Is the motorsport world sexist?

If you are good enough, you'll make it to the top in motorsport - right?

That's the argument that is often given by those who question the validity of even discussing the question of female participation. But those who know motorsport, particularly on the driving side, should know better.

After all, if you are good enough you'll make it doesn't always work for drivers of either gender, so it seems to be an easy cop out.

The reaction to AUTOSPORT's special issue on women in motorsport has been mixed, but it has certainly provoked a debate.

Read the digital version of our women in motorsport special issue here

Frustratingly, a lot of it seems driven by those who haven't even bothered to read what we've written, which considering the primary motivation for doing it was to drive a nuanced debate rather than one built solely on soundbites is disappointing.

Sophia Floersch made waves in British racing in her part-season in Ginetta Juniors © LAT

But what is clear is that many are not looking at this issue in three dimensions. The low-resolution argument comes from those who look at the very few women racing in the F1 foothills and argue that none of them have the results to deserve a shot in F1.

But that completely misses the point. AUTOSPORT is not arguing that there are dozens of female drivers knocking on the door to F1 and being barred from entry.

The real focus of the discussion, which crops up repeatedly in the issue, is the question of why the level of female participation in motorsport remains so low.

For example, competitor numbers even down to the level of karting, are well under 10 per cent. Only 7.8 per cent of respondents to the recent F1 Racing fan survey, in association with AUTOSPORT and Motorsport News, were female and the figure for the GPDA-run survey, while not released, is understood to be slightly lower than that.

And yet television figures seem to suggest that the number of women watching is far higher than those figures.

There could be several reasons for such a disparity. It could be that the television numbers are misleading, it could be that those women who are watching are not fully engaged with motorsport and don't want to be involved, or it could be that there are many more women who would like to be involved that are not.

At a guess, all three of those factors are probably at play. But while researching the AUTOPSORT special, a very common narrative thread weaved its way through conversations - the primary problem is not those women involved in motorsport being a victim of discrimination, but the number outside who perceive it as a male domain.

Lella Lombardi remains F1's only female point-scorer, 40 years on © LAT

Sure, there are instances of sexism within motorsport (and it's important to note here that discrimination does not mean criticism of someone who happens to be female but rather because they are female, which is a distinction some struggle with) and through years of involvement both as a journalist and club racer I've seen evidence of that. But it's no more sexist than the wider world.

If anything, you could argue that it's slightly less sexist given that, in many areas, it is genuinely meritocractic - certainly on the engineering side at the top level. For example, any F1 team boss that would overlook a skilled potential employee on the basis of gender would be an idiot.

Obviously, when it comes to the driving side, the meritocracy does break down. But that said, the 20 drivers currently on the F1 grid are all drivers with at least decent CVs even if some wouldn't be there were it not for the sponsorship they bring.

But once you look outside of motorsport, things do start to become clearer. We live in a society that, historically, has been male dominated. And while so much has changed over the past century, there remains plenty of evidence that discrimination still exists.

You only have to look at data on the gender pay gap and glass ceilings to see that. And there remain gender-based expectations that many still adhere to.

So the real question is, are there women who would have liked to get involved in motorsport as drivers, engineers, mechanics, aerodynamicists or any other role that saw that barrier, and decided against it?

It's impossible to answer that with any certainty. AUTOSPORT is not seeking 50/50 participation rates, but all we want is to ensure that there are not barriers there to those who want to be involved.

There are those who characterise those women who might highlight some of the obstructions as moaners. Well, in my experience that's not the case.

Danica Patrick has inspired a generation of young girls in America © LAT

All of those already involved in motorsport have been at pains to stress that they want to achieve things in the industry in their own right. All they want to see is that those on the outside looking in can aspire to do the same.

And the responsibility of all involved in the motorsport industry is to ensure that it is as accessible as possible to those on the outside. There are women in the industry who have achieved through their own hard work, dedication and excellence so it is possible.

But just because there are success stories, that doesn't mean there are not plenty more who would like to get involved. Not everybody's individual story is the same, and it's important to remember that while some made opportunities for themselves others might have had them closed down by, for example, parental pressure.

Guest editor Susie Wolff is obviously wanting to get onto the F1 grid, but every step of the way has stressed that if she is going to be allowed to do that it has to be on merit. That's why our issue was not about her bid specifically.

The concern is not female drivers who are not getting the chance, but those who are reluctant to embark on the journey of trying to make it.

The world is littered with thousands of drivers, from those racing in karts with a single-digit age all the way up to those in GP2 or with F1-team affiliations who believe they will reach grand prix racing. The vast majority won't.

Formula Renault 3.5's Beitske Visser is the only female driver at the level one step below F1 right now © LAT

So to come back to the original question, are those female drivers who are trying to get onto the F1 grid from the upper echelons of the single-seater ladder being discriminated against? I don't think so.

But the real concern is all those who never had the chance, or believed they had the chance, even to try. It's almost impossible to reach F1, with a tiny percentage of those who attempt to making it. Women shouldn't be helped along the way, but nor should they be hindered.

Like it or not, the world has been male-dominated for a very long time. Change does not happen overnight - and perceived barriers are just as obstructive as real ones.

All must be broken down. Motorsport is the greatest sport in the world and all AUTOSPORT wants to see is participation maximised. The hope is that, by taking an in-depth look at this topic and speaking to high-achieving women for our special issue, we might weaken the perception barriers a little more.

If just a handful of girls at school see this week's magazine or read the discussions online and it helps them to realise that participation in this industry is an option when those around them might suggest otherwise, then it will have been a success. And that includes those aspiring to journalism in motorsport.

Because there's no doubt that there are plenty of people in the world who still revel in seizing an opportunity to tell women that they can't do things.

All that AUTOSPORT wants to see is that anyone is free to attempt to make it in motorsport and succeed or fail on their own merits.