Oban racing star Susie Wolff says Netflix F1 documentary will help make history
Oban racing star Susie Wolff is paving the way for female representation on the Formula 1 grid through the launch of a new Netflix series.
F1: The Academy goes behind the scenes as female drivers work towards earning a place on the starting grid.
Wolff is the managing director of F1 Academy – a women-only racing league designed to develop and promote female talent in motorsport.
Teaming up with Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine, she hopes to end the stigma around the male-dominated sport.
It has been almost 50 years since a woman competed in an F1 race.
Late Italian driver Lella Lombardi was the last woman to make history during her appearance at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix.
She is the only woman to score points in a race, scoring half a point at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.
Wolff, who is married to Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff, is no stranger to the pressures facing females in the sport.
The 42-year-old was a development driver for Williams and drove for the team during practice sessions at F1 races before retiring in 2015.
She hopes change is around the corner, opening the door to fresh female talent.
She said: 'Of course, I want to see a woman on the grid, and I think that will be inevitable when we get the building blocks in place that we know we have to do for long-term success and without a doubt, that will be a proud moment when we see a woman take to the grid.
'You know, there's only two spots in the grid per team, and it's very, very tough to get to Formula One, so we've got to make sure that we put the right steps in place that a woman has that chance in hopefully the not-too-distant future.'
The docuseries will be hoping to replicate the global success achieved by the previous Drive to Survive series.
The new Netflix series gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the trials and tribulations facing drivers and their prospective teams both on and off the grid.
Wolff, who was born in Oban, hopes to inspire the next generation of female drivers.
She added: 'The series is showing that the sport is no longer just a man's world because without Formula One, Formula One Academy wouldn't exist.
'We want to attract a new audience. We want to attract that next generation, the parents of the next generation, to challenge the idea that women can't be racing drivers, that it's an industry that's not really built for women.
'And I think by sharing these incredible human stories of these young drivers and their journeys, the challenges they faced, it really brings to life the fact that regardless of gender, there's an opportunity in the sport.'
You can watch all seven episodes on Netflix.
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Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Max Verstappen vs Michael Schumacher: Why German great still the benchmark for dirty driving
In Telegraph Sport' s most recent Formula One driver ratings, I wrote that Max Verstappen was channelling Michael Schumacher in the 1990s. This was in reference to his ability to compete in a car that was not the fastest. In Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, he took this imitation to extremes by petulantly crashing into George Russell's Mercedes. Clearly, both champions possess immense talent, but also the tendency to cross the line in high-stakes moments. After Verstappen's latest misdemeanour we list, compare and analyse the most famous and controversial incidents from each man to assess whether it is Verstappen or Schumacher who has a worse reputation for their on-track antics. Schumacher vs Hill, Australian Grand Prix 1994 The first significant black mark of Michael Schumacher's F1 career came in the season-deciding Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. Heading into the race, Benetton's Schumacher led the Williams of Damon Hill by a single point in the standings. Running first and second in championship order on track on lap 36, Schumacher made a mistake at the East Terrace corner and hit the wall, heavily damaging his Benetton. Hill did not see this but did see Schumacher rejoining the track. He tried to take his opportunity by putting his Williams up the inside at turn six. Schumacher was having none of it. He took the corner almost as normal, crashing into Hill before tipping up onto two wheels, sliding into the barriers and retiring. The damage to Hill's car was enough to put him out of the race, meaning Schumacher became champion. Written off by many at the time as a racing incident, Schumacher can clearly be seen looking in his mirrors to see where Hill was. Inexcusable driving. Schumacher vs Villeneuve, European Grand Prix 1997 In Ferrari colours this time, Schumacher faced another rival at Williams in 1997: Jacques Villeneuve. Once more, he led by a single point heading into the final round, this time at Jérez. On lap 48 Villeneuve saw an opportunity when Schumacher left the door wide open on the run down to turn six. The Canadian dived up the inside of the Ferrari. Yet again Schumacher drove the corner as if his competitor was not there, slamming his front-right tyre into Villeneuve's left sidepod. Unlike in 1994, this time, Ferrari slid impotently into the gravel trap, becoming beached and retiring. Justice was not yet served, though, as Villeneuve still needed to score two points. He finished third, claiming a maiden title. Schumacher was eventually disqualified from the championship – a fair punishment for an incident that tainted his reputation further. Michael Schumacher led Jacques Villeneuve by a single point going into 1997's final race... We saw one of #F1 's great season finales! #HistoryAwaits 🍿 — Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2021 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, 2006 By 2006 Schumacher had racked up a record seven world championships. But 2005 was a fallow year, with Renault's Fernando Alonso taking the honours in a season during which the Ferrari driver won just a single grand prix. The following year was different, as the apprentice took on the master in closely matched machinery. As it is today, qualifying was of supreme importance in Monaco. With two seconds left on the clock and on provisional pole ahead of Alonso, Schumacher appeared to overcook it at the Rascasse hairpin, stopping on track. The yellow flags came out. That meant Alonso had to slow, compromising his final flying lap and robbing him of a chance to snatch pole. Schumacher claimed he stalled accidentally. The stewards disagreed and sent him to the back of the grid. Alonso won the race the next day with Schumacher fifth. Masterclass para asegurarse la pole en Mónaco Michael Schumacher aparcó accidentalmente el coche en la rascasse de Mónaco, impidiendo así a los demás pilotos cerrar su vuelta y evitando que le quiten la pole 👏 — MarioRZ (@mariorz_) December 30, 2024 Schumacher vs Barrichello, 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix While a motorbike accident and three seasons out may have dimmed Schumacher's abilities somewhat, his ruthlessness was as strong as ever on his Mercedes return. Fighting for 10th with his old Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello in Hungary, Schumacher squeezed the Williams on the pit straight, leaving him barely a foot from a concrete wall at 180mph. 'He should be black-flagged for that… it was horrible,' was the Brazilian's initial reaction from the cockpit. Yet again Schumacher maintained his innocence. Yet again the stewards disagreed, handing him a 10-place grid penalty for the next race. Sir Jackie Stewart said it was 'one of the most blatant abuses of another driver' that he had ever seen. Verstappen Verstappen vs Hamilton, Saudi Arabia 2021 In a scene that was repeated numerous times (see also Monza) throughout a season that was high in intensity and even higher on controversy, Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were battling for the lead towards the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season. First, Verstappen appeared to run Hamilton off the outside of the track at turn one as the Briton attempted an overtake. Hamilton called him 'f------ crazy, man!', with Verstappen being told by his team to surrender the lead and give the place back 'strategically'. Taking that advice, Verstappen decided to let Hamilton pass on the back straight before reaching the DRS detection line. This would give him a high-speed advantage over the Mercedes on the pit straight. Hamilton was clearly not expecting this and ended up slamming into the back of the Red Bull when it slowed dramatically. 'He just brake-tested me!' Hamilton cried on the radio. Verstappen was trying to be smart and failed, but this was not exactly dastardly. Still, Hamilton crossed the line first and Verstappen finished second, even after a 10-second penalty for the crash. VERSTAPPEN BRAKE TESTS HAMILTON!!!! #F1 #SaudiArabianGP — Mr Matthew F1 (@NotMrMatthewF1) December 5, 2021 Verstappen vs Norris, Austria 2024 The first flare-up of Lando Norris and Verstappen's rivalry took place in Austria, after a tense duel for the lead over numerous laps. Following a couple of botched attempts to take the lead, Norris tried to brake later on the outside of the turn-three hairpin, but was forced wide by Verstappen, who appeared to move across the track in the braking zone, squeezing Norris to the outside. The Red Bull's rear-left tyre touched the McLaren's rear right on the way into the corner. Both men picked up punctures. As Norris tried to make his way around the outside, Verstappen ran him wide again. On the run down to turn four, Verstappen again did his best to keep Norris – who was carrying a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits – behind, forcing the McLaren onto the grass. Norris eventually retired with enormous damage to his car caused by the failing tyre, while Verstappen finished fifth after a 10-second penalty for causing a collision. It's a 10 SECOND PENALTY for Max Verstappen for causing a collision with Lando Norris! ⏱⚠ — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 30, 2024 Verstappen vs Norris, Mexico 2024 Austria was not the last clash between the pair that season. While Verstappen was firm but most likely fair in his battle with the Briton in Austin, the same cannot be said of what happened a week later in Mexico City. Defending third from the McLaren, Verstappen first forced Norris onto the grass at the second chicane, with Norris keeping the position. Verstappen then took it upon himself to right that perceived injustice. He did so by dive-bombing the McLaren at the high-speed turn seven, carrying far too much speed to take the corner. Norris, on the outside, took evasive action and lost the place. It was fortunate there was no crash. There was, however, a 10-second penalty for the Red Bull driver for each incident. New angles of THAT Verstappen-Norris clash in Mexico 🇲🇽👀 — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 29, 2024 Verstappen vs Russell, Spain 2025 Slowing down to appear to let the Mercedes of Russell through – as his team had instructed him to do – Verstappen then accelerated towards turn five and crashed into the side of the Mercedes. It certainly looked more blatant and intentional than anything in his career, and definitely more inexcusable. Verstappen's antics on Sunday are in some ways the most egregious of these instances, largely because of how inexplicable it was. He did not do so when defending or trying to gain a position, but did so after slowing and then carrying such excessive speed into the corner that the only route was playing dodgems with Russell. Max Verstappen is told to let George Russell through and then the two collide! 😲 — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 1, 2025 Verdict In some ways it is difficult to compare across eras. Schumacher drove (largely) in a different time to Verstappen. It was a period when every minor incident did not warrant a stewards' investigation and where 'racing incident' was often the outcome, even if one driver was clearly more to blame. Yet there are many similarities in their respective approaches to driving as well as their ability behind the wheel. Namely a win-at-all-costs ruthlessness. Fairness rarely comes into it and neither does contrition or apology. Quite often when they have wronged, they feel they have been wronged themselves. That said, there are a few differences between how Verstappen and Schumacher have operated, even in their most damning moments. Verstappen is clearly a driver who wants to use the literal interpretation of the racing guidelines to his advantage. His concern is primarily with keeping the position, but also doing that by getting as close to crossing the line as he can without actually incurring a penalty. Sometimes it looks smart, sometimes it looks ruthless and other times it looks unfair. Schumacher was different – he too often drove like the line did not even exist. It is difficult to look at any of the above examples of Verstappen at his worst and conclude that they are worse than even the weakest of Schumacher's transgressions.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Should Verstappen have been given a bigger penalty for Russell collision?
The Spanish Grand Prix was won by McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who took his fifth victory of the season from team-mate Lando the story of the race was the controversial series of events surrounding Max Verstappen in the closing appeared to drive deliberately into George Russell's Mercedes, a few laps after he left the track while battling for position with the the race in Barcelona, BBC Sport F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers your latest questions. Should Max Verstappen have been given a bigger penalty for his actions in the Spanish Grand Prix? Deliberately ramming another driver feels like the sort of action which would have led to a ban for the following race in times past – John Everyone will have their own opinion on was clear after the race that many people in Formula 1 did not think Verstappen had behaved correctly in his collision with George Russell's Mercedes at Turn Five, and he has now admitted that it was "not right and shouldn't have happened".Asked whether Verstappen should have had the black flag - which disqualifies a driver from the race - Russell said: "If it was truly deliberate, then absolutely. Because you cannot deliberately crash into another driver."We're putting our lives on the line. We're fortunate the cars are as safe as they are these days. But we shouldn't take it for granted."But penalties are at the stewards' discretion and in this case they decided to give Verstappen a 10-second penalty, a relatively severe sanction, and three points on his was this adjudged to be a less serious offence than Russell cutting the chicane to pass a Williams in Monaco and not giving the place back, for which he got a drive-through penalty?The stewards' verdict did not address that, and an FIA spokesperson said they could not speak for the stewards as they are three points do put Verstappen one away from a ban. Which means any transgression in the next two races in Canada and Austria, and Verstappen will be forced to miss the next grand that, some points come off his licence because they go beyond their year's expiry date. Given the stewards were not going to take any further action against Max Verstappen for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, do you think Red Bull pulled the trigger too early in ordering him to give the position back to George Russell? Danny With the benefit of hindsight, this was one of two mistakes Red Bull made in the Spanish Grand the stewards launched an inquiry into the Verstappen-Russell incident in Turn One, Red Bull decided to order Verstappen to give the place principal Christian Horner said the decision was based "on recent experience and looking at recent incidents".Verstappen had kept fourth position by taking to the escape road after the two had made light contact while Russell tried a passing move. He believed he was justified in keeping the place because he felt the Mercedes driver had barged him off the said Red Bull had contacted FIA race control and received nothing back and that, as it had gone to the stewards, "it looked for all intents and purposes that it was going to be a penalty".Horner added: "The argument is, was George under control at that point in time? Would he have made the corner? We've seen so many occasions this year where penalties have been given."You're expecting to get a penalty, so that's why it was, 'OK, do you know what? We're going to have to give this place up.'"The stewards' verdict was published some time after the race. It said that Russell had "momentarily lost control of the car and collided" with Verstappen, who "did not deliberately leave the track". As a result, it said, they took no further other words, in their view, Verstappen could have justifiably kept the are two parts of the racing guidelines in play here. To be entitled to be given space - ie, to have been judged to have won the corner - the driver overtaking on the inside has to have his front axle "at least alongside the mirror of the other car prior to and at the apex".Russell seems to have complied with the car must also "be driven in a fully controlled manner particularly from entry to apex".This, the stewards decided, Russell had not. And that was also Verstappen's said: "With hindsight, was it a mistake? Yeah, but I think that's where it would be nice, as the referee, as a race director, to either say, 'Play on,' or 'you need to give it back.' It's very hard for the team, subjectively, to try and make that call, because you're going on historical precedents."The second decision Red Bull got wrong, Horner admitted, was the decision to pit Verstappen for fresh hard tyres under the safety car, one that Verstappen immediately questioned vociferously once he was back on acknowledged they should have left him out on his soft tyres. "He would have got passed by the two McLarens. Would he have got passed by (Charles) Leclerc? But you can only go with the information you have to hand." Could the cycling accident injury, a second angry outburst and very poor performances signal the beginning of the end for Lance Stroll at Aston Martin? - Peter There are a lot of unanswered questions about this situation, but one that has been answered is whether Lance Stroll lost his temper in the Aston Martin garage after qualifying on Sunday morning, this writer and another journalist asked an Aston Martin spokesperson whether claims that Stroll had banged equipment about, sworn at team members, and stormed out of the garage were spokesperson did not deny the story. They said: "Lance was upset."Later that evening, an Aston Martin source contacted BBC Sport to deny that anything was broken or that Stroll swore at colleagues. But not the central truth of the came to light after Aston Martin announced on Saturday evening that Stroll had withdrawn from the race because of pain in his hand and wrist, which they said his medical consultant believed was related to the operation he had after suffering two broken wrists in a cycling accident before the 2023 are a couple of ways of looking at the one hand, for Stroll to be so annoyed, apparently about being knocked out in Q2 and being 0.535secs slower than team-mate Fernando Alonso, suggests he is very invested in his attempt to be successful in previous outburst after qualifying came in a similar situation, when he had been over a second slower than Alonso in Qatar in it is very unusual for an F1 driver to deliberately skip a race for an injury or pain of this drivers race with injuries, and Stroll himself raced with two fractures at the start of 2023, after the operation that the team say his medical consultant believes is at the root of his current to whether this is the beginning of the end for Stroll, only he has a seat at the team as long as he wants. His father Lawrence owns it, and he essentially bought it so Lance could have a drive in F1, with the aim of becoming world is far from the most communicative or amenable of F1 drivers with the media. But, whenever he is asked, he always says he is committed to F1 and the team. Is there any evidence that McLaren have made changes to deal with how Lando Norris was struggling to get to grips with the car in qualifying. Is this the biggest difference between last year, where Norris was clearly the quicker McLaren driver, and this year where Oscar Piastri has had a clear edge? – Tom Norris has admitted in the first part of this season that an aspect of the behaviour of the McLaren car has been affecting his qualifying form, particularly what team boss Andrea Stella says is a "numb" feeling from the front resolve this issue, McLaren have been working with Norris on his driving, and have said that upgrades will be introduced to the car to help the felt that he made a breakthrough with this in Monaco, where he took pole position. After he qualified second to team-mate Oscar Piastri in Spain, he was asked whether he still felt he had made that replied: "The speed was easily there today. And sometimes you just don't put the laps in. Today was good."I was a little bit behind at the start of qualifying and I caught up nicely. I know where I lost that time on the final lap. It was just trying a little bit too much and just not being quite tidy enough – especially around a lap like Barcelona."One little oversteer in Turn One, Turn Two, you kind of already know it's going to be a tricky rest of the lap. So, it's still good. I still feel fine. I'm happy with second, especially in Barcelona – it's not the end of the world. So, a positive weekend."As for the dynamic between the two drivers, well, that's still playing out. Let's see how the next few races pan out. Why did Ferrari leave Lewis Hamilton out so long before his second pit stop? He was two seconds in front of George Russell, who had made his second stop and afterwards he was 10 seconds behind. What is going on with that pit wall? - Mike This topic was not covered in Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur's post-race briefing. But bear in mind that running long is a standard tactic in Spain, to give the driver a tyre offset against a was only two seconds behind Hamilton when Mercedes pitted him on lap 41, well within undercut range. So it would make sense for Ferrari to leave Hamilton out for exactly this any case, this is not the biggest issue surrounding Hamilton after the Spanish Grand seven-time champion was downcast after the race. He mumbled through his media briefing, giving very short answers, if he answered questions at all, before excusing himself after a couple of said: "I have no idea why it was so bad", and said it was the "worst race I've experienced, balance-wise." There were "zero" positives, he concern, presumably, was his lack of started the race two places ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc. It was an encouraging qualifying performance by Hamilton, even if the context was that Leclerc's session had gone slightly awry as he tried to save two fresh sets of medium tyres for the passed Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli immediately and trailed close behind Hamilton until lap 10, when Ferrari ordered Hamilton to let him the subsequent five laps before his pit stop, Hamilton lost just under four seconds to his stopped for the first time a lap later than Hamilton. By the time the Monegasque stopped again on lap 40, Hamilton was 10 seconds hardly a disaster, but nor is it what Hamilton expects of the final part of the race, Vasseur said, Hamilton had a problem on his car, the identity of which he did not specify."He did 70% of the race in front of Russell," Vasseur said. "I'm not sure that Russell said that the race was a disaster. Then we had an issue on the car, the last stint (after) the safety car. The result is not good, but he did 45 laps in front of Russell."
Scottish Sun
43 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Sky Q fans given new reason to switch with 70p-a-day TV offer – it includes over 100 channels and FREE Netflix
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