Quote Originally Posted by kirungi okwogera View Post
Wait, you said you disagree with me right? So do you claim that motorsport is worsened by having female drivers competing?
If they are only there because of their gender, then yes, I would say that motorsports (and any other area of sport or business) is worsened.

Or, from what you've written, it looks like you're just saying you're not a fan of the few there are at the moment, or not happy with the fact that they are viewed as novelties rather than contenders failing or succeeding on a level playing field? Because that was kind of my point as well - we're actually in agreement. As for race and any other categories you can name, I don't think sex is more important than any other type of diversity, so we agree there too.
It sounds that we probably agree more than we disagree (if at all). I'm not a fan of many of the women who currently occupy seats in motorsports and play on their gender at every turn. Being primarily an F1 fan (and a former fan of CART), having otherwise respectable motorsports journalists and commentators claim that Danica would make a good addition to Formula One... "but only if she could get with a good team" (David Hobbs) - that causes my stomach to go into a twirl. Why in the world would a "good" Formula One team hire someone who has never won a road course race in her life and she's moving into her mid 30's??? Why? Well, of course, because she is a female (#1) and she has a high Q-rating in America (#2). My guess is David realizes the politically correct, gender hyper-sensitive times in which we live (where the word "misogyny" and the term "war on women" MUST BE used at least 37 times a day on American news outlets - I think Obama made that a law or something) and Davey felt that the easy thing to say would be in support of The Unaccomplished One getting a seat at Ferrari, Mercedes or McLaren. And see, I was thinking about buying a car from his dealership too. Sorry David, ya lost a sale.

I like and have liked Simona de Silvestro for a long time. And I was hoping she'd get a chance to race in GP2, prove her worth and talent and then maybe get a legit shot at F1. Why do I like her so much? She doesn't do bikini shots. She spends more time working with her engineers than she does planning photo shoots. She's just a racer - not a girl racer... a RACER! I was a big fan of Angelle Sampey/Seeling/Savoie. I met her at a drag race years ago and though she was dang easy on the eyes, she was a true championship racer and that's why I became a solid fan until she retired - now I don't watch drag racing anymore.

So in summary, I root for people who work for what they get. I don't root for people (male, female, Black, White, Jew, Gentile, etc.) who feel a sense of entitlement. I don't believe in mandated quotas. And just because the current political climate says that quotas are bad when it comes to race, but they are good when it comes to gender (European Union, hello!), my feelings just become that much more hardened in opposition.

If this Louise girl is the real deal, then the best of luck to her. I mean that. But if she's just another Susie Wolff or Danica (even worse), the sooner she goes away, the better, IMO.