Stirling Moss Claims that Women Can't Handle 'Mental Stress' of F1

Stirling Moss has provoked criticism in the F1 community for an interview he gave on BBC Radio 5 when he said he does not believe a woman could handle the mental strain of racing in Formula 1. 

“We’ve got some very strong and robust ladies, but, when your life is at risk, I think the strain of that in a competitive situation will tell when you’re trying to win.

“The mental stress I think would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have aptitude to win a Formula One race," said Moss.

While that is the comment that got Moss in the most trouble, he walked it back slightly later in the interview.

“Unfortunately, the way things are, I don’t imagine a lady will ever get the chance to drive a Red Bull or a Ferrari,” he said.

“The only chance is with a lesser team – and they only take someone if they come with a good sponsor.

“Regretfully, the problem is that many ladies who could compete probably as well as the guys won’t get chance," he said. 

It seems that Moss believes that a women could theoretically make it into F1 but does not believe that they could win.

Williams test driver Susie Wolff responded to Moss' comments saying: "I completely disagree with him. I don’t know where to start after hearing that interview. I’ve got a lot of respect for Sir Stirling and what he achieved, but I think we’re in a different generation.”

There have only ever been five women to race in Formula 1, and the last was in 1992. Only one of them scored points. 

Keep in mind, Moss was born in 1929 and began racing in 1948. He raced in an era where race drivers died nearly every weekend in a major race. He retired from racing in 1962 after a race at Goodwood put him in a coma for a month and paralyzed his left side for six months. He has dabbled in racing later in life, but the crash surely had a major effect on his outlook on racing. 

Source: Telegraph