I have a friend who’s a little unreconstructed, a tad blokey, just a smidgin sexist. Ask him if he thinks men are better drivers than women and he’ll tell you straight: “No, absolutely not. I don’t think they are. I know they are.”
Being a sensitive, soft-skinned type myself – I grew up in a house with several copies of Germaine Greer’s books in it – this causes us to have the odd Barney, and not just because I like how his neck glows redder when he’s angry. I’ve pointed out that lots of women can, in fact, drive. And that accident statistics suggest they have less bingles than we men, who rate our own skills so highly that we drive at 200km/h as soon as we get our L plates.
In the past, he’s raised the point – repeatedly – that women clearly can’t drive because there are so few of them in Formula One. But, and I can’t wait to discuss this with him, that’s all about to change. An American team is about to enter the maelstrom of motorsport’s ultimate racing series, which could be very confusing for a country of racers who only know how to turn one way.
USF1 plans to join the circus next year, and one of its drivers may well be IndyCar star Danica Patrick. Patrick has already proven she can race with the big boys, and make them look bad, and seeing her step up to F1 will outrage some fans and delight others. It will be interesting to see how her body copes, though. I was once told the story, by an F1 engineer, of how Juan Pablo Montoya – another IndyCar veteran – had gone on his first testing lap of a Formula One Williams BMW. Apparently, despite his high level of fitness, the G forces were so overwhelming that he came around the last corner onto the straight with his cheek on his shoulder. His neck had simply collapsed under the immense pressures.
So, what do you think, can a woman beat a guy called Kimi?
Danica seems to have the goods in IndyCar. It would be interesting to see if she can perform in the Grand Prix arena. Shame we have to wait another full season to see though. For this year bring on the Melbourne Grand Prix, March 26-29.
Stephen do you know anything about the day/night race detail? Someone told me it’s only going to be a couple of hours later, so thats hardly racing in the dark.
hey, Can someone tell me where i can buy the fake ferraris that were used in the live show in sydney?
or is TG continuing to use them as genuine ferraris to fool public further
Oh Bob, what a fool you are. Those cars would never make a comfortable bed. Best you stick with your Jim Beam Racing doona and Brockie slippers. Mummy will be along with a cup of Milo shortly.
I don’t think Melbourne’s going the Singapore-style whole hog with the lights, not a hope.
And Bobbledyke, you’re a menace.
The Melbourne GP race starts at 5pm, so those sooks in the UK don’t have to get up so early. Funny, they’ve only been doing it for 20 years now… Idiots.
Oh, and Patrick is a sook. She threw some mega tantys in IndyCar last year – just ask Ryan Briscoe!
I think it’s great for Patrick to race in f1. Thing is, she won’t win anything if she has a crap car. In Indy she was racing a car everyone else had too. So of course she was kind of competitive. Remember she only won one race. And apparently the planets and moons were aligned for her to do it.
Think about f1…..how many different blokes won a race last season? Not many. Not when only two maybe three teams are competitive.
Still waiting on Mark Webber to win a bloody race aren’t we.
My fear is that just because Danica can’t win at f1, that’s evidence for all women being shit at f1.
Mark who? Webber? Is he related to Spiderman?
Hell yes – more women in auto sport – come on guys think about it sitting down to watch the f1 or whatever and actually having the missus half interested!!
Not – is that crap finished yet!!!
Sex sells (big time) and $$$ is what the car industry needs right now ,time to think out of the square.
As we all know if you lety her think its her idea – you can do anything.
Unless your boobledyke,he needs to ask his mum first.
I have to wonder… what does this chick look like? Is she a) hot, or b) a pigdog? If the answer is a), then I will wonder if it’s her talent or her novelty value that got her to where she is today. (And I hope she gets the opportunity to prove that theory wrong.)
If the answer is b), I’ll be very surprised.
I’ve been thinking about this ‘which sex is the better driver’ thing all day. And in answer to the Corbster’s final question, I think some women are better drivers than some men. And some men are better drivers than most women. But I reckon it would be some sort of genetic statistical anomaly for her to be the best driver on the planet.
And I want more evidence on this ‘men have more accidents than women and therefore are worse drivers’ theory: does that mean a higher percentage of men than women have accidents? I know a few couples where the chick has never driven in her life. I don’t know of one couple where the bloke doesn’t drive (unless it’s a, um, legally enforced court order, frinstance).
So, if more men are in the drivers seat, and perhaps for longer too (depending on their job), then of course they will statistically rack up more accidents.
It doesn’t make them worse drivers, though.
Malibu you’re so sexist. ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH HHHH!
Does she have enough experience racing in Europe? I know she raced in the UK as a teenager, but to what extent, I don’t know.
Scott Dixon, who’s a damn sight better than Patrick (and that isn’t me knocking her, he’s batter than everyone in IndyCar right now) said that the door was pretty much closed on him making an attempt at Formula 1 because he hasn’t been able to move through the system on European tracks. Spa is a long way from simply turning left four times.
You look at guys like Bourdais and Montoya who have come from Indy racing and have had years of European racing experiences, and it was anything but a smooth ride for them. And these guys were IndyCar champions, Danica has won a single race in four years.
Can a woman compete in Formula 1? I hope so. I’d love that, it’d be great. Is Danica Patrick that woman? I doubt it.
I think an image search, Malibu, or even, dare I say it, a look a the gallery on carsguide.com, will reveal that’s she’s pretty hot.
And I believe that men are over represented statistically in car accidents of all kinds, except carpark bingles, where it’s 10 to 1 to the girls. Roughly.
“As we all know if you lety her think its her idea – you can do anything.
Unless your boobledyke,he needs to ask his mum first.”
Shakespearean in your breadth and understanding of human nature, Black Dog.
Bet you’ve really got her “sorted”, eh?
I notice you posted at 4.30pm – just got home from school, did we? Tucking into a big glass of milk with a side order of Iced Vo Vos, before settling down for a highly entertaining episode of “H20: Just Add Water” on Channel 10?
What the hell is wrong with you people? Driver training is nothing but a farce. Driver training is just so prepubescent kids can get their jollies driving their fully sick excels fast on a skid pan somewhere. It does nothing to save lives and everything to rip more dollars from your pocket. I’d rather teach my kids to drive any day. Besides, since when have we started taking guidance from insurance companies? These are the same people who will search for a way to screw you out of your payout.
From what i was lead to understand from an insider with the insurance sector, women infact do have more accidents, however they have little stupid ones, bumping into things in carparks, running into your garage.
Where men have less accidents but larger ones, due to several things.
Womens accidents cost less to fix by the insurance companies so they get lower premiums.
Driving to the shops, to pick up dinner, that’s the only driving Danica Patrick should be allowed to do. And even then she’d probably have a bingle in the car park.
Miss Daisy, are you sure you’re not a confused man?
Hey Mr Corby, I’m a confused man. What’s your point?
Danica will definitely do well, if – which is a big if – USF1 is competitive. If not…
About the ‘night’ race, I don’t think it’s in total darkness at all, just one where our fellow mates the poms wake up at a more, er, reasonable, time slot.
fbholden pretty much hit the nail on the head, if she was racing for Ferrari, yeah of course she would win, any other team… Maybe not. Depeends on pitstops, breakdowns and safety cars.
Barry… not only schoolkids get home at 4.30, some people start work at 6am dude or are you so stuck in your 9-5 ritual so much that you forget that?
Tom, Try posting in the right topic, and when you do, try to validate your opinion with some relevant evidence, you can go ahead and teach your kids to be ignorant if you like, it’s not our family tree you are endangering.
dadvs1 is right, girls have more, but guys have bigger, girls get sorted out with insurance, guys get sorted out in the morgue. The big question is….
Will she pose for FHM?
tom mcCinulnty you obviously want to teach your children your bad habits that you have developed over the years, just to save a few bucks and probably allow your kids to buy a good ol falcon or olden v8 as their fist car “as milk and juice come in two liters” type of ignorant bloke i think you are. we need to prevent children or parents of children like you from purchasing performance vehicles for these children as everyone should be aware that a person of 16 years in australia is still regarded as a child/ minor according to liquor stores ( bottle-o) in your language
corby its interesting you should mention the collapsed neck cause, women are biologically constructed differently to men if i remember from my old school days, so I am interested in seeing or finding out how she copes as well and i do believe it gives f1 a bit of new life and brings into the new century and out of the stone age so to speak
Dont worry about Bobby Teh Shadow, hes got all the time in the world. Hes a broke ass 40 year old virgin living in his parents spare bedroom. So he can post whenever he wants to, like when he wakes up at 2 in the afternoon.
Iv got her sorted ay i wish – while im eating my iced vo vos!! – well there not iced vo vos ,there milk arrowroot with butter and im not allowed to watch tv till i do my home work.
Then im allowed to go on the computer and pretend im all grown up and know all about fast cars – just like the rest of ther people here!!