Speaking to the media at the end of F1’s summer break on a variety of topics, he spoke openly about his view of the path it takes to bring a woman into the top tier of motor racing.
And it was a paragraph of his comments that served to stir up a bit of controversy.
“In realistic terms, I don’t see – unless there’s something like some sort of meteorite going into the earth – a girl entering Formula 1 in the next five years,” he said. . “It’s very unlikely, I have to be realistic.”
That sonic phrase may have been the focal point of the backlash afterwards, but it failed to take into account a broader explanation he had given about the lingering complexities that remain for female F1 hopefuls.
Based on the realities of the F1 superlicense point structure – which we now know will not be bent following the Colton Herta situation – and the fact that there are still no women in the lead in Formula 3 and in Formula 2, Domenicali’s calendar is not bizarre.
The headlines
The reason Domenicali’s comments caused such a stir, however, is that they seemed to run counter to the incredible positive momentum there has been behind women in motorsport over the past few years. years, especially since the W Series has become established.
Rewind a few years, until the all-female category was created in late 2018, and there was a distinct lack of female runners and representation in the sport. Those in leadership positions were the exception rather than the rule.
Now paddocks around the world, including F1, have a much wider female representation.
The W series itself has also become an achievement in terms of establishing itself as a category that fans at home as well as people in the industry pay attention to.
But, rather than thinking Domenicali’s comments were an insult to women’s ambitions, W-series founder and CEO Catherine Bond Muir is understanding.
She is fully aware that despite the lofty goals she has for her category and her own hopes for W star Jamie Chadwick, she has never ignored the fact that bringing a competitive woman into F1 was always going to be a goal for the longest time. term.
“I don’t think Stefano and I have ever had a different view on the progression of women,” she told Autosport.
“You have to have this seven and eight year old kart starting now. And they have to start on an equal footing, have the same amount of money and spend the same amount of time in the kart and in the cars they drive.
“But I’m not going to write off Jamie, actually. There’s so much momentum behind her. And I really believe there’s so much momentum behind women’s sports. I mean, I’m incredibly optimistic about how the W series will grow and expand.
Podium: winner Jamie Chadwick, Jenner Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Five-year timeline
Was Domenicali wrong to speak of a period of five years? In realistic terms, the most qualified prospect to date, Chadwick, is still one step away from getting that shot in F1.
Apparently on course to claim his third W Series crown, potentially as early as this weekend’s event in Singapore, his latest success won’t officially bolster his cause – part of the FIA arrangement means the champions at repetition of the series cannot accumulate additional superlicense points.
His current tally stands at 25, including 15 points for winning the 2021 W Series and 10 points for finishing fourth in the 2019/2020 Asian F3 Series. That leaves him 15 short of what is needed to enter F1.
(By the way, the FIA International Sporting Code only refers to “it” in its superlicense application process…)
Chadwick also has a tight window of time to make up those 15 points. Essentially, do well in 2023 and the door opens for 2024. Otherwise, it’s likely to be a much longer process.
To turn his current 25 points into a magic 40 would require potentially winning Indy Lights or securing fourth place overall in FIA F3 next season.
But if it missed that target in 2023, it would lose Asian F3’s 10 points through 2024 – potentially leaving it to catch up in the long run and needing even more points in the future.
Beyond Chadwick, the most realistic future F1 candidate is someone who still needs to progress in F3 and F2, as well as potentially a season or two of F1 testing. This is where a five-year time frame seems most realistic.
As Domenicali said, in comments that weren’t widely reported alongside his main soundbite: “We’re trying to figure out how we can prepare the right pyramid as well so that girls enter the pyramid at the right age. with the right car. That is the key point.
“We are very satisfied with the collaboration with [W Series] but we think that in order to be able to give the chance to the girls to be at the same level of competition as the guys, they have to be more or less the same age where they can fight on the track at Formula 3 level and Formula 2.
“So we’re working on that to see what we can do to improve the system, and you’ll see some action soon.”
W series boot action
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
W-Series Ambitions
Since the days after its launch, when it was criticized by some for splitting up female racers, the W-Series has enjoyed success, with a regular place on last year’s F1 support bill.
Bond Muir praises the vision then-F1 CEO Chase Carey had for racing the W Series on F1 weekends – saying she still hugs him whenever he appears in the paddock.
TV viewership figures show that fans appreciate it. There was a 13% year-over-year growth in its live viewership this year. The W series is far more popular than F2 and F3, and in the UK it is the most watched motorsport outside of F1. It is also proud to be Sky’s most watched women’s sport in the UK.
Yet despite all of the W-series’ accomplishments in garnering attention and grabbing attention, it’s no secret that it has yet to deliver on one of the main reasons it was cast. : bringing a woman into F1.
Indeed, as he nears the end of his third year, no W-series racer has yet secured a full-time F3 and F2 spot to help his aspirations for a grand prix seat.
While some might consider this a failure, Bond Muir is crystal clear that it’s unrealistic for the W series to have delivered like this on such short notice.
“What I say to that is that Rome wasn’t built in a day,” she replies.
“In 2016, when I started to develop the idea, there was a woman running in a [top level] single-seater championship throughout the season. You would get the occasional entry to Indy or whatever so I don’t think it’s realistic to say from 2016 to 2022 we should have had someone [in F1].
“It’s our third season: the issues and the reasons why there aren’t more senior women are complex, but also deeply rooted and part of a period of time.
“What you need is for seven-year-old girls to say ‘I want to go karting like the boys do’ and then start being pari passu with the boys. So there are those two paths. [both long and short term].
“Obviously we want one of our drivers to get into F1 as soon as possible, but I think we have to be realistic.
Emma Kimilainen, Puma W Series Team, Fabienne Wohlwend, CortDAO W Series Team
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Break down the barriers
The very obstacles that existed to spur the creation of the W-series – such as the lack of opportunities and the investment in young, first-time girls – aren’t the kind of things that disappear in an instant.
Bond Muir wonders, for example, how far Chadwick would have gone had she had the kind of junior mileage that Lando Norris and George Russell enjoyed.
“His peers are George and Lando. Nobody knows the answer, but I suspect they’ve spent hundreds of times more hours in a race car or testing than Jamie,’ she said. “And therein lies the difference.
“I think Jamie is an incredibly gifted driver, but the question is, did she start too late with too little? With her talent, if she had the same career path as Lando and George, the question is open: would she compete on equal terms with them now?
MORE: How F3’s all-female test proved physique isn’t a barrier to progress
The physical aspect of motor racing – especially when it comes to power steering systems in certain categories – also cannot be ignored.
“I know there’s been research done recently on steering loads on the wheels, and there’s many times the steering load in an F2 than there is in an F1,” adds Bond Muir.
“So the question is: does this put a woman at a disadvantage? We don’t have the data, and it’s data driven. But I know one of the good things the FIA is doing is they are starting to do research in this area.”
Abbi Pulling and Hamda Al Qubaisi
Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd
new opportunities
Other opportunities are opening up. F3 recently carried out another test dedicated to four female drivers: Abbi Pulling, Hamda Al Qubaisi, Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti, while Chadwick completed a race in an Indy Lights car with Andretti Autosport.
It may seem like small steps at the moment, but the W Series always knew that changing attitudes and ensuring the next generation of female runners had better opportunities was not something that was going to happen immediately.
Ultimately, where Bond Muir sees the W series succeeding is that comments like Domenicali putting a five-year time limit on a woman racing in F1 are now seen as something against the grain.
Several years ago, some people would have been accused of being crazy for thinking that even a five-year delay was possible. But now this opportunity for a woman is quite possible.
All it will take is for the right elements to fall into place: the right female talent is chosen and nurtured early enough in their career that the path to the top is clear.
Bond Muir added: “Historically, because it’s been 42 years since women have driven in F1, none of the [sponsorship] the money went to the female drivers.
“I would describe it as having been a kind of path that had just become overgrown, because no one saw that it was open to women.
“I think the biggest thing the W series did was it made people realize that women can race single-seaters well.
“And I think we just need more riders, so they can race better, and they can keep improving and going faster.”
The F1 opportunity for a woman won’t present itself tomorrow, but where until recently it seemed completely blocked, now at least the way is opening up.
Speaking to the media at the end of F1’s summer break on a variety of topics, he spoke openly about his view of the path it takes to bring a woman into the top tier of motor racing.
And it was a paragraph of his comments that served to stir up a bit of controversy.
“In realistic terms, I don’t see – unless there’s something like some sort of meteorite going into the earth – a girl entering Formula 1 in the next five years,” he said. . “It’s very unlikely, I have to be realistic.”
That sonic phrase may have been the focal point of the backlash afterwards, but it failed to take into account a broader explanation he had given about the lingering complexities that remain for female F1 hopefuls.
Based on the realities of the F1 superlicense point structure – which we now know will not be bent following the Colton Herta situation – and the fact that there are still no women in the lead in Formula 3 and in Formula 2, Domenicali’s calendar is not bizarre.
The headlines
The reason Domenicali’s comments caused such a stir, however, is that they seemed to run counter to the incredible positive momentum there has been behind women in motorsport over the past few years. years, especially since the W Series has become established.
Rewind a few years, until the all-female category was created in late 2018, and there was a distinct lack of female runners and representation in the sport. Those in leadership positions were the exception rather than the rule.
Now paddocks around the world, including F1, have a much wider female representation.
The W series itself has also become an achievement in terms of establishing itself as a category that fans at home as well as people in the industry pay attention to.
But, rather than thinking Domenicali’s comments were an insult to women’s ambitions, W-series founder and CEO Catherine Bond Muir is understanding.
She is fully aware that despite the lofty goals she has for her category and her own hopes for W star Jamie Chadwick, she has never ignored the fact that bringing a competitive woman into F1 was always going to be a goal for the longest time. term.
“I don’t think Stefano and I have ever had a different view on the progression of women,” she told Autosport.
“You have to have this seven and eight year old kart starting now. And they have to start on an equal footing, have the same amount of money and spend the same amount of time in the kart and in the cars they drive.
“But I’m not going to write off Jamie, actually. There’s so much momentum behind her. And I really believe there’s so much momentum behind women’s sports. I mean, I’m incredibly optimistic about how the W series will grow and expand.
Podium: winner Jamie Chadwick, Jenner Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Five-year timeline
Was Domenicali wrong to speak of a period of five years? In realistic terms, the most qualified prospect to date, Chadwick, is still one step away from getting that shot in F1.
Apparently on course to claim his third W Series crown, potentially as early as this weekend’s event in Singapore, his latest success won’t officially bolster his cause – part of the FIA arrangement means the champions at repetition of the series cannot accumulate additional superlicense points.
His current tally stands at 25, including 15 points for winning the 2021 W Series and 10 points for finishing fourth in the 2019/2020 Asian F3 Series. That leaves him 15 short of what is needed to enter F1.
(By the way, the FIA International Sporting Code only refers to “it” in its superlicense application process…)
Chadwick also has a tight window of time to make up those 15 points. Essentially, do well in 2023 and the door opens for 2024. Otherwise, it’s likely to be a much longer process.
To turn his current 25 points into a magic 40 would require potentially winning Indy Lights or securing fourth place overall in FIA F3 next season.
But if it missed that target in 2023, it would lose Asian F3’s 10 points through 2024 – potentially leaving it to catch up in the long run and needing even more points in the future.
Beyond Chadwick, the most realistic future F1 candidate is someone who still needs to progress in F3 and F2, as well as potentially a season or two of F1 testing. This is where a five-year time frame seems most realistic.
As Domenicali said, in comments that weren’t widely reported alongside his main soundbite: “We’re trying to figure out how we can prepare the right pyramid as well so that girls enter the pyramid at the right age. with the right car. That is the key point.
“We are very satisfied with the collaboration with [W Series] but we think that in order to be able to give the chance to the girls to be at the same level of competition as the guys, they have to be more or less the same age where they can fight on the track at Formula 3 level and Formula 2.
“So we’re working on that to see what we can do to improve the system, and you’ll see some action soon.”
W series boot action
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
W-Series Ambitions
Since the days after its launch, when it was criticized by some for splitting up female racers, the W-Series has enjoyed success, with a regular place on last year’s F1 support bill.
Bond Muir praises the vision then-F1 CEO Chase Carey had for racing the W Series on F1 weekends – saying she still hugs him whenever he appears in the paddock.
TV viewership figures show that fans appreciate it. There was a 13% year-over-year growth in its live viewership this year. The W series is far more popular than F2 and F3, and in the UK it is the most watched motorsport outside of F1. It is also proud to be Sky’s most watched women’s sport in the UK.
Yet despite all of the W-series’ accomplishments in garnering attention and grabbing attention, it’s no secret that it has yet to deliver on one of the main reasons it was cast. : bringing a woman into F1.
Indeed, as he nears the end of his third year, no W-series racer has yet secured a full-time F3 and F2 spot to help his aspirations for a grand prix seat.
While some might consider this a failure, Bond Muir is crystal clear that it’s unrealistic for the W series to have delivered like this on such short notice.
“What I say to that is that Rome wasn’t built in a day,” she replies.
“In 2016, when I started to develop the idea, there was a woman running in a [top level] single-seater championship throughout the season. You would get the occasional entry to Indy or whatever so I don’t think it’s realistic to say from 2016 to 2022 we should have had someone [in F1].
“It’s our third season: the issues and the reasons why there aren’t more senior women are complex, but also deeply rooted and part of a period of time.
“What you need is for seven-year-old girls to say ‘I want to go karting like the boys do’ and then start being pari passu with the boys. So there are those two paths. [both long and short term].
“Obviously we want one of our drivers to get into F1 as soon as possible, but I think we have to be realistic.
Emma Kimilainen, Puma W Series Team, Fabienne Wohlwend, CortDAO W Series Team
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Break down the barriers
The very obstacles that existed to spur the creation of the W-series – such as the lack of opportunities and the investment in young, first-time girls – aren’t the kind of things that disappear in an instant.
Bond Muir wonders, for example, how far Chadwick would have gone had she had the kind of junior mileage that Lando Norris and George Russell enjoyed.
“His peers are George and Lando. Nobody knows the answer, but I suspect they’ve spent hundreds of times more hours in a race car or testing than Jamie,’ she said. “And therein lies the difference.
“I think Jamie is an incredibly gifted driver, but the question is, did she start too late with too little? With her talent, if she had the same career path as Lando and George, the question is open: would she compete on equal terms with them now?
MORE: How F3’s all-female test proved physique isn’t a barrier to progress
The physical aspect of motor racing – especially when it comes to power steering systems in certain categories – also cannot be ignored.
“I know there’s been research done recently on steering loads on the wheels, and there’s many times the steering load in an F2 than there is in an F1,” adds Bond Muir.
“So the question is: does this put a woman at a disadvantage? We don’t have the data, and it’s data driven. But I know one of the good things the FIA is doing is they are starting to do research in this area.”
Abbi Pulling and Hamda Al Qubaisi
Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd
new opportunities
Other opportunities are opening up. F3 recently carried out another test dedicated to four female drivers: Abbi Pulling, Hamda Al Qubaisi, Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti, while Chadwick completed a race in an Indy Lights car with Andretti Autosport.
It may seem like small steps at the moment, but the W Series always knew that changing attitudes and ensuring the next generation of female runners had better opportunities was not something that was going to happen immediately.
Ultimately, where Bond Muir sees the W series succeeding is that comments like Domenicali putting a five-year time limit on a woman racing in F1 are now seen as something against the grain.
Several years ago, some people would have been accused of being crazy for thinking that even a five-year delay was possible. But now this opportunity for a woman is quite possible.
All it will take is for the right elements to fall into place: the right female talent is chosen and nurtured early enough in their career that the path to the top is clear.
Bond Muir added: “Historically, because it’s been 42 years since women have driven in F1, none of the [sponsorship] the money went to the female drivers.
“I would describe it as having been a kind of path that had just become overgrown, because no one saw that it was open to women.
“I think the biggest thing the W series did was it made people realize that women can race single-seaters well.
“And I think we just need more riders, so they can race better, and they can keep improving and going faster.”
The F1 opportunity for a woman won’t present itself tomorrow, but where until recently it seemed completely blocked, now at least the way is opening up.