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#175061
F1live:
Richard Branson has revealed he was on the hunt for a female driver to race for his Virgin Formula One team next year.

He told the Daily Star he wanted IndyCar driver Danica Patrick in his line-up for 2010, but couldn't persuade her to leave the USA. She has experienced success in America's premier single-seater series, finishing fifth in this year's championship and winning a race in 2008.

"I would have loved to have had a looker like Danica drive," he told the paper. "She is not only good and quick, she's a stunner. I believe there is room for women drivers in F1."

Team principal Alex Tai said Virgin had searched for a female driver, but couldn't track down a suitable candidate.

"There isn't really a female out there right now who could do it," Tai said. "This is a really physical and exhausting sport and they would find it hard to cope."

Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi will race for Virgin next year, while GP2 drivers Alvaro Parente and Luiz Razia have been named as test drivers. At the team's launch, Branson said he felt his line-up for 2010 was the next best thing to having a female driver.

"We've got tremendous drivers, all four of them," Branson said. "I wanted four female drivers but we've ended up with four of the best looking male drivers out there. They're the kind of drivers that will embrace the fans, which I don't think has happened much before. They'll spend time with the fans and we won't put a big barbed-wire fence between the two."
#175069
Don't ruin f1 branson, try to run a team like its some fun uber cool hip young middle-class pr event and you'll be eaten alive by the more ruthless and experienced

:yes:
That article just makes him sound like he is after nothing more than a new squeeze on the side.
#175088
Shame Branson couldn't lure Danica away from NAStyCAR, I would love to have seen her racing in F1 next year. :yes:
#175191
Shame Branson couldn't lure Danica away from NAStyCAR, I would love to have seen her racing in F1 next year. :yes:


Yeah that would have been ace! Id love to have seen her. Why couldnt Branson have said he wanted to prove women can do F1 just as well as men instead of making it sound like a fashion show. I cant wait for that young girl who won at the autosport awards show -Sarah something?? to get up there.

And what about idiot comments like this :-

"There isn't really a female out there right now who could do it," Tai said. "This is a really physical and exhausting sport and they would find it hard to cope."

There is at least one out there and stupid comments and attitudes like that are what is probably stopping more being out there. There are more in the junior ranks now.
#175200
Totally agree, Tai should never have made that statement, idiot. Not exactly enticing women into the sport, although saying that, it could well be a motivation for women racing drivers to prove him wrong. Still, should never have said it in the first place.
#175254
He diddn't say women drivers would never do it, he said currently there aren't any - isn't that actually true? I don't know loads about potential f1 drivers though, so forgive me.
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