Aston Martin Method 1 driver ambassador Jessica Hawkins insists ladies have the bodily energy required to race in F1, however suggests adjustments could also be wanted in junior classes resembling Method 2 and Method 3 to make sure feminine and male drivers can compete on equal phrases.
Talking on the Highway to Success podcast, the Briton mirrored on her take a look at of the Aston Martin AMR21 in Hungary in 2023. When questioned on the bodily toll of racing, Hawkins dismissed the notion that energy will forestall a feminine driver from racing within the championship.
“I’m completely satisfied ladies are robust sufficient for Method 1,” Hawkins acknowledged. “I might have performed the entire race [distance] if it wasn’t for my neck.”
The 31-year-old argued that neck fatigue is a common problem for any driver entering into an F1 automobile with out current preparation in high-downforce single-seaters, relatively than a gender-specific limitation.
She did, nevertheless, level to the junior single-seater ladder as a possible roadblock for feminine drivers. Whereas F1 automobiles are outfitted with energy steering, F2 and F3 equipment lack this characteristic, making them notoriously heavy to steer.
Jessica Hawkins testing an Aston Martin AMR21
Photograph by: Aston Martin Racing
Requested if one thing must be performed concerning the bodily calls for of F2 and F3 to help feminine development, Hawkins replied: “Perhaps. Yeah. As a result of I feel F2 is much more bodily than Method 1 in numerous areas. Perhaps much less bodily on the neck, however extra bodily in different areas.”
Hawkins additionally addressed considerations over the intense leg energy required for F1 braking zones, drawing direct comparisons to her campaigns in GT racing.
“I had no downside with the brake within the Method 1 automobile,” she added. “I had no downside with brake stress. Really, brake stress in what I am racing now, I discover extra of a problem than the Method 1 automobile, which is GT automobiles.”
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