Natacha Gachnang to be the next female F1 driver?

[jon-mullen]

Let me be the first to offer Natacha here a very warm welcome to the F1 grid in my pants.

I assume everyone's ok with a hot chick behind the wheel as long as it's not Danica at USGPE? Thought so.

Seriously, though, has this crazy bangable girl won anything that matters (other than my heart)?

My 2c: red shirt nice; red car unlikely.

[Tom Castellani]

Small text: Yes she is and mine too!

She won the Spanish F3 Title and has been quick testing in F2 but hasn't produced much race-wise. I think that series is a bit of a joke anyway, it's a pay to drive plus the cars are a lot lower spec than GP2.

[mx_tifoso]

• Career
  
  * 2001 Swiss junior karting champion.
  * 2002 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft test – fourth of 64 drivers.
  * 2003 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – one fourth-place finish.
  * 2004 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – two fourth-place finishes.
  * 2005 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – sixth, three podiums.
  * 2006 Formel 3 Cup – one podium, nine top-10 finishes.
  * 2007 Star Mazda 3- two podiums.
  * 2008 Spanish Formula 3 - four podiums.

Natacha Gachnang - Wikipedia

Currently in F2.

[Dukeage]

As the name suggests it's F3, however it's not as good as other series such as the EuroSeries and British - it's not really F3 as you have to use a Dallara chassis and a FIAT engine.

[modbaraban]

• Career
  
  * 2001 Swiss junior karting champion.
  * 2002 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft test – fourth of 64 drivers.
  * 2003 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – one fourth-place finish.
  * 2004 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – two fourth-place finishes.
  * 2005 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – sixth, three podiums.
  * 2006 Formel 3 Cup – one podium, nine top-10 finishes.
  * 2007 Star Mazda 3- two podiums.
  * 2008 Spanish Formula 3 - four podiums.
  * tits

There's nothing even remotely impressive in F1 terms if you remove the last line.

[Tom Castellani]

• Career
  
  * 2001 Swiss junior karting champion.
  * 2002 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft test – fourth of 64 drivers.
  * 2003 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – one fourth-place finish.
  * 2004 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – two fourth-place finishes.
  * 2005 Formel BMW ADAC Meisterschaft – sixth, three podiums.
  * 2006 Formel 3 Cup – one podium, nine top-10 finishes.
  * 2007 Star Mazda 3- two podiums.
  * 2008 Spanish Formula 3 - four podiums.
  * tits

There's nothing even remotely impressive in F1 terms if you remove the last line.

[ESPImperium]

Shurly its a good thing for F1 to have a lady or two on the grid???

If she was clearly the quickest driver avalable i would put her in a race seat. Altho, most probably a year in GP2 would probably do her best, i think with the budget capped teams, i think that it could open the doors for drivers to skip GP2 and go straight to F1, whitch if im right, thats what our current champoinship leading driver did, went from Formula 3 straight to F1 at the tender age of 20, skipping the F1 feeder series then that was F3000.

Im gonna say that theres gonna be one woman on the grid next year.

[Miguel]

Natacha certainly looks good. But dumping Kovalainen, who is being booed here continually, seems somewhat incongruent. This is Hekki's racing record. Notice a few differences with Natacha's record? You may also want to compare it with Nelson "I can't outqualify Alonso" Piquet. Click here

[jddh1]

Natacha certainly looks good. But dumping Kovalainen, who is being booed here continually, seems somewhat incongruent. This is Hekki's racing record. Notice a few differences with Natacha's record? You may also want to compare it with Nelson "I can't outqualify Alonso" Piquet. Click here

I'd take Heikki over Piquet any time.
Dropping Heikki over this chick is really stupid. If she goes to a smaller team, I have no problem with it.

But to whom says having her over Danica: Why? If it's because she's hot, then I must say Danica is pretty hot herself. I'm not saying no to either. I'm saying YES to both. I want them both in F1, with a lesser team, miss qualifying and spend race day kissing passionately each other at the finish line, for the entire race. Although I'm afraid it will turn out to be a two horse race between Lewis and Sutil.

[Miguel]

I'd take Heikki over Piquet any time.
Dropping Heikki over this chick is really stupid. If she goes to a smaller team, I have no problem with it.

So would I. The thing is that even drivers laughed by some internet dwellers have an impressive background, having topped most if not all the categories where they've raced. Although I'm quite sure Natacha is way more talented than 99% of the members of this board, even someone like Adrian Valles has won more races in many other categories.

[jddh1]

I guess I might get my wish after all.

http://www.f1technical.net/news/12747

[outer_bongolia]

Natacha certainly looks good. But dumping Kovalainen, who is being booed here continually, seems somewhat incongruent. This is Hekki's racing record. Notice a few differences with Natacha's record? You may also want to compare it with Nelson "I can't outqualify Alonso" Piquet. Click here

Well her cousin Sebastien Buemi made it into F1 with a much less impressive resume (Here). May be she can prove Mateschitz that she's better than Sebastien.

[Ray]

Danica is eye candy, and I wouldn't mind seeing her in Formula 1. But I would like to see a woman racer.

[Patriiick]

Gachnang is a lovely lady but it takes much more that than to make it in F1.
She is still young and her marketability is still a bit doubtful. give her time.
You cant take a four podium f3 racer and throw her in f1 in a brand new team..

IMHO, Danica is much more suited to make it than her.at this point
She can "handle" men competition, media, drama on and off track etc.. (although Giovanna Amati, before her short foray in F1@Brabham in 1991, was quite good and far from overrated - no matter what press said then, she was mighty impressive in f3).

Danica is a real racer, a serious and proper race-winner that has calmed down a lot, if you watched a bit of irl/cart, she has had quite a few brillant races and is highly capable of setting up a car. a recent 3rd a indy500 is also very praiseworthy.

The real issue lies more in handling the different technical aspects, like any driver transferring from US-type racing to F1.

Realistically, if ANY women nowadays has the race DNA/resume to go to F1, it is Danica. She just needs the personal commitment.
It is not a guarantee of success - granted - but she has shown to be the most serious woman racer in decades.

we also have or had some notably fast women drivers in key race categories:

Lynn St James back in the eighties was also a notable and praiseworthy woman driver, focusing on high profile races and her annual indy500 foray (and quite a decent showing i might say).

Sarah Fisher pretty much disappeared off the radar and has less momentum. Too redneck

Milka duno is a discgrace to car racing - slow, opiniated and less than elegant on track.

Ellen Lohr (Heavily sponsored by dad!) was fun to watch, super fast at times in DTM but crashed very often.

[outer_bongolia]

Talking about Milka & Danica, here's a great clip!
Milka vs. Danica