‘Female drivers won’t be taken seriously’

Don’t expect to see a female driver in F1 any time soon as Bernie Ecclestone feels they “wouldn’t be taken seriously.”

Last year the F1 supremo stated that he would welcome female racers at grand prix weekends but would give them their own event.

The 85-year-old said at the time that it would be a “good idea to give them a showcase” as they would “attract a lot of attention and publicity and probably a lot of sponsors.”

However it now appears he’s in favour of that because he doesn’t believe F1 is ready to open its doors to women racers.

Almost 40 years after Lella Lombardi became the last lady to start a F1 grand prix, Ecclestone says he doubts the sport would give a competitive drive to a female.

He told Canadian network TSN Radio: “I doubt it.

“If there was somebody that was capable they wouldn’t be taken seriously anyway, so they would never have a car that is capable of competing.

“There was a girl that was driving in GP3 for a whole season so it is not something that hasn’t happened.”

Pressed as to whether it could happen ‘in the main event’, he said: “No, I don’t think so.”