Susie Wolff has questioned just why she has been such a focus for the media across the course of this weekend given that she is simply doing something very routine and normal in F1.
Wolff deputized for Valtteri Bottas at Williams during FP1, just as Giedo van der Garde, Robin Frijns and Daniel Juncadella did at their respective teams. However, the fact that Wolff today became the first woman in 22 years to take part in an official F1 session has attracted a lot of attention.
That said, many of the other drivers on the grid were not so bothered by it, and Wolff was pleased by this.
“I think it’s a good thing because, you know, I think we all arrived here and everybody was like why is everyone making a fuss about you driving?” she explained to the media on Friday at Silverstone. “Felipe Nasr’s driven and nobody made a fuss, and we all were quite surprised by the big commotion around it, and I think we could see that as a positive.
“For Felipe and Valtteri, it was like ‘we’re just driving, what’s the big deal?’. So I think for the other drivers not to have a big issue with it can also be something positive because they don’t see it as being something that unusual really.”
Wolff also explained how she does not feel that she has been held back despite being a woman in a predominantly male sport, and has earned her place at Williams on merit.
“No, I think initially, even when I joined the Mercedes team for DTM, of course you have to come in and have to earn your respect, but every young driver has to do that,” she said. “I think as long as you keep your head down, work hard and prove your worth, you’re accepted.
“And as soon as you’re accepted, it never comes into question any more, and I have a very good relationship with Felipe and Valtteri, and everyone within the team, and I never feel like I’m treated differently than Felipe and Valtteri are.”
Sadly, Wolff’s session did not go to plan. She completed just four installation laps before an engine failure forced her to park up the FW36 car at the side of the track. Her next chance to drive the FW36 will come during practice for the German Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.
Many had questioned Wolff’s suitability for the reserve role given her underwhelming form in DTM. Therefore, she will have to prove herself once again at Hockenheim, although she has already answered many of her critics at the last in-season test in Spain two months ago.
