Susie Wolff

[steveaki13]

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2014/02/williams-give-susie-wolff-chance-to-be-first-woman-in-an-f1-grand-prix-weekend-for-22-years/

Susie Wolff is going to become the first female F1 driver at a GP weekend for 22 years this season when she gets two free practice sessions this season in the car.

[Koz]

I am surprised they didn't let her run a session yet.

But good for her.

[steveaki13]

Will be interesting to see how she goes. I don't honestly believe she is going to be setting the world alight. I mean she is to old to suddenly take F1 by storm and doesn't have an "epic" pedigree but lets hope Susie does well and gets to show us what she can do.

Maybe even prove us wrong.

[henners88]

I'm shocked she hasn't already taken part in a GP weekend for Williams I have to say, so for me this is more shock she hasn't, rather than she will *be*.

[schmenke]

Sounds like Williams is desperate for a bit of publicity.
Susie Wolff has not raced competitively in an open cockpit series since, what, 2005?
Since then she’s been racing in the DTM where I don’t remember her ever placing in the top 10 in any event :mark: .

[Tazio]

Now that Suzie and Simona are being groomed for F1 racing seats. The pertinent question to me is; when they have the inevitable cat fight whose ass will get thoroughly whupped. I think that Simona would butch-slam Suzie, but perhaps Suzie shouldn't be underrated. She is a wiry little minx :smash: :love:

[Mia 01]

Toto Wolf still ownes 16% of Wiiliams I belive.

[AndyL]

Sounds like Williams is desperate for a bit of publicity.
Susie Wolff has not raced competitively in an open cockpit series since, what, 2005?
Since then she’s been racing in the DTM where I don’t remember her ever placing in the top 10 in any event :mark: .

You have done her a little bit of a disservice there. In fact she has scored a total of 4 championship points in 7 seasons of DTM, which surely puts her in at least the top 50 of ex-DTM drivers most worthy of a seat in Formula 1.

[Bagwan]

Surely she's top ten of the female drivers in DTM .

[Jag_Warrior]

Toto Wolf still ownes 16% of Wiiliams I belive.

And he's the Executive Director of Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team... and was key in Williams getting Mercedes power units this year.

For those of you making fun of Susie because of her lack of racing accomplishments and suggesting that this move is based purely on nepotism, shame on you. Her accomplishments and contributions to the team are numerous... just undocumented. So they're there - you just can't see them.

And in other news, upon getting a trial subscription to Ancestry.com, it seems that I have a distant relation from Austria. Who knew? But anyway, upon learning of my long time passion for F1 and my experience in racing (R/C cars and illegal street racing), he determined that I would be a perfect fit in an F1 team.

So you heard it here first, folks: Jag_Warrior will become the non-executive assistant director to the assistant director of trackside (janitorial) operations at Williams next year. And it seems that Susie and I will be working closely with each other. When she's not wiping down Felipe Massa's helmet and fetching his driver's suit from the cleaners, she'll hold the trash bag while I use the stick with the nail in it to pick up plastic cups and wrappers.

Jokes aside, hopefully Simona can find a way to do some GP2 races this year. Even though the IRL cars that she drove were fairly similar (hp/weight) to the GP2 car, it would REALLY help her to learn the grand prix tracks and the "F1 way" of doing things. She's the one with at least *some* amount pf potential or promise. Susie is an F1 WAG - that's it... that's all. And other than the entertainment value (and Toto being able to maintain a happy home life), she brings nothing to Williams or F1.

[journeyman racer]

There was a time when Williams wouldn't allow formula 3 champ drive one of their cars at a GP, because he didn't have experience at GP level. Some Brazilian guy. There was a time when Williams could tell guys who's just won a c'ship for them to leave. There was a time when Williams could dismiss the abilities of highly credentialed drivers of classes just slightly lower than f1, based on a test session.*

Now? Williiams allow some hopeless wannabe drive their cars on a gp weekend, for whatever laughable, insignificant reason.

Sad. Demeaning.

Just put them out of their misery please.


*Talking about Al Unser jr.

[Zico]

Now? Williiams allow some hopeless wannabe drive their cars on a gp weekend, for whatever laughable, insignificant reason.*Talking about Al Unser jr.

Yes, times have certainly changed. In this difficult time in F1 (financially and with expensive new regs) publicity is very important to please sponsors and achieve new sponsorship deals in order to survive the financial hardship... which ultimately is what it all boils down to. Not sure I'd consider their survival as 'laughable or insignificant'. :/
Desperate Suzie Wolff publicity stunt or not, it looks like Williams could do quite well this year and I really hope so... F1 needs them.

[journeyman racer]

Yes, times have certainly changed. In this difficult time in F1 (financially and with expensive new regs) publicity is very important to please sponsors and achieve new sponsorship deals in order to survive the financial hardship... which ultimately is what it all boils down to. Not sure I'd consider their survival as 'laughable or insignificant'. :/
Desperate Suzie Wolff publicity stunt or not, it looks like Williams could do quite well this year and I really hope so... F1 needs them.
It's Williams by name, but it's not really Williams. What publicity would they get, that would make a difference?

[driveace]

Let's face it she ain't ever going to start a GP .
Toto is showing his power,but somebody else could be in the Williams gaining experience,probably that cannot get onto the ladder that Susie is sat on the top step of !

[henners88]

Not sure I'd consider their survival as 'laughable or insignificant'. :/
Desperate Suzie Wolff publicity stunt or not, it looks like Williams could do quite well this year and I really hope so... F1 needs them.
I agree completely. Teams have to do what they can to attract sponsors and with vast amounts of the worlds audience turning off, F1 is no longer as attractive to big brands. This situation isn't made any better by Bernie selling off coverage to channels he knows will pay but will have very little impact in delivering the sport to as many fans as possible. Suzie will be the first woman in a long time to take part in a race weekend and hopefully it'll get them some money. F1 without Williams is like F1 without Ferrari, it would be a poorer place.

[Storm]

Wife of Toto Wolff and now Williams is powered by Mercedes. 2+2 =

Still like henners said, will be good to see Williams back in contenion...well atleast for points :erm:

[anfield5]

Firstly well done Susie, secondly well done Williams.

Well done to Susie for getting herself (ok with her Husbands help) into a position to get this opportunity. Even though she has never set the world of motor sport on fire with her pace, she has done enough for Williams to not be too worried about giving her the keys.

Well done to Williams, it is a fantastic PR coup. They had a terrible 2013, and have in many ways fallen off the radar as a serious GP team. Now using Toto's Mercedes connections, they have what look to be by far the best power units for this season, and after testing they look to be on the pace. They are now back in the minds of many supporters and sponsors, by giving Susie a race day role in the team, and as we all know publicity attracts sponsors, sponsors have money, money makes you faster, speed means publicity... and so it goes on.

[David Lowndes]

Susie Wolf has been at Williams a long time; even before she was married to Mr Wolff.

However, I have to agree, this is more about publicity than gaining a new technical in site....but she has the chance so good luck to her.

[journeyman racer]

I find it hard to believe that hardened fans would approve of this arrangement. What publicity has this received, and what money has Williams made out of it? I live in Melbourne, and have heard nothing of it. She's a pathetic driver and her presence in the DTM, let alone F1, is a blight on the motorsport industry, as a whole.

Just on this women driving, therefore it creates publicity angle. This is old news now. The real publicity will occur the day when a chick is actually a really good driver. Not any of this delusional rubbish.

[Koz]

I find it hard to believe that hardened fans would approve of this arrangement. What publicity has this received, and what money has Williams made out of it? I live in Melbourne, and have heard nothing of it. She's a pathetic driver and her presence in the DTM, let alone F1, is a blight on the motorsport industry, as a whole.

I don't see a single problem with her driving a practice session. If Massa or Bottas missing a FP session means Williams get some publicity and perhaps more $ (or $5 off the next Merc engine), whats wrong with that?

[Jag_Warrior]

I don't see anything wrong with having her do a practice session or two if it brings money or attention to the team and keeps the Mercedes engines in the back of the car. I mean, it was fairly typical for Honda and Toyota to link engine deals to a team having a Japanese test driver in F1 or a race driver in CART years ago. But when they weren't much good, no one felt "political pressure" to make believe that they were. And IMO, that's the difference when women like Susie Wolff and Danica Patrick come up in public discussions. No one called anyone a bigot when they made fun of King Hiro, Shiggy Hattori or Taki Inoue (actually/literally got run over by a safety car DURING a race!) for being duds. And we all knew, and could say that they were only in the sport because they had Japanese backers who insisted they be in the sport. But with the women, we're not supposed to speak the obvious truth because it violates the modern rules on gender based political correctness. Now they're even trying to ban the word "bossy". Good grief! What a bunch of whiny babies!!!

If it has feathers, webbed feet and quacks, IMO, calling it a duck does not make you a bigot or a misogynist (easily the most overused word in the U.S. these days). But I do look forward to the day when there is a female racer who is just a racer (who doesn't play on/rely on her gender) and is not just a token or an attention wh#re (like Danica 100% and Susie somewhat). If she'd jumped to GP2 instead of wasting time in the IRL, I think Simona de Silvestro could have been that girl. I'm not sure where she goes from here though - the Sauber deal seems like a further waste of time to me. But who knows?

[steveaki13]

Be interesting to see how she does. I mean we know the Williams is fast, so if Susie is 19th in the standings then that's real poor.

[airshifter]

Be interesting to see how she does. I mean we know the Williams is fast, so if Susie is 19th in the standings then that's real poor.

If the primary purpose is to bring publicity to the team, doubtful they would want her to push the car much, especially since it will be her first time in the car. Being she's the least experienced in the car, it wouldn't be a surprise if her times were way down the charts.

[David Lowndes]

Just on this women driving, therefore it creates publicity angle. This is old news now. The real publicity will occur the day when a chick is actually a really good driver. Not any of this delusional rubbish.

Agreed! No doubt when she finally drives the British press will have a field day "Not Louisa Hamilton...but Susie Wolff!" etc