XPost: rec.autos.sport.f1, rec.autos.sport.nascar, rec.autos.sport.indycar

from https://wtf1.com/post/danica-patrick-has-made-some-controversial-comments-on-women-in-motorsport/

DANICA PATRICK HAS MADE SOME CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS ON WOMEN IN MOTORSPORT Posted on July 24, 2023 | by Charley Williams

It’s always one step forward and three steps back for women in
motorsport. Whether you’re a fan or work in the industry, women
constantly battle for equality in what has always been referred to as a
heavily “male-dominated” sport. So many initiatives are committed to increasing female representation, but you don’t expect one of the most successful women in motorsport to drive against that.

Danica Patrick.

She knows a thing or two about success in motorsport, and as a former
IndyCar and NASCAR driver, she helped break barriers in the sport and
inspire young women to do the same.

However, during the Hungarian GP, her comments shocked many in the
motorsport community – especially as her words were said to a young girl during the kid-led ‘F1 Juniors’ broadcast.

When asked by said girl if she would like to see women compete in
Formula 1, she said: “As I’ve always said in my whole career, it takes
100 guys to come through to find a good one, and then it takes 100
girls. That takes a long time to find a good one, right?

“It’s just, the odds are not in favour of there always being one or
being many of them.” And then it started to unravel.

“And at the end of the day, I think that the nature of the sport is masculine. It’s aggressive.

“You have to, you know, handle the car – not only just the car because that’s skill, but the mindset that it takes to be really good is
something that’s not normal in a feminine mind, a female mind.

“You have to be like, for me, I know if somebody tries to bow up to make
it difficult on me, I would go into like an aggressive kill mode, right?

“You just want to go after them, and that’s just not a natural feminine thought. I say that because I’ve asked my friends about it, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s not how I think.'”

Quite disappointing to hear that a woman who won in IndyCar against a world-class field of men thinks you can’t be “stereotypically female” (whatever that means) to get ahead in this sport – instead, you have to
think like a man to win? Hmm.

What do you make of Danica’s comments?


Dragon⁴⁴🇺🇦
a day ago
I think it is perfectly fine to say that men and women think
differently, and that motorsports are more suited to the former than the latter. It is disappointing, but I don't think it is untrue what Danica
said.


BoltGM
a day ago
Another top motorsports are dominated by men of because way more boys
are started karting and doing other entry motorsports than girls.
This is especially true when you look at kids starting super young.
Girls are extremely underrepresented.


Alexandre Takacs BoltGM
a day ago
But are there that many 5yo girls that want to go karting ?


Jp
a day ago
Charley.. You’re a fool to play the card that she’s disingenuous with
her observations.

She knows more about this sport than you ever will so if she say you
have to play to stereotypes don’t try to pick holes with your modern
opinions to discredit her experience.


Phillip Watters
a day ago
Men and women are different, but that doesn't mean there aren't women
out there who could succeed in Formula 1 or any other racing series.


Anglus 153
a day ago
Sorry but when/where is sport equal at the gender level, chess but that
is a mindsport not physical. F1/motorsport is look at women now who
drive at indycar or junior formula categories they cannot compete yet or
barely at the highest. It is not women's fault but it is just like other
sports where the level of the men is 10x higher atm.


Rodrigo Naranjo
a day ago
yea, lets manslpain to a WOMAN how hard it is for a WOMAN to succeed in
this sport. IF only a man could explain to Danica... that its all the
same! really?

You proved her point.


wendy edwards
a day ago
Unfortunately she speaks the truth, sometimes people don't want to
always hear that. Would you rather she lied to say a more palatable
statement for the sake of...who? The masses? The politically correctness police? Not for girls, because if you have the desire to race, then you
will race. If you have the attitude you need to race, then you will
race. Any girl or woman with the right attitude and desire can and will
be up there with the best of any man.

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