Sophia Floersch: "The idea of ​​separate worlds for men and women is outdated and false"

At 20, the German pilot already has ten years of experience behind her.

Including a passage in Formula 3 FIA.

This season, she competes in the DTM with Abt Sportsline and in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship with the Richard Mille Racing Team.

The young woman with a strong character had not hesitated to reject the invitation to take part in the W Series, not being in phase with what this category offers.

She explains why in

.

Le Figaro.

What do you think of the W series?

Basically it is very welcome that someone has noticed "Hey there are too few women in motorsport. I want to change that!"

Great.

So there is an investor with good intentions behind the W series.

Read also: Why is there not (yet) a female driver in Formula 1?

But you find things to complain about ...

The W series is a commercial business with USP of "Female". Sex doesn't have to be a selling point. In other industries, such things are prohibited. Motorsport does the opposite and creates a distinct pink female world. Which is now taking place next to the successful blue world. Girls drive bad cars without their own team, without a reference. It is a level of leisure far removed from modern racing. Because it's free. The F3R cars - which shouldn't be confused with the FIA's F3 or Euroformula - are slower on the Red Bull Ring than those in the F4, where the guys start at 15 and compete in two or three championships in parallel for an amount of up to 800,000 euros per year.The W series wants to do this with very little track time and an "F3" name. With all due respect, I fail to understand why the pros and motorsport insiders claim otherwise or remain silent. They know the path and the costs in junior sport. 4-5 years of karting is 100-300k per year, 2 years of F4 600-800k, 2 years in FIA F3 1.0-1.5 M € and 2 years in F2 2.0-3.0 M €. Only team costs without coaches, extra costs, accidents, etc. The only way to get into F1 is through the best teams in the best series. It's reality. Check out the teams promoted in F1 over the past five years and calculate their training budget.Inspired young women and parents need to know about these financial demands.

Are there still some good sides to the W Series?

It draws attention to women in motorsport. This is the goal of a business case. To this end, partnerships with the media are concluded. Gender as a win-win argument. By attention, we hope for sponsors. The question is whether you can find series sponsors or individual sponsors for women pilots. It is desirable for a female runner to find a sponsor. But the sponsor will notice, on the first day of testing of a regular FIA F3, that a lot of time is missing on the boys' grid. This is another central problem: the sporting difference that exists today is consolidated in the perception of fans and sponsors. Finally,people are comforted in the statement "

”. The W series is the expression of this statement. I am seriously wondering if this is what you want to achieve with the W Series… If young girls are sensitized to motorsport thanks to the W Series, that is a good thing, of course. But, in my opinion, this argument alone does not justify the separation of women and men in the racing series. It is also important for me to stress that I recognize and appreciate the good intention and the idea of ​​promotion of the organizers and promoters. However, in my opinion, this is the wrong way. In 2021, the basic idea of ​​separate worlds for men and women is outdated and false. In education, businesses and even the military, this relic of the past has been abolished.

“The FIA ​​and the organizers should do everything in their power to ensure that women stand on the podium in a world championship or high level racing series.

"

Sophia floersch

What do you suggest to improve the place of women in motorsport?

Encourage girls to start karting from the age of 6-10. Teams are incentivized by a bonus system (registration, engine rental fees, tires, etc.) if they accept women in the team. Teams should be committed to providing quality material, not substandard material. Why not have a cockpit to be filled by a woman in series with change of pilot like the WEC or the ELMS or the GT Masters? Extreme E is embarking on this path. In F1, teams that fill a cockpit with a woman could be supported financially or technically (eg additional tokens). Or, a third F1 car would be allowed if it was occupied by a woman. As part of the sponsorship, new partners come to the table.The organizer and the TV broadcaster would double their audience and fan base. Many new modern approaches are possible. The FIA ​​and the organizers should do everything in their power to ensure that women step onto the podium in a world championship or high level racing series. The proof of concept must be made interesting for teams, manufacturers and advertising partners in the automotive world.The proof of concept must be made interesting for teams, manufacturers and advertising partners in the automotive world.The proof of concept must be made interesting for teams, manufacturers and advertising partners in the automotive world.

Don't you think the W series is well intentioned and there are only tweaks to be made?

Promotion must start in the substructure of F3 and F2. On a technical level, what the W series propagates with women aged 16 to 28 misses the point. The substructure starts in karting and F4. Talented boys already have hundreds of racing experience at 16. And several tens of thousands of kilometers in a single-seater. At 16, a successful driver must focus 100% on FIA F4 / F3, or even F2 already. There is no place for the W series. What is the W series trying to suggest? What millennial female talent are they waiting for? Why doesn't the W Series investor promote two or three women in FIA F4 or FIA F3? Find a high level team with high level people in the style of PREMA, ART or Hitech. Even better,make promotional contacts during the last two preparatory years in karting.

“In F4 my sponsor bought a new car during the year and I immediately finished on the podium.

Before that, I drove old B-ware ... "

Sophia floersch

Why do you think people, especially on Twitter, do not understand your reasoning and your refusal to participate in the W Series?

Unfortunately, many fans have a completely misconception about racing. For example: If it's written F3 on it, it's not F3. But completely different cars and driving standards. A lot of the reviews come from the UK. It's understandable that people are happy to see British winners in a series of British races hosted by British promoters. But I have a question: why are fans being left in the dark like this? The car and technology account for 98% of the success in most racing series. Performance comes from 100% quality. And quality, like everywhere else in life, is very expensive. In F4 my sponsor bought a new car during the year and I immediately finished on the podium.Before that, I drove old B-ware. The only team car that was able to win was given to my teammate. I have the impression that one confuses sporting quality and entertainment. I fear that if sport is only geared towards entertainment, it will lose its DNA in the medium term. F1 offers top-notch attention with top-notch sport and technology. The W series does not correspond to this. I have been accused of personally devaluing the W-Series pilots. That is never my intention. They do their best in the conditions they find at the W-Series race weekend. And of course everyone always wants to win. Girls are runners and they want to run. The W Series catches them with no rental car, no cost ofteam and with huge prices. I can't understand why 15 FIA Super License points are awarded for winning. It's a slap in the face for any F4-F3-F2 driver. You know that in the end you won't meet any of the ladies fighting for an F1 cockpit. This is why there is no criticism from the drivers and the teams.

When will we see a woman in F1?

Hard to say as long as there is a lack of willpower in F1. I'm missing 2-3 million euros per year for F2, otherwise I would prove it. With Schaeffler AG, Richard Mille and Motul, I have great partners who really promote top series like WEC and DTM. With only a handful of days in GT3, I'm right on the heels of a Mike Rockenfeller in lap times. With Richard Mille, we were P9 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020. I am 20 years old, I passed my baccalaureate and I already experienced a violent accident in Macao which was not my fault in my life as a driver. . If I am given the chance to train every day, I train every day. Let's see where the journey takes us ...