Caitlyn Jenner is Ruining F1 for Women
Back again with another article not designed to shit everyone to tears, but I know I will anyway, and just like the other topics, you're going to read the headline on social media, probably comment underneath saying that I've lost my mind and I'm an asshole and wrong, and move on with your day because you're a piece of shit and I'm the greatest thing to happen to this planet. ANYWAY.... moving on. For those remaining with half a brain, let me borrow some time for a minute.
I don't think we should be celebrating Caitlyn Jenner, but for those who are living under a rock, Bruce Jenner was an Olympian than transitioned to Caitlyn a few years back and I think she won a courage award at the ESPY's or something, I dunno. But look, she got a sex change, to change into the sex that she believes she is, and that's awesome, and I'm so happy she was able to do that, I genuinely am. I identify as someone with high intelligence and a body like John Cena, but unfortunately I can't afford the procedures to change into that. Anyway, Caitlyn recently announced that she would start up Jenner Racing and form her own W series team with Jamie Chadwick, back to back championship, as her main driver.
Again, all of this seems nice and innocent, how could Jenner possibly be negatively impacting the women's movement in motorsport when she is injecting the sport with millions and millions of dollars. This is what Jenner had to say, 'As a believer in fair competition, a lover of motor racing, and a supporter of all women in sport from the grassroots to elite level, W series ticks every box for me and is a fusion of the different aspects of my career. A championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, W series is changing the face of motorsport. W Series had a global reach of more than half a billion viewers in 2021, and I am going out to the market to acquire sponsors that align with mine and W Series' joint missions.'
Ok, there is so much wrong with what she said that my head is spinning. You mention the viewership, great, it gets half a billion eyes on it in a season, that's amazing, why is that, is it because it's the opening act, the curtain raiser for the Formula 1 on the eight weekends of the year that it competes? Or are people tuning in because they are genuinely excited to see slower cars from people they've never heard of going around?
You're a supporter of all women in sport, then why are you buying a W Series team, the W Series is a series designed to keep women happy, to cast them to the side, the let them play with the slower cheaper cars and toys because surely these tiny little females couldn't handle the big strong quick cars of Formula 1.
Oh, but it's a gateway for women to get into Formula 1, for the world to see what they are capable of, is it? Is it really? Jamie Chadwick is a back to back champion, the fact that she is going back to compete for Caitlyn Jenner for a third championship in a row is amazing and depressing at the same time. Are you telling me the fastest woman in motorsport isn't able to get a drive in F3 or F2? That's where the problem is, the W Series is enabling F2 and F3 and even F1 teams to a certain extent to just ignore women in motorsport because we don't need to worry about them, they have their own little league they play in.
Do I agree there needs to be more done for women in grassroots karting and racing to get girls interested in Formula 1? Absolutely, but pumping more money into the W Series is going to halt these women and make young girls everywhere aspire to be W Series drivers and not F1 drivers. You're telling girls everywhere to dream to be the weird girl from Destiny's Child and not Beyonce, and every girl deserves to right to grow up as a Beyonce.
Caitlyn Jenner, who by the way was recently just on Australia's Celebrity Big Brother, is just there for a quick 5 minutes of relevancy, a quick cash grab and to exploit the greatest woman driver we have at the moment.
I'm not alone with criticism around the W Series, a lot of people have concerns with the segregation of male and female racers with British IndyCar Series driver Pippa Mann saying 'What a sad day for motorsport. Those with funding to help female racers are choosing to segregate them as opposed to supporting them. I am deeply disappointed to see such a historic step backwards take place in my life time.'
Former Formula E and ex-Sauber F1 Test Driver Simona De Silvestro has suggested that the pathetic amount that is the prize money would be better invested in a scholarship system to support the development of talent across a wider range of motorsport disciplines. 'If there's really that much money going into the series, there are a few girls that have been pretty competitive in junior series. It seems like everyone is just struggling to get the shot.'
It's sad that a lot of people are going to get the wrong idea from this article. I've never once referred to Formula 1 as a male sport. There are a lot of men involved, but anyone can drive a car, so instead of creating a league or series segregating and hurting the growth of women in sport, why not fund programs to help them get to F3, F2 and beyond. Caitlyn Jenner has done this for publicity, take the money you've invested you greedy whore and fund some programs for girls to get involved in motorsport, not a quick cash grab for yourself in a last ditch attempt to stay relevant. There's only one Black Driver in Formula 1, are we starting the Black Series to encourage more black drivers into motorsport, or do we want the best 20 drivers in F1, whether they are white, black, male or female.
Jamie Chadwick deserves better and I hope she gets a chance in a future. Because Caitlyn Jenner is now another one of the people hurting the world of women's motorsport and not helping it.