Christian Horner doesn’t believe any of the current crop of female drivers could make it in Formula 1, and says hiring one at present would purely be a “marketing” gimmick.
Bernie Ecclestone has longed for a female driver for many years now in an attempt to boost the sport amongst female fans, but as of yet it hasn’t materialised despite some coming close.
Susie Wolff is currently a development driver for Williams and has conducted straight-line tests before. As has Maria de Villota for Marussia. However the Spaniard passed away last year from a head injury when she collided with an F1 transport truck in 2012.
Danica Patrick has also been linked with F1, but failed to find the necessary backing and now dismisses the idea altogether, focusing instead on IndyCar and NASCAR.
Horner questioned whether Wolff, who’s currently the closest F1 has to a female driver, would be competitive enough today.
“There’s been an awful lot made about female drivers in Formula One,” he told the Telegraph. “The best marketing thing that we could do would be to have a female driver.
“That’s not to say there won’t be [one] but, at the moment, there isn’t one that could cut it at the front.
“Susie is a very capable driver. Whether on merit she would make the cut at the moment is difficult to judge,” he added.
Though he believes it will happen at some point in the future.
“There are some very talented young girls coming through and it’s only a matter of time.”
