‘I believe…’ David Coulthard provides timeline for when he expects to see a woman driver in F1

David Coulthard, who won 13 races with McLaren and Williams, has given a timeline for when he thinks there will be a woman driver(s) in Formula 1.

‘I believe…’ David Coulthard provides timeline for when he expects to see a woman driver in F1

Pictured: (Drivers from the F1 Academy) David Coulthard has given the timeline for when he expects to see women drivers in F1

In the last few years, there has been increasing impetus to increase opportunities for women in Formula 1 and related motorsport. To this effect, the W series was started, and the F1 Academy has the same goal. But the situation right now means that a woman getting a permanent seat in F1 still seems very far away. Susie Wolff, the managing director of the all-women series F1 Academy, felt a woman driving in F1 was still 8-10 years away. David Coulthard has given a similar estimate.

The last woman to compete full-time, or race at all in F1 was Lella Lombardi. She was also one of only two women to qualify for a Grand Prix, and the only one to score points. She raced in 12 Grands Prix between 1974 and 1976. The other woman to qualify for a Grand Prix was her compatriot, Maria Teresa de Filippis, who started 3 Grands Prix in 1958 and 1959.

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Jamie Chadwick is one of the best women’s prospects for F1, having won all three seasons of the W Series. However, the future of the series isn’t looking good – it was canceled before completion last season. There hasn’t been an official announcement of them canceling the 2023 season, but it looks unlikely to happen now. For Coulthard, the key lies in providing women with the same support as men get.

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Speaking at an event for IWC, the Briton said as per RacingNews365.com: “I’ve always been very supportive of women in motorsport. I was involved with the W Series in the memory of my sister, also a part of a program called ‘>= More than Equal’, which is supporting young girls in karting.” Craig Pollock, the founder of the BAR F1 team, is planning to enter a team into F1 by the name of Formula Equal – with 50% women and 50% men. This would be quite an important step for women’s representation in F1.

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David Coulthard: Women drivers must receive same backing as Hamilton-Verstappen

David Coulthard
David Coulthard

David Coulthard believes that a woman driver in Formula 1 is only a question of time. He feels it’s pivotal for them to receive enough backing on the road to the sport. The Briton said: “It is just a question of time, and it’s going to be about having more young girls coming into karting, and it’s about giving them the same support that Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have had to really enable them to realize their talent.”

As for a timeline of when fans could see women drivers, Coulthard said: “In the next decade, I believe we’ll see a woman in Formula 1.” Sophia Floersch, who is currently competing with PHM (by Charouz) in Formula 3, was hoping to reach F1 in three to five years. According to Coulthard’s assessment, and Susie Wolff’s, it doesn’t seem Floersch will achieve that goal.

But anything is possible, and provided the stars align for her, the German could certainly reach Formula 1. It all depends on what she shows of herself in F3, and perhaps, F2. She has already made quite an impressive comeback from her Macau GP crash in 2018 – even winning the 2020 Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year.

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