Girls like motorsport too, you know.
I, for one, am growing tired of the petty little comments about being a female and liking racing.
It does not make me special, it does not make me any different to any other fan of speed.
Whilst we still may be the minority gender when it comes to motorsport, it does not require endless sexist comments and inappropriate remarks.
I’m not trying to play the victim here, I am just trying to be real.
The horror when I opened this, from an official Formula 1 team’s Snapchat.
The raw speed, the aggression, the split second decisions – racing is my life. But hold up, I am a girl. I can’t like racing. I shouldn’t like racing. Racing is for men.
Why are we being shamed for our passion?
If I want to wear race gear, I will wear race gear. Like any other fan, I support teams, I like to wear and own merchandise. It is not attention seeking, it is simply expressing that I like racing. I will don on a Red Bull polo for me, and me only, to show my support. So I shall wear my merchandise proud, without replying to the comments. I don’t want to be told to take my bra off and I certainly will not go to bed with you.
It is not attention seeking, it is simply expressing that I like racing. I will don on a Red Bull polo for me, and me only, to show my support. So I shall wear my merchandise proud, without replying to the comments. I don’t want to be told to take my bra off and I certainly will not go to bed with you.
The derogatory comments are another thing. Through different publications, I’ve been named, by professional and respected journalists, everything from ‘that bitch’ to ‘hoe’ and ‘slag’. It’s not nice, not pleasant, and it is happening time and time again to females in the racing community and not just from those employed in the sport. It is an endless tiresome cycle which seems to be getting worse.
I really do struggle to apprehend the fascination and the surprise people have with ladies liking racing. It’s no different to men liking cooking. That is accepted, so why can’t this be?
It’s the 21st Century. Girls like cars. Deal with it.
Helena 🙂 xx
Yes, Helena, we do.
Whilst Iv never had to deal with some of what you mentioned, people never tire telling me how weird it is that I like Motorsport. Or telling my other half that he is a lucky guy (!!!), like I’m a prize. Or telling me that it must be a cause I like to look at the drivers. At Silverstone last year, someone asked me who I was supporting and they then said, if they were a chick they would support him too as he is hot. It is really really annoying.
I’m sorry you have had to go through that! It is about time we stopped getting treated like prizes. Where is the goddam equality?
My wife is a motorsport fan although she doesn’t like F1, thinks it’s fake! That said, she loves the BTCC so I’m not sure how valid her argument is really haha.
Anyway, in a way this is a brave article speaking out but totally valid. It’s distgusting youve experienced this stuff but not unexpected. Maybe with more women racing in F1 such things will lessen, but it’ll take a very long time I fear.
I look forward to reading more of your stuff H 🙂
Thank you for your comment! There shall be lots more to come.
Sorry to hear you’ve had to put up with the sexist name calling. That hasn’t happened to me (at least not to my face) but it never ceases to amaze me how many people are shocked when they find out I follow F1. I have been known to unfollow people because of their sexist tweets.
I’ve been to maybe 35 GP’s over the years and there has always been lots of women attending them. I think the breakdown in NASCAR is something like 60%-40% (men – women).
Part of it has to do with a bit of a backlash against people like Susie Wolff when she claimed she didn’t get into F1 because she was “discriminated” against – when the real reason was she didn’t have the talent. And then there is Carmen Jordi…………..
Then you have drivers with talent, like Christina Nielsen, who have paid their dues and no one she’s them as out of place.
In my country it’s rare to find a girl who likes f1. But in my country it’s rare to find a guy that likes f1. So it evens out 😂
F1 is the so called pinnacle of Motorsport and yet it lags far behind many other categories where women are a significant factor
Mrs Oddball sets the alarm for the fly away races and attends most meetings with myself. I told a tale a few months ago about a duck and Spa..that was one she couldn’t attend and she laughed all the way home as I missed the ferry..Karma is a fickle foe.
F1 is a tough nut to crack but in the last ten years I have seen many more female engineering students in the pits, one such person works in the BTCC and is a rising star in this field..watch out for her,she has talent.
Thanks Helena, that’s a real heartfelt piece
Sadly I don’t think this phenomenon is just in motorsport, it’s been the status quo in general. In it’s simplest form, an attractive girl walking down the street getting comments from men. I can see why some women don’t let on that they’re women in social media following F1.
It is sad that this is going on – in the fifties and sixties rallying had people like Pat Moss-Carlson, Rosemary Smith and Michelle Mouton, who won several times in the Quattro in the 1980s.
“Voulez vous coucher avec mois”.. Mois is the french word for “month”?
Some hicks like to whistle at women, other hicks don’t like women in racing, and other Hicks want to write about F1. Do your thing.
I met my wife @ Monza. She was there as a fan, as was I.