Do women succeed in GT7?

[Lightpilgrim]

Hey everyone, I have a curious question about women in Gran Turismo 7. It seems like the community—and the game itself—is very male-dominated. Judging by the nicknames on leaderboards, it’s hard to tell who’s who, but I often assume most of them are men. Personally, I’ve never interacted with a woman in sim racing or in Gran Turismo specifically.

It made me wonder if this reflects real life in motorsport, where there are very few female drivers competing on equal terms with men. Just to be clear, this isn’t about superiority or inferiority—I’m genuinely curious. Maybe it’s historical, or perhaps just the nature of things, where men have traditionally been more passionate about cars, which is why the sim racing scene feels so male-oriented.

That said, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you see more women starting to get involved and succeed in Gran Turismo? Is there a shift happening, or is it still largely a male space?

Just curious to hear your perspectives—thanks!

 

[eran0004]

Personally, I’ve never interacted with a woman in sim racing or in Gran Turismo specifically.

How do you know that?

 

[Lightpilgrim]

I do not interact with many people and I know those I do interact with.

How do you know that?

 

[ScottPuss20]

How do you know that?

He doesn't. Anyway, one of the most notable female competitors is Australian and her name is Emily Jones. No, not many women choose to play GT7 but there's definitely a few. If they're good enough, they can make it to the top.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

I see more and more great and skills women in motosport, like Hannah Schmitz as a chief strategist as Red Bull Racing. She is definitely better than the whole strategy team of Ferrari. But I do not see a woman racing in F1. Gaming is different, though…you do not have G-force and physical limitations. So I was just wondering how is it really

 

[ScottPuss20]

I see more and more great and skills women in motosport, like Hannah Schmitz as a chief strategist as Red Bull Racing. She is definitely better than the whole strategy team of Ferrari. But I do not see a woman racing in F1. Gaming is different, though…you do not have G-force and physical limitations. So I was just wondering how is it really

A woman can definitely race in F1 if she's good enough.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

I had a personal chat with a former Renault team principal and in his view a woman cannot compete on par with a man in F1 due to physical demands. It sounded very logical.

A woman can definitely race in F1 if she's good enough.

 

[Nebuc72]

There's a few women poking around in EMEA top split dailies. There's one specifically (I forget her name, something to do with foxes) that always shows up in the rally events - she is an absolute monster, I can put a top 50 time in for a rally daily and she'll still be in my lobby absolutely eclipsing me. Really impressive times.

 

[skydragon49]

Hey everyone, I have a curious question about women in Gran Turismo 7. It seems like the community—and the game itself—is very male-dominated. Judging by the nicknames on leaderboards, it’s hard to tell who’s who, but I often assume most of them are men. Personally, I’ve never interacted with a woman in sim racing or in Gran Turismo specifically.

It made me wonder if this reflects real life in motorsport, where there are very few female drivers competing on equal terms with men. Just to be clear, this isn’t about superiority or inferiority—I’m genuinely curious. Maybe it’s historical, or perhaps just the nature of things, where men have traditionally been more passionate about cars, which is why the sim racing scene feels so male-oriented.

That said, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you see more women starting to get involved and succeed in Gran Turismo? Is there a shift happening, or is it still largely a male space?

Just curious to hear your perspectives—thanks!

The aformentioned Emily Jones, she's even part of the grid in GT7 in some races. I remember she drives the GAC Maverick at High Speed Ring.

There's also Susie Q. She often live streams her online time trial sessions. And she's fast. Really fast.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

The aformentioned Emily Jones, she's even part of the grid in GT7 in some races. I remember she drives the GAC Maverick at High Speed Ring.

There's also Susie Q. She often live streams her online time trial sessions. And she's fast. Really fast.

Awesome to know!

 

[Famine]

The first woman driver to qualify for the GT Academy finals is a GTPlanet member...

I had a personal chat with a former Renault team principal and in his view a woman cannot compete on par with a man in F1 due to physical demands. It sounded very logical.

There is little reason why a sufficiently physically fit woman can't compete in F1. The drivers are not the ultimate athletes in terms of strength or endurance - indeed many are quite small and slight - though, per the usual case with sports, a female driver would have to be pretty physically elite as well as being among the "best" 20 of that kind of athlete. And women have driven in F1 before, just not in the last 30 years (Giovanna Amati, who failed to qualify in all three of her races; Damon Hill replaced her and didn't qualify the car either for all but two races). Only one has ever scored championship points (0.5 of them, Lella Lombardi in 1975, who raced more than a dozen times) and only one ever won a race (non-championship, Desire Wilson in 1980).

The core reason is money, complemented by antediluvian attitudes. We have had accomplished female racers before, but they can't attract the funding to overcome the prejudices of the team principles. I'll never be convinced that there's not a woman out there better than drivers like Stroll, or Mazepin, or Latifi, who all got there by being decent enough in lower formulae and absolute bank (or daddy owning the team).

 

[05XR8]

I mean, since women are fighter pilots I’d think there are women that can compete on par with men in F1.

 

[jonoholland29]

The first woman driver to qualify for the GT Academy finals is a GTPlanet member...

There is little reason why a sufficiently physically fit woman can't compete in F1. The drivers are not the ultimate athletes in terms of strength or endurance - indeed many are quite small and slight - though, per the usual case with sports, a female driver would have to be pretty physically elite as well as being among the "best" 20 of that kind of athlete. And women have driven in F1 before, just not in the last 30 years (Giovanna Amati, who failed to qualify in all three of her races; Damon Hill replaced her and didn't qualify the car either for all but two races). Only one has ever scored championship points (0.5 of them, Lella Lombardi in 1975, who raced more than a dozen times) and only one ever won a race (non-championship, Desire Wilson in 1980).

The core reason is money, complemented by antediluvian attitudes. We have had accomplished female racers before, but they can't attract the funding to overcome the prejudices of the team principles. I'll never be convinced that there's not a woman out there better than drivers like Stroll, or Mazepin, or Latifi, who all got there by being decent enough in lower formulae and absolute bank (or daddy owning the team).

I would just clarify that there have been female F1 drivers in the last 15 years - just no female Grand Prix drivers.

Maria de Villota who sadly died in 2013 from an accident in an F1 car and more recently Suzie Wolf and the questionable Carmen Jordá…

Wolf certainly had no issues with the endurance or physical aspects of driving.

 

[Famine]

I would just clarify that there have been female F1 drivers in the last 15 years - just no female Grand Prix drivers

Indeed, but I don't think they're officially classed as F1 drivers if they haven't driven a competitive session. Amati was the most recent.

There are of course also female endurance racers.

 

[tmtk]

I think I met some women in GTWS seasons' races (judging from nicknames only).
And they were mostly faster than me (in mid level B lobbies).

 

[doblocruiser]

Women are as fast as men but since racing games (gaming in general) are mainly played by men it's normal you find less women 🤷 equals motorsport. All male orientated since the early days. That however doesn 't take anything away from a woman's capability. In general they simply have a lot less interest. Males are more compétition driven than women too. Simply how nature works and how interests fit.

 

[benjoi84]

Males are more compétition driven than women too. Simply how nature works and how interests fit.

You've just reminded me of an offhand remark from a female friend when discussing how free time is spent...

"You like to play games and pretend you're a racer driver"

Well, no not exactly, I don't pretend I'm a race driver. I enjoy the technical and mental challenge presented by video games in general. I never think I'm ACTUALLY driving a race car.

Illustrates almost perfectly your comparison between typical male/female viewpoints.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the thoughtful discussion so far—this is a sensitive topic, and I appreciate how it’s being handled. Just to be clear: I’m not making any claims about superiority, inferiority, or who’s better at what. I’m simply sharing perspectives and curiosity about differences that may exist between genders in the context of motorsports and sim racing.

First point: I mentioned an opinion from a former Renault F1 team principal—this came from a direct conversation I had with him. He highlighted the intense physical demands of Formula One, suggesting that physical predisposition plays a role. I’m not in a position to judge that myself, but it’s worth noting when someone from inside the sport shares it.

Second: Someone brought up competitiveness and gender. It’s possible that, biologically, men may lean more toward highly competitive behavior—testosterone and all that. Even in “friendly” Gran Turismo races, we all still watch the leaderboard. That said, it doesn’t mean women aren’t competitive—it might just not be as central, or sim racing might not be as appealing on average.

That brings me to my main curiosity:
How many women are actually racing in Gran Turismo?
What’s the gender split here and on the leaderboards? I’d genuinely love to hear from women in the community—what draws you to (or away from) sim racing?

We’re seeing more women entering motorsport roles—from drivers to strategists like Hanna at Red Bull, and leaders like Susie Wolff. So things are evolving, which is great to see.

Again, just sharing a point of view—not debating. Thanks for keeping it respectful.

Cheers

 

[doblocruiser]

You've just reminded me of an offhand remark from a female friend when discussing how free time is spent...

"You like to play games and pretend you're a racer driver"

Well, no not exactly, I don't pretend I'm a race driver. I enjoy the technical and mental challenge presented by video games in general. I never think I'm ACTUALLY driving a race car.

Illustrates almost perfectly your comparison between typical male/female viewpoints.

I can recommend the podcast of Dale and Amy Earnhardt in that case. It's called Bless you Heardt and it shows so often both view points on many things and the importance men and women have for different activities.

I'll give you another reason that applies to real motorsports. Men are in general willing to take more risks than women which has an advantage in a compétitive environnement. As you mentioned, there are physical differences by design an hormonal ones too which leads to simply different biological behaviour and différent "tasks" that go with it. Both genders have in different circumstances advantages over one another. Way nature intended and that benefits us all ☺️👍

How it is divided in GT is a good question. I think 90% male and 10% female.

 

[Lomic]

First point: I mentioned an opinion from a former Renault F1 team principal—this came from a direct conversation I had with him. He highlighted the intense physical demands of Formula One, suggesting that physical predisposition plays a role. I’m not in a position to judge that myself, but it’s worth noting when someone from inside the sport shares it.

I'd be careful with that, he may be inside the sport, but he may also have his own biases on the topic, and his own experience that gives him this point of view. In the end, it remains the opinion of one guy.

One thing is sure though, with a controller, nothing prevents women to be equal to men, I'd wager that 90% of GT players use a controller, so on that aspect, they could be numerous.

But I think that it is a type of game that do not attract a big chunk of the gaming women. (And the heavily masculine presence could be a deterent for many women too).

 

[MIE1992]

I know Gran Turismo isn’t 1:1 with actual motorsport, but I still sort of see GT as a microcosm of the demographics in more “formal” motorsport. In real-world motorsport, we’ve seen ladies like Michele Mouton, Sabine Schmitz, Claudia Hurtgen, Helle Nice, and numerous others, including the current Iron Dames team that’s racing in the WEC.

Danica Patrick is still terrible, though. I had a hunch from the get-go when she was in those rather suggestive-yet-commercialized GoDaddy commercials. Not that a lady can’t express herself like that by her own volition, but it seemed strangely sexist for a woman who was then the most famous American woman in motorsports at the time.

 

[McLaren]

I had a personal chat with a former Renault team principal and in his view a woman cannot compete on par with a man in F1 due to physical demands. It sounded very logical.

Susie got 3 seasons with Williams according to Wiki. Renault has run through 7 team principals since 2016, 4 since 2022. I'm not sure I'd put much stock in the words of someone whose team has become a meme in F1 for being a revolving door of workers.

 

[Zero2Oblivion]

Everyone in here forgetting Abbie Eaton exists.

Shame on you all!

 

[watto79]

Pulling in a quote from a different thread, and would have referenced the brain dead post from this thread that has thankfully been deleted, to say that I do know a couple of female GT7 players who don't tend to announce their gender because of the toxic nature of a loud minority.

Afterwards, I read the YouTube "chat" for all of 5 seconds, and everyone was commenting (in a derogatory way) about the female presenters outfit.

Male gamers don't exactly have a great reputation for being welcoming to female gamers.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

It’s honestly quite disheartening, because we should all be treating each other equally—especially when it comes to gender. But at the end of the day, it’s not really about gender at all. It’s about what people are capable of, the passion they bring, the skills they develop, and the effort they put in to improve. I truly believe we could all do more to create a more welcoming environment for female drivers in Gran Turismo—or any game, for that matter. We should be celebrating their presence, cheering them on as they compete at a high level, and even when they beat us, take inspiration from that. I think that’s something to embrace and be excited about.

Pulling in a quote from a different thread, and would have referenced the brain dead post from this thread that has thankfully been deleted, to say that I do know a couple of female GT7 players who don't tend to announce their gender because of the toxic nature of a loud minority.


Male gamers don't exactly have a great reputation for being welcoming to female gamers.

 

[NevilleNobody]

I don't think there's any physical limit or skill limit both online and at the highest level of real motor-racing, I just think far, far, far less women are interested in car culture and motorsports than men so the chances of one being near the every top is remote.

 

[Met Entso]

Wrench Wench streams daily she has improved a lot lately reaching A level. She is from UK living in US.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

This isn’t about right or wrong, but if there’s one clear difference between men and women, it’s physical strength—men are generally stronger physically. Based on what I knew before and what I’ve read here, these are my takeaways:
1. Physical differences may affect traditional motorsport, but they likely don’t apply to sim racing.
2. Competitiveness tends to be more associated with men than women. Of course, there are exceptions, but this seems to be a general trend.
3. Historical context: Motorsport has long been a male-dominated field—“a man and a machine.” It hasn’t always been easy for women to break into that world.
4. Gaming culture has also traditionally skewed male, though this is beginning to change.
5. The community can sometimes feel less welcoming to women, which isn’t fair and needs to improve.

Overall, I’d love to see more female drivers in sim racing. It would be fascinating to observe how they approach racing. Since men and women are different in many ways, it’s possible that fast female drivers have developed unique techniques or styles.

 

[i386]

You want to see great female drivers, you will see great female drivers everywhere.You want to see crappy female drivers, you will see crappy female drivers everywhere.
In real and in virtual life.

This isn’t about right or wrong, but if there’s one clear difference between men and women, it’s physical strength—men are generally stronger physically.

Race cars have overcome (hu)man capabilities a long time now. Without assists (for example traction control, powersteering, brake by wire) people wouldn't be able to race these cars (formula/open wheelers, prototypes, gts), man or woman...

 

[McLaren]

This isn’t about right or wrong, but if there’s one clear difference between men and women, it’s physical strength—men are generally stronger physically.

Again, Susie Wolff was the last woman to participate in F1. Her physicality allowed her to drive the car just fine. Drag Racing sees similar g-forces to F1 at launch, and the NHRA has shared that over 100 women have won an event through their sport; the fastest 1/8th mile was just set by a woman in March.

Given that every major motorsport has had women participate in some capacity, physicality really does not play much of a role anymore. F1 is a unique breed where there's only 20 drivers selected by sheer luck, skill, and/or money, and a chunk of them rarely last long anyway.