This previous weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix introduced with it a brand new experiment from System 1: A particular, kid-friendly broadcast designed for youthful audiences. Providing steerage to a broadcast crew composed of youngsters was Danica Patrick, a former NASCAR and IndyCar driver turned occasional Sky Sports activities F1 commentator. There was only one drawback: Patrick was actively discouraging in regards to the mere prospect of ladies being sooner or later able to racing in F1 due to their “female thoughts.”

Through the race broadcast, a younger commentator named Scarlett requested Patrick after we might see a lady racing in F1. Patrick’s reply began out pretty moderately, as transcribed by Alanis King and confirmed myself:

As I’ve at all times stated in my entire profession, it takes 100 guys to return by way of to discover a good one, after which it takes 100 ladies. That takes a very long time to discover a good one, proper? It simply, the percentages are usually not in favor of there at all times being one or being a lot of them.

On this context, Patrick is completely appropriate. With fewer ladies within the racing ranks, discovering somebody of F1-level potential might be harder when in comparison with the slew of males who take up racing every year. We’ll battle to seek out that actually gifted girl out of 100 ladies racers particularly as a result of it should take longer for these 100 ladies to get into motorsport.

However then Patrick continued:

And on the finish of thee day, I believe that the character of the game is masculine. It’s aggressive. It’s important to, , deal with the automobile — not solely simply the automobile, as a result of that’s a ability, however the mindset that it takes to be actually good is one thing that’s not regular in a female thoughts, in a feminine thoughts.

It’s important to be, like, for me, I do know if anyone tries to bow up or make it tough on me, I might go into like an aggressive kill mode, proper? You simply need to go after them, and that’s simply not a pure female thought. I say that as a result of I’ve requested my pals about it, and so they’re like, “Yeah, that’s not how I believe.”

Patrick is undoubtedly essentially the most profitable girl driver of her period, and it’s definitely price listening to out her ideas on the topic — however we don’t essentially need to wholeheartedly settle for them for what they’re. Patrick has, in any case, not too long ago made headlines for her podcast, the place she hosted a dialogue on the potential for aliens modifying human DNA to restrict lifespans. And when you’ve been following Patrick for some time, you’ll doubtless know that her controversial opinions on well being, wellness, and sociological considerations span again a number of years.

Sure, we should always hear Patrick out. We also needs to perceive that it’s completely doable she holds limiting beliefs about ladies usually, or that what she understands as a “masculine” mindset might as an alternative be extra precisely known as a “aggressive” mindset.

Greater than the rest, although, it’s essential to notice {that a} sporting broadcast designed for younger youngsters is probably not the best venue to share a deeply discouraging message to a big subset of younger viewers.