You have probably heard of Susie Wolff if you are a fan of Formula One.
If not, she is the ambitious young woman who hopes to soon join the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel on the starting grid as part of Formula One.
Formula One is considered to be a man’s world, the refuge of petrol-heads fuelled by testosterone, attempting to all be better than each other by racing the fastest and being the boldest when overtaking each other on the track.
The only women that you really see in the world of car racing at this level are the dolly-birds in the pit lane and on the award podium, and the beautiful women on the arms of the drivers.
There is a woman making her way through the ranks, and she has already proved herself to be really very good, named as the top driver in the world in karting in 2000 and moving forward from there.
Wolff took up karting when she was just eight years old and has progressed from the sport up through Formula Renault and Formula Three. She is currently a development driver for Williams, carrying out aerodynamical tests and simulators with all of the new development parts.
2006 saw Wolff take another huge step by competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaf (DTM), the German Touring Car series. This is one of the largest championships of its kind. If you want to bet on Wolff’s performance, you can at www.betfair.com.
Bernie Ecclestone, the primary authority when it comes to Formula One racing, has already managed to catch the ire of feminists cheering on the racing star as he said: ‘If Susie’s as quick in a car as she looks good out of a car, she’ll be a huge asset.’
Wolff shrugs off any criticism to do with her gender when it comes to racing, and no doubt has to shoulder much grief from men making jokes about ‘women drivers.’
Thankfully, her racing credentials put any sexism to one side as she proves herself to be an excellent driver and more than capable of dealing with the supposed cut-throat world of Formula One.
Lella Lombardi is the last woman to compete in the sport, debuting in 1974 and taking part in both Formula One and the popular NASCAR. She is the only women to have a top six finish in F1 but Wolff hopes that she won’t be the last.
