Female F1 Test Driver Susie Wolff Says She Will Retire this Year

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DTM German Touring Car - Presentation
British Mercedes driver Susie Wolff waves during the DTM touring car presentation on April 22, 2012 in Wiesbaden, Germany.Alex Grimm—Bongarts/Getty Images
By Rishi Iyengar

Motorsport fans eagerly awaiting the return of a female driver to a Formula 1 Grand Prix race after 20 years might have to wait a little longer, after Scottish racer Susie Wolff announced she will retire as a test driver this year.

After working as a test driver for the Williams team since 2012, the 32-year-old told the BBC that the Race of Champions at London’s Olympic Stadium on Nov. 20—an annual all-star event for international drivers from different racing disciplines—will be her last.

“There was very little opportunity to carry on in Formula 1,” Wolff said. “My goal was to get on to the starting grid and that didn’t look achievable. So I had to call it a day.”

Wolff said her next aim is to help a new generation of women break into racing, although there has also been talk of her joining BBC’s iconic automotive show Top Gear as a presenter.

[BBC]

See the Evolution of the Ferrari in 10 Photos

Ferrari Formula One driver Raikkonen of Finland and team mate Massa of Brazil during the celebration of Ferrari's 60th anniversary
1947: After two decades of manufacturing only race cars, Ferrari debuted its first road car, the 125 S.Giampiero Sposito—Reuters
Mille Miglia 1998
1953: The 375 Mille Miglia Spyder - Chassis was first introduced at the Paris Auto Salon.Rainer W. Schlegelmilch—Getty Images
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1957: The 250 GT California was an open top model with versions made for both racing and road driving. Klemantaski Collection—Getty Images
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
1962-64: The 250 GTO was the only front-engine model on display at the 1962 pre-season Ferrari press conference.Mario Suriani—AP
Klemantaski Collection
1968: The 365 GTB "Daytona" was first introduced at the Paris Auto Salon.Klemantaski Collection/Getty Images
Zippy car for Günter Netzer
1976: The 512 Berlinetta Boxer was a mid-engined road car that Enzo Ferrari initially worried would be too difficult for his customers to handle. dpa/AP
1986 Red Ferrari 288 GTO in speed on road, side view
1988: The 288 GTO was named for the car's 2.8 liter V8 engine. Ron Perry—Transtock/Corbis
USA - 2009 Concorso Italiano - 1999 Ferrari 355
1998: The F355 was designed to perform at a high level in various kinds of driving environments. Car Culture/Corbis
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2002: The Enzo, named for Ferrari's founder, was built using formula-one technology. Rainer W. Schlegelmilch—Getty Images
2015: The 488 GTB can accelerate from 0 to 124 miles per hour in 8.3 seconds.Ferrari

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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com