"A super-fit age 30 woman would beat' Fernando Alonso, says Alpine as it launches a new initiative to find competitive female drivers for F1

According to Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, a super-fit 30-year-old woman will beat Fernando Alonso in most physical activities. The Frenchman made this statement on the eve of a new initiative launched by Alpine to find competitive female drivers for F1.

Rossi was questioned about his understanding of why F1 did not have female drivers and alluded to whether physical prowess had a role to play in this. The Alpine CEO took the example of Alonso, a 40-year-old driver, to highlight that physicality is not the most important thing you need to succeed in F1.

The 47-year-old French exec said:

“We don’t know yet. I have my own personal view. I am happy to be proved wrong. I don’t think it matters. Looking at all the drivers, they are not built the same way. They don’t do the same training. They are very different. I don’t think it is brute physical force that is being employed in F1 and that’s why you would segregate some disciplines.”

“It is a little bit pushing it, but you look at Fernando Alonso and everyone is wondering why is he driving a Formula 1 car at 40-plus. I think it is because it is not as important to be super-athletic. Because he’s not. He is incredibly fit but he’s not like an Olympian, and if he can drive an F1 car at age 40, I don’t see why a super-fit age 30 woman wouldn’t.”

“I am pretty sure a super-fit age 30 woman would beat Fernando in most physical activities, because I am 40 myself and I know what it does to you. So if he can drive an F1 car pretty well now, it is a good example that I don’t think that physical strength is the key.”

The new initiative would select girls from the age of 10 and help them progress through the different racing categories just like the boys do right now. Both Alpine drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon will be put through physiological and psychological tests to determine a benchmark needed to make it to F1 and this benchmark will be used during the formative years of the selected girls.

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Fernando Alonso hoping for a strong result at 2022 F1 British GP

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