Wolff ends Formula One’s 22-year wait for woman driving in grand prix weekend

F1 had not seen woman on track since Italian Giovanna Amati in 1992

British driver Susie Wolff of Williams smiles during the first practice session of the British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, Britain, on July 4, 2014. Valdrin Xhemaj / EPA
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SILVERSTONE, England // After a 22-year wait, Formula One witnessed a woman driver taking part in a grand prix weekend on Friday – for all of 20 minutes.

If Susie Wolff, whose husband Toto is head of Mercedes motorsport, was bitterly disappointed to have her British Grand Prix practice session cut short by an engine failure, she refused to dwell on her misfortune.

The Scot has another opportunity with her Mercedes-powered Williams team in Germany later this month and is still not giving up on her dream – admittedly still no more than a long shot – of becoming F1's first woman racer since 1976.

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“That’s racing. I’ve known over the years that it can be massive ups and then massive downs as well,” she said in the Williams team motorhome.

“I’ve still got Hockenheim. I’ve got to go out in Hockenheim and show what I can do because I didn’t get the chance to do that today. I’ve still got one more shot at it, so head up high.”

On one level at least, Wolff’s four laps at Silverstone partially achieved at least one aim – to give young girls a role model and someone they can aspire to emulate in a sport dominated by men. Until Friday, no woman had taken part in any stage of a grand prix weekend since Italian Giovanna Amati tried and failed to qualify with Brabham in 1992.

Italian Lella Lombardi, in 1976, is the last woman to race in Formula One, even if there have been several in other series, notably in the United States.

“If there’s no role model out there doing it, for all the little girls who come to race tracks to watch or watch it on the TV, if they don’t see a girl out on the racetrack, then they are not inspired to maybe want to do that themselves,” Wolff said.

“That leads to the second problem that there are not enough young girls karting or starting at a young age. Sometimes in life you also just need a chance, and I got that chance here at Williams.”

Lewis Hamilton led the times ahead of Mercedes teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg in Friday's second practice session for the British Grand Prix. Hamilton's best time of one minute, 34.508 seconds outpaced German Rosberg by 0.228 seconds. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third-fastest, seven seconds off the pace, followed by Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.

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