racing drivers have very very thick necks. Racing puts a huge amount of strain on them. Women's necks can't get that strength, whatever we do.

Nothing to do with brains but a bit to do with our pretty little heads I guess.

I think Sir Stirling also made a comment about not wanting a 'puffter' (sic?) to play him in a biopic earlier this year.

Absolutely showering himself in glory at the moment.

I did a rally driving course once with a load of blokes. I won

oh yes, the mental capacity to drive around for hours. It must be so draining, Im sure they are all members of Mensa, right?

Strange comment from a man whose sister Pat was no slouch at Rallying...........

Stirling Moss is a twat, he's always coming out with stuff like this. All his comments about 'ladies' The 1950s are gone, Stirling, get over it.

It's a simple case of numbers- only a fraction of the children that are taken to karting lessons will make it to F1, and how many of those are girls?

The serried ranks of local models all dressed in some version of national costume are definitely an Ecclestone era thing.

To be a successful driver, you need at least some genuine talent, and either very wealthy parents or obsessionally supportive ones, think Venus and Serena Williams' dad level.

There are a few women racing and test driving in the other Formulae, but no sign of any making it anywhere near F1 at the moment. There are very few women working in the engineering side either.

The F1 circus cannot be described as family friendly. My father was part of it, but quit driving when I came along, mainly because my mother made it clear she didn't want to be a widow. He did stay involved in design work, but stopped travelling round the world for the whole season.

The line of vacuous identikit scantily clad girls lining up as the drivers go onto the podium is relatively recent. I don't like it as to mee, it seems that these girls are also prizes and nothing more.
They quite possibly are not vacuous but by being shown like this, this is how it comes across.

northender - oh the hallways lined with girls or the director obsessed with showing drivers girlfriends but obviously only if they are young and very thin.

Stirling tends to say stupid things so it doesn't surprise me at all. The man is obsessed with bringing back the good old days... Oh yes Stirling where people - drivers, mechanics, stewards and spectators died regularly.

It's not because he is a man or old he says these things but because he is ignorant.

He really can fuck right off.

I suggest he fucks off as far as Brittany, and has a chat with Sam Davies who races a 60 foot yacht around the world singlehanded. For months on end.

I've long ago lost interest in F1 but the last time we saw any of it on tv was the aftermath of a race and showed the winning driver going down a staircase lined by bikini clad girls fawning over him . Light years away from any sort of equality. The comments don't surprise me at all