Susie Wolff will live her dream on Friday at Silverstone, but she is also facing criticism.<\/p>\n
The Scot will break a 22-year F1 drought in morning practice for the British grand prix when she drives Valtteri Bottas’ Williams — the last woman in action during a world championship weekend was Giovanna Amati in 1992.<\/p>\n
But not everyone is convinced Wolff, 31, has the right credentials.<\/p>\n
Sergio Perez put his foot in his mouth on Friday when he joked to a Spanish reporter for Antena 3 television that Wolff would be “better off in the kitchen”.<\/p>\n
The Force India driver later apologised, insisting he “admires” Wolff’s talent, and even the reporter admitted it had been an “unfortunate joke” by the Mexican.<\/p>\n
Even so, former McLaren driver John Watson suspects she is only being given the chance by Williams, led by female boss Claire Williams and co-owned by Wolff’s husband Toto Wolff, because of her gender.<\/p>\n
“She is not the nominated third driver, Felipe Nasr is,” he told the Daily Mail.\u00a0 “So why do this?<\/p>\n
“It might be nice to put on her CV but no F1 team is going to take on a driver in their 30s who hasn’t raced in two years.\u00a0 There is a lack of testing availability and this seems a strange way to use precious time,” Watson said.<\/p>\n
Wolff told the German newspaper Bild: “Some people think I’m just a female PR stunt.<\/p>\n
“But here I will only be evaluated as a racing driver — with the helmets on, we’re all the same.”<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, even Claire Williams acknowledges that Wolff’s gender is at least playing a role in the opportunity she has been given this weekend.<\/p>\n
“You would be naive to say that having a female on board does not bring commercial benefit,” she told The Times newspaper.\u00a0 “She has to deliver as well.”<\/p>\n
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