How many Formula drivers can you name in five minutes? Now how many female drivers can you name? A little harder, huh?

This, despite the fact that the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has never been reluctant, even at times less politically correct than now, to allow women to compete as equals to men. As far as the FIA ​​was concerned, they cared no less who sat in the cars as long as they could drive them.

The refrain is often heard: “Women can’t drive!” To those skeptics, I say, “Meet Desire Wilson, Amanda Whitaker, and Danica Patrick,” just to name a few.

Of these three women, Desire Wilson began by winning the South African Formula Ford Championship in 1976. She had started racing at the age of five, in micro-dwarf cars on dirt tracks. These scooter-powered cars were rated at 60 mph, but his father, South African motorcycle champion Charlie Randall, built the cars and fully supported his efforts.

In the early 1980s, he won the UK Formula One Aurora series and tried to qualify for the British Grand Prix in an old Williams. But they gave him a different car than he had when he won the Aurora series and he couldn’t get used to the newer Williams before the qualifying round was over. However, in his career, he has had 23 wins, 16 second places, 42 third places, 17 lap records and 28 fastest laps, all in major international events.

Amanda Whitaker is largely credited with being Britain’s most successful female host. He started racing karts at age 15 and in his second year in karting, he had finished in the top 3 in 4 major championships.

In late 1991, shortly after her 17th birthday, Amanda followed in her father Ronnie’s footsteps and made the move to single-seaters. He raced his father’s old 1979 Formula Ford and finished in the top 4 of the 4 major Formula Ford 1600 championships, with 3 wins in his first championship. Since then, he has had more than 50 race wins and multiple circuit lap records. More than 10 years after achieving them, he still has 4 lap records in Monoposto!

Today, she is a high-performance driving instructor and has appeared in television commercials as a precision driver.

American Danica Patrick has the distinction of driving and winning both an IndyCar race and the Formula Ford Festival. The latter was the highest result by a woman or an American at the event.

He started karting in 1992 and won several national championships. It later moved to Europe and competed in various open-wheel development series, including Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall.

Danica’s IndyCar victory at Twin Ring Motegi in the Indy Japan 300, which came in the 50th race of her career, was a thrilling finale for Danica. “Finally!” he told The Associated Press after winning his first IndyCar series race, “This is a long time.”

Of course, these women don’t drive. They fly.