The woman who arguably got closest to a race seat in recent years has said that physical ability is not the reason there are no female drivers in Formula 1.
Although Susie Wolff actually participated in Friday practice sessions, many insiders regard Simona de Silvestro as a bigger talent and two years ago she tested extensively in a Sauber.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone caused a stir recently with comments about the potential of female drivers, but Swiss 27-year-old De Silvestro told Speed Week: "Whether you make it to F1 or not depends not primarily on your sex, but money.
"As a woman, you may very well be able to drive a Formula 1 car, but to get in there it's extremely difficult without a lot of money or sponsors."
Recalling her many laps in the Sauber, De Silvestro explained: "I was always fast and never had any problems even when I did race distances.
"I was never afraid of that, because I used to drive in Indycar which is much more strenuous. So physically it was no problem at all."
De Silvestro says that the biggest problem for women is money.
"Access for most young drivers is the biggest problem," she said. "Because in most racing series you have to buy your chance, and I lacked the budget for Formula 1 because this is really an incredible amount of money."
The 2016 F1 season continues this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix.
