Sophia Flörsch vs Ferrari’s “pink quote” In their Junior program: “Women are not media oblects”
The German “race girl” criticises Binotto’s decision to open the Academy to women.
When Mattia Binotto announced the Pranking Horse decision to open the doors of Ferrari’s Driver Academy to women, everyone thought that it might follow the name of some girls that would have been choosen to start the program. It was on Christmas, and nowadays there have been no women name to fill the list, yet
However, there have been many applications, from girls coming from the four corners of the world that saw their dreams to become a Ferrari driver coming true. One of them was Sophia Flörsch.
The 19-year old driver promptly sent her request but she was rejected.
When the news of this opening were spread, she strongly criticised the Maranello team in general – and its team principal Mattia Binotto in particular- calling them a fake.
“Ferrari made this decision to conquer the media interest- said Flörsch – racing girls are not media objects. We have to be choosen only on the base of our talent, just like for men. We are equals.”
What a discussion🤭 Is this the spirit of modern people?⛔️As long as we are just marketing stuff in racing nothing will change. We have to show that we are equal. Proof of concept. Like Michele Mouton. #sophia #racegirl #FIA @fiawim https://t.co/2IBGWi9E9S
— Sophia Floersch (@SophiaFloersch) January 15, 2020
Could her words have any base of truth?
First of all, we have to say that she would not be the first girl to enter F1. There were Lella Lombardi, Suzie Wolff, there is Jamie Chadwick. It seems that claiming the decision to open the Maranello Driver Academy to women only to get some attention is a little bit pretentious.
There is no news that Ferrari seeks some media attention, as it just welcomed in Academy Arthur Leclerc, the younger brother of their very famous “official” Formula 1 driver Charles.
Yet, things aren’t always “plotted” as it seems. Flörsch has talent, there is no doubt about that. She is now racing in Formula Regional, a brave act as in 2018 in Macao she had a bad accident and she has just recovered.
Though, she was denied according to the same values she fights for. She just doesn’t match the standards. In fact, she already races in a quite big Formula and the Academy is open to younger girls making their “big entrance” in motorsport, in order to grow with Ferrari.
Women have to be choosen for their talent, as it happens for men. Numerically, there are billions of boys who try to enter the Italian Academy. In comparison, there are still few girls in this world.
Maybe who is missing is just “the one”, the golden girl that with her small Cinderella foot can race faster than the wind and make regret all men who still claim that racing is not “physically” a thing for women. The fact is, Sophia Flörsch is not her.
