For many years, a topic of major focus has been diversity and gender equality in the world of motorsport. Despite that, the former F1 boss released a statement that sent shock waves throughout all racing leagues, and one athlete who defied his words was Danica Patrick.

The former F1 Supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, changed the face of the sport as we know it. He was one of the most crucial people responsible for the public relations of top-flight racing and helping it improve its popularity. However, in 2013, as per sportingnews.com, he said women shouldn’t be racing with men and “should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances.”

“I don’t know whether a woman would physically be able to drive an F1 car quickly, and they wouldn’t be taken seriously” he added.

As per him, rather than being behind the wheel, women belong in business “Women are more competent, and they don’t have massive egos,” Such words coming from the chairman of the pinnacle of motorsport received a lot of backlash.

Notably, in the recent past, the Brit has also shown support for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, saying that he would “take a bullet” for the “good guy.”

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A female who has excelled in open-wheel racing and has also made her way into NASCAR Cup Series is Danica Patrick. And it was not long before the former IndyCar driver presented her views on the remarks by the former F1 boss.

Danica Patrick’s response to ex-F1 CEO

Having driven in 2 of the most prominent leagues in motorsports, the American racing driver is a well-known entity in the racing community. Remarkably, she won the IndyCar Japan 300 and earned the title of being the only woman to have done so.

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In response to the remarks made by Ecclestone, she said, “You know, people have said things in the past and they will say things in the future, I still say the same thing and that’s that everybody is entitled to their own opinion,” 

“People are going to judge what he said and I’m just not going to.”

Additionally, as she has competed in NASCAR, she is also the first female to lead the Indianapolis 500 event. It was 2013 when she became a full-time driver for the Cup Series and joined Stewart-Haas Racing, which later provided her with a link with the sole American constructor on the F1 grid, Haas. Nevertheless, the connection did not turn fruitful for the 40-year-old.

She revealed the obstacles to entry in F1 by saying, “I felt like I was way more welcome when I came home. I felt like people were genuinely excited to have me around; I felt equal, but it didn’t feel like that in England. So maybe that’s part of why you don’t see as many females come through and up the ladder to go to Formula 1.”

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Nonetheless, it is a different scenario in today’s world with more actions being taken toward including women in the racing world. Do you think we can have a female racer on the grid soon?