Women on Track? F1 fans want women at the wheel!

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Zainab Zaman

Formula 1, long considered a male-dominated sport, is witnessing a shift in attitudes among passionate female fans.

At the Bahrain Grand Prix, these fans stood united in their call for greater inclusion of women in racing. Their message?

Formula 1 needs female drivers, not just spectators.

Rajani Singh, a Formula 1 fan from the UAE, says if more females become a part of Formula 1, then there will be more awareness of the need for female drivers.

“I believe with four races in the region—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi—this is giving a lot of leverage for local females to come up for Formula 1,” she stated.

“I think the barrier for women is not knowing what Formula 1 is about and the taboo of racing being a male sport,” Singh said.

Having more females racing and attending Formula 1 events is considered a start towards having more females joining the adrenaline of racing, asserted Singh.

Career

Archana Prakash, Brand Manager at BMMI in Bahrain, says more women need to be supported by teams and family members to be comfortable considering racing as a career.

“Formula 1 cars and women don’t go along, but I feel people are getting more educated on what racing is, and it’s not open to one gender, in my opinion,” she said.

“I think more and more women are attracted to more sports like football, cricket, and basketball, and it would be a proud moment to see more women in the Grand Prix,” Archana stated.

Amy Leigh-Quine, who has recently moved to Bahrain and was working as an office manager in a local garage in the UK, says she used to be excited to help her male colleagues during car repairs at the garage where she used to work.

“I think females can put in the same effort as men in everything related to making sure the race goes well, from technical issues to having a woman cross the finish line or drive in a worldwide racing competition like Formula 1,” Leigh-Quine said.

Alexandra Foulkes, a fan of Formula 1, says there are no barriers for women who want to take part in professional racing.

“ I love driving fast, and there shouldn’t be any barriers for women who wish to compete in racing,” she said.

Her husband, who was with her, exclaimed, “You’re a better driver than me!” Whether we will have female drivers at F1 soon, in tune with the changes happening in the other male-dominated fields, is a thing only time will tell, but the female fans who talked to The Daily Tribune on the day of the race believe the time has come.