0:00:06 > 0:00:10This is BBC Radio 4.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Now, Formula 1 racing has long been a sport with a macho image,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17one its boss, Bernie Ecclestone, played up to when he said that
0:00:17 > 0:00:22he liked women to wear white, like all other domestic appliances.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24But Susie Wolff has just become a development driver
0:00:24 > 0:00:27for the Formula 1 Williams racing team.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28That means she follows in the speedy
0:00:28 > 0:00:31wake of greats like Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35It's every driver's dream to step into a Formula 1 car.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37That's why, for me, joining the Williams team
0:00:37 > 0:00:39was definitely a dream come true.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Not since 1976 has a woman raced in Formula 1.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I think we're definitely getting closer to the point where
0:00:49 > 0:00:51we'll see ladies compete at the highest level.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Any day now there's going to be a female that comes along
0:00:54 > 0:00:56and kicks our butts.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58But I hope it's not in my period of time!
0:00:58 > 0:01:04This year, my sister, Susie Wolff, will be tested in a Formula 1 car.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08She's the fastest girl in the world, no, in a racing car?
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And the day we see women in Formula 1 again will get a step closer.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28She's supposed to be en route to us. So...
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Danke.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43'Ten years ago my sister and I took different paths.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48'She embraced a world we grew up with - the world of motorsport -
0:01:48 > 0:01:50'and I became a filmmaker.'
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'Susie has just won the biggest break in motorsport -
0:01:58 > 0:02:00'the chance to test for Formula 1.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'I'm going to film her in this career-defining year to find out
0:02:08 > 0:02:12'if she has what it takes to make it in the macho world of motorsport.'
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'For the past seven years I've watched as Susie made her mark
0:02:24 > 0:02:29'with Mercedes-Benz in Europe's premier league of touring cars, DTM.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33'This top-ranking German tournament is the next biggest thing
0:02:33 > 0:02:36'in racing to Formula 1.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'But this year, with the Formula 1 test looming on the horizon,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'I know she'll be under more pressure than ever.'
0:02:43 > 0:02:45With the young guys coming up into the team,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47they have that whole opinion,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49"She's never going to be quicker than me."
0:02:49 > 0:02:52My team-mate this year is the European Formula 3 champion
0:02:52 > 0:02:55from last year, so he's a successful guy already
0:02:55 > 0:02:58and sometimes after the sessions he says to me,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01"I can't believe you can drive that fast.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04"I think I'm driving really fast and I come in and you're quicker.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07"For me it's impossible that you can drive that fast."
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I say, "Yeah, get used to it, I can also drive fast!"
0:03:33 > 0:03:36You always think to yourself, "OK, I'm not that nervous,"
0:03:36 > 0:03:41but then the nerves come without you even knowing they're coming.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- Hey, Susie. Good morning. Radio tech?- Loud and clear.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57One minute, one minute.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00You feel the adrenaline start to run through your body,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02you feel the butterflies in your stomach
0:04:02 > 0:04:06and you feel the kind of determination coming through.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17As soon as you start the engine, boom, you say to yourself,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20"That's it now. This is it. Let's go. Let's go."
0:04:26 > 0:04:29When you're on power, you feel the car pushing your body down.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33When you break you feel your body getting pushed against the belts.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39When you're carrying lots of speed through a fast corner,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41you feel your neck straining from the G-force.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And you're running through it in your head - "OK, I've got the apex.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50"OK, yes, yes, yes, use all the track, use all the track.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52"OK, that was good, next corner. OK, brake late, brake late."
0:04:55 > 0:04:59"OK, apex, apex, power, power, power, power, power."
0:04:59 > 0:05:02At that moment when you're on that lap there is not one thought
0:05:02 > 0:05:05going through your head that is not to do with that lap.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Susie's Formula 1 journey begins here, at the Williams factory,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28the birthplace of these awesome racing cars,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32cars that we marvelled at as teenagers.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Legally you're too far back at the moment. You can't see your eyes from this point.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39But also I feel like I would need to anyway come up, because I'm like...
0:05:39 > 0:05:40OK.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44'Seeing her being fitted to this car that cost tens of millions
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'brings home to me the weight of responsibility
0:05:47 > 0:05:49'she must feel on her shoulders.'
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- I don't need to shuffle myself to reach the pedals in any way?- No.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- We'll make the pedals fit you.- It's possible to bring them all the way?
0:05:55 > 0:06:00- OK.- We might have to make some brackets for you, but...- Yeah, but that makes it a lot easier.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Every Formula 1 driver goes through this process.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07It can be a long-winded process, the in and out, the seat.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Fingers crossed it goes OK.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12We're nearly ready.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26Hopefully we've done enough mix to do the whole thing.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- Can you just hold that open a bit? - Yeah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39It makes it all much more realistic now, and the guys put a lot
0:06:39 > 0:06:41of effort into the seat
0:06:41 > 0:06:43because it's such an important part of the test
0:06:43 > 0:06:46because there's going to be so many forces going through my body
0:06:46 > 0:06:48that I need to make sure that the seat is really comfortable.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52And, yeah, it's really exciting because now it's one step closer.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'Susie's new boss,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59'the founder of Williams F1, Sir Frank Williams, has over
0:06:59 > 0:07:01'40 years' experience in Formula 1
0:07:01 > 0:07:04'and has worked with many racing legends.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:07That's my favourite picture up there, the one right by you.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10With Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14'Sir Frank takes a moment to talk to Susie about what to expect
0:07:14 > 0:07:16'driving a Formula 1 car for the first time.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:20I think we'll look at the middle of October for your proper test.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23You need to get, obviously, a bit tougher, if possible,
0:07:23 > 0:07:24- with the gym work and so on.- Yep.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27And be confident then, once you have had a fitting,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30that you are really satisfied with it, because
0:07:30 > 0:07:34if it's a way off you'll soon find out within one morning at the test.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- Yeah.- And we don't want that compromise for your sake, so...
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- All the preparation beforehand is almost as important as the test itself.- Yeah, I understand.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45So I sincerely hope that you are ready to do it in every sense and nothing spoils your day.
0:07:45 > 0:07:51- I'm sure it will be a day you don't forget. I hope that it leads on to better things too.- Thank you, Frank.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- I'm looking forward to today, actually.- Yeah, me, too! - It'll be quite interesting.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Come on, collect it up, David.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Did you forget to do it? Oh, dear!
0:08:06 > 0:08:11'In Oban, a small town on the west coast of Scotland, my mum met my dad
0:08:11 > 0:08:15'when she bought her first motorbike from his shop, and Susie and I
0:08:15 > 0:08:19'grew up to the soundtrack of roaring engines and the smell of petrol.'
0:08:28 > 0:08:32I can remember always hounding Dad and Mum for £5 for,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34I think, 10 or 15 minutes, and I think you and I
0:08:34 > 0:08:37were on them so much that we were actually pretty good.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40We were, like, beating all of the other little kids.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I remember thinking, "This is cool, I'm good at this, I want to do it,"
0:08:43 > 0:08:45and eventually Dad bought us a kart,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49but I remember distinctly going to our first proper race
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and thinking, "Oh, my goodness!
0:08:51 > 0:08:54"I'm out of my depth here!"
0:08:58 > 0:09:02I watched the first practice, we were unloading and were totally,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06absolutely gobsmacked at the speed of these things.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10And we thought, "What are we doing here?"
0:09:10 > 0:09:12And I can remember coming in and saying to Dad,
0:09:12 > 0:09:18"It's all so fast out there, I'm getting hit and it's not great
0:09:18 > 0:09:23"and I don't like it and what should I do now?" It was awful.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27And he said, "Toots..." He always called me Toots when I was younger.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30"You can go back out there and try and go faster, or we call it a day.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34"We put the kart in the back of the truck,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36"or you go back out there and if they hit you you hit them back."
0:09:36 > 0:09:40"And that's how it goes." So I went for the first option,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and part of me going back out there was the fact that you were racing,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45the fact that I had an older brother doing it,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49and I always used to think, if he can do it, I can do it!
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Lewis Hamilton, still just 12 years old,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02the first year in this class, and look at him.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Number 44, great rolling start. Whedon couldn't get by.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11And in third place, number 24, Susie Stoddart, the 14-year-old.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14So the Scots lass is right in amongst them. Go for it, girl!
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Karting is a mixed sport, there's no different classes for women and men,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and she started with the Scottish Championships,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23she was doing well in that.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And the more she raced the better she got.
0:10:31 > 0:10:3315th overall in the World Championships
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and the first female in the World Championships.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37- How does that make you feel? - Very happy.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Let's hope there's more results like that to come!
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The thing that sticks out in my memory is being taken to
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Donington Park to watch a Formula 3 race and Jenson Button won that day.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I think I must have been around 14 then.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And that's when I first sort of said to myself,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56"That's what I want to do."
0:10:58 > 0:11:01And I've got determination and focus now because I've just got to
0:11:01 > 0:11:03the stage where I love it that much, this is all I want to do.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07I just want to get to the top and I'll basically do anything I can to get to the top.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10And it's a good start from James Rossiter
0:11:10 > 0:11:12but also for the pole man, Lewis Hamilton.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Susie Stoddart trying to move up as well.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- Do you have memories racing against Susie?- I do. Really good memories.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Lewis Hamilton is our race leader.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23The person who's really impressed me at the moment is Susie Stoddart.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26That's the one I remember mostly, because, you know,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28she was hunting me down.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31And, Lewis Hamilton, superb, controlled victory.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And Susie Stoddart will come through to finish in third, her best result.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38She finished on the podium with me.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Great to see one of the lady racers going well.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45We've seen some quick girls before. The question is whether they can keep it going
0:11:45 > 0:11:49through Formula Renault up to Formula 3 and then beyond that, isn't it?
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Perhaps it was the first time she'd had to spray the bottle, I think it was for many of us.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And I gave her a bit of a hand.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59He's a gentleman, isn't he, Lewis Hamilton? Look at that.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01What a nice guy.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- He wasn't gentlemanly enough to let her pass, though, was he?!- No.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09I don't think Susie's going to have any favours from these guys on circuit.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13And then, in 2006, Susie got her big break.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19My mobile rang and it was Gerhard Ungar from Mercedes-Benz,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23and he said, "What do you think about doing DTM?"
0:12:29 > 0:12:33And it really was a dream come true.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I got to the first race at Hockenheim.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I ended up making a good start and passing Jean Alesi.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43He was racing for Mercedes at that time in DTM
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and apparently I heard after the race he was screaming over
0:12:46 > 0:12:51the radio to his engineer, saying, "Get this girl out of my way!
0:12:51 > 0:12:55"Get her out of my way!" And the engineer apparently replied to him,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00"Jean, we can't get her out of the way, you have to overtake her."
0:13:05 > 0:13:08I'm at Hockenheim race track, Germany,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11to film Susie's first race of the 2012 DTM season.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- Thank you very much.- No problem.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Televised in over 200 countries around the world, DTM attracts
0:13:19 > 0:13:24huge crowds, megabucks and some of the biggest names in racing.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Susie's tough on the race track, she's fair,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33she's sporting, she takes it very serious, as she should.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35THEY SPEAK GERMAN
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- COULTHARD:- It's difficult to get past her, she really holds her own
0:13:38 > 0:13:43and isn't forced into a mistake or anything on the track.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45She's a driver like we are, she's a very quick driver.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I mean, she has her tracks where she's really, really quick.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Sometimes she has some problems, as we all have, so, yeah,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53she drives equally so she gets treated equally.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58'Joining the 100,000 spectators who've come to watch
0:13:58 > 0:14:01'my sister's race are my mum and my dad.'
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Is it different watching a daughter to a son racing?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Yes, it is, definitely.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I think, your son, you can handle it and what have you.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15With a girl I always think she's a bit more vulnerable.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I have never been on the starting grid on the race.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26Because I get so worked up, my heart is just beating
0:14:26 > 0:14:27and my mouth goes all dry.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32In karting you used to actually walk.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34I didn't watch the race!
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Too nervous.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44I would walk around the car park until it would have finished!
0:14:44 > 0:14:48When you see her out there, do you still sometimes remember
0:14:48 > 0:14:51the little girl that you took on the bike?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Oh, I think all the time. Yep.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04- Mum, you're upset as well?- Yes! I get upset when your father's upset!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Is it the same feeling for you when you see Susie on the grid?
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Totally, because it doesn't matter how old you are, we still remember
0:15:14 > 0:15:18you as children and you will always be our children, so it does, yeah.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20You're part of us and that's it.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23ANNOUNCEMENTS ECHO
0:15:38 > 0:15:41And the DTM 2012 is go!
0:15:44 > 0:15:48'I watch nervously as Susie starts from the back of the grid,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51'after a poor qualifying the day before.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55'She'll be racing at speeds of up to 170mph.'
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Oh! And we've got a spinner in the pack there.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11David. Are you being a brother or a director right now?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Definitely a brother. See any directing?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18How's she doing?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22She's quicker, actually. She's getting quicker all the time.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26But so is her team-mate behind her.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'By the end of the race, Susie's climbed from 21st to 12th,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38'a marked improvement from the qualifying, but there's still
0:16:38 > 0:16:42'a lot to do if she's to collect points this season.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Yeah, it was a shame for the first lap.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48I made an OK start and then I was stuck on the outside
0:16:48 > 0:16:52- and I lost the advantage on the inside.- You were catching as well.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Yeah. Slowly but surely. Was pushing so hard at the end.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Big difference from qualifying. Good day and a good race.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Yeah, I think we can learn a lot from this weekend
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and be stronger in the next race.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- Now time for...- Now time for a drink!
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I tell you, racing with Susie is tough.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15The cliche of making fun of lady drivers gets blown out of the water
0:17:15 > 0:17:17because, you know, Susie holds her own absolutely.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20She drives the car exceptionally well.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23But I think I got you round the outside of the first corner.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27- No, not the first corner.- Second corner. Oh, no, fourth.- Hairpin. - Hairpin, yeah.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29'I would love to be able to turn round and tell you, no,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33'it's all based on performance and there's no sexism, but...
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'even after seven years of DTM it's still there.'
0:17:36 > 0:17:40- I was in the inside.- The first lap, at turn seven he just blew me off.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42- Yeah.- And in the corner four.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43'I even noticed it today.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48'You know, my team said "You nearly got beaten by a girl"
0:17:48 > 0:17:52'to my team-mate, and as soon as they start with talk like that,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56'where they give him the impression that it's embarrassing to be beaten by me,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58'it's always difficult.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:01At least they'll understand on the radio.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06'I think a lot of them have that opinion that they just do not like the thought
0:18:06 > 0:18:10'of ever being beaten by me or that they're ever slower than me.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Really bad.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14'Do you think your pink car sometimes helps?
0:18:14 > 0:18:20'No, I think it doesn't help me at all. I think as soon as they see the pink car coming they say,'
0:18:20 > 0:18:25"Oh, my goodness..." either, "I've got to pass her," or, "Don't want to get beaten by her."
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Who makes you have the pink car?
0:18:27 > 0:18:31It's a marketing strategy from the sponsor.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36Er, but I think it's a real cliche of a blonde female driving a pink car.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It wouldn't be my choice, 100% not.
0:18:43 > 0:18:49'Trainer Toni Mathis has been working with Mercedes-Benz for over 25 years.'
0:18:49 > 0:18:54When I told Susie, "You have less muscles, you must do not so much,"
0:18:54 > 0:18:58then that's the emotion for her to do more than the others!
0:18:58 > 0:19:01And, you know, a woman have a bit less muscles
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and they have to be so much stronger,
0:19:04 > 0:19:09they need so much more discipline to do the same thing.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11But she likes, she love this thing,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and that makes the training with her so easy.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16HE SPEAKS GERMAN
0:19:21 > 0:19:23There's no point in me doing my own programme
0:19:23 > 0:19:25that's maybe better for a female, because I'm against men,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and I don't see that as a disadvantage, I don't see that
0:19:28 > 0:19:32as unfair, that I have to work harder to keep up with them, maybe.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36We had a couple of new team-mates this year and it came to press-ups
0:19:36 > 0:19:39and Toni said, "Susie, you do them on your knees," and I said no,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42boom, I just pushed out 20 press-ups and they were both like,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45"Wow, you're fit, Susie," and they should see that.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48They should see that I'm someone that they should be
0:19:48 > 0:19:50conscious of as a competitor.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And so sometimes if they say, "Yeah, well, I was quicker,"
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I say, "Yeah, you should be quicker.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59"You should be quicker, you should be beating me. And if you're not then you're doing a crap job."
0:19:59 > 0:20:01That makes it even harder for them.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07And I say, "Don't focus on beating me, focus on beating the guys that are all quicker than you."
0:20:07 > 0:20:10And that kind of then brings them down to this size!
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Many people say women aren't strong enough for Formula 1.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29This is something Susie has fought against throughout her career.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31My ex-team-mates who are now Formula 1,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35or even if you speak with David Coulthard or Ralf, they say it's
0:20:35 > 0:20:38going to be a step up, especially the G-force through the neck.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45You have to take your training to another level. You've just got to utilise every opportunity you can,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48get your mind fresh, make sure you're getting up every day
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and eating well and making sure you're getting sleep,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54making sure you're prepared, you've left no stone unturned.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59It's definitely going to be a new physical challenge.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17'The third race of the DTM comes to Brands Hatch.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19'My father used to bring us here to watch superbikes
0:21:19 > 0:21:20'when we were younger.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23'Now, with the F1 test on the horizon,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27'Susie will be in the spotlight more than ever in front of her fans.'
0:21:29 > 0:21:35Susie's... She drive very good... and then she's, er, very lovely.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'Before every race there are a series of qualifying rounds,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16'which determine where each driver will start on the grid,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19'making the next 15 minutes crucial for tomorrow's race.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'Susie qualifies at the back of the grid.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57'Frustratingly for her, she was only half a second slower
0:22:57 > 0:22:59'than the fastest qualifier.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12'I'm used to a strong, steely Susie at a race weekend.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19'But for the first time I see her unable to hide her raw emotions.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It was a good lap. It was a lap and no mistake
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and just thousandths and I would have made it.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Nothing. Very, very tough to take.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34No-one said it would be easy, that's true,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37but no-one also said it was going to be this bloody hard!
0:23:37 > 0:23:41It gets to you eventually. There's only so long you can stay strong and happy.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46- Then comes the anger. - You're happy now, though.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Yeah, because I can't change it now and there's no point wasting hours
0:23:50 > 0:23:55of my life being unhappy when I can't change the situation any more.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I know if Mum would hear me swearing she would be very disappointed!
0:23:59 > 0:24:02You should have heard me in the helmet on my end lap.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04When my engineer told me I was P21
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I was screaming at the top of my voice.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08And not very nice words.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11SHE LAUGHS
0:24:11 > 0:24:13That's me.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- I can't start at the back any more! - Neither can I.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36'When Susie was growing up, she had a poster above her bed
0:24:36 > 0:24:40'of a young Formula 1 driver called David Coulthard.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'Now Susie and I join him on the pre-race parade lap.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Who's the good-looking lad with the camera?
0:24:49 > 0:24:54- I don't know, but I see him very often.- Do you?- VERY often.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Well, if it's as chilly for us, you can imagine for the car.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- I'm struggling to get brake temperature.- Yeah, I know.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04We're not going to need brakes in the first lap anyway.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- God, she's so feisty! - I'm only joking!
0:25:07 > 0:25:11- I'm glad you're not behind me. Oh, no, you are!- I'm only joking!
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- Please don't hit me. - I won't, I won't.- Again.- No, I know.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17That was a mistake, remember. Mistakes happen.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Yeah, no, I can accept that.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31- Go around the outside, inside and everywhere.- I go. Yeah. All or nothing.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34'Susie met her husband, Toto, at DTM.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'Once a rally driver, he now works in the business of motorsport
0:25:39 > 0:25:41'and is a director at Williams.'
0:25:41 > 0:25:44You giving her some tips before the start, Toto?
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Yes, for sure she says to herself, "What is this guy talking rubbish?"
0:25:48 > 0:25:52She obviously takes tips off you better than anyone else.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55You think she takes tips better from me than from you?
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I think she takes rarely tips from anybody.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08'At 92 laps long, Brands Hatch is the most physically demanding track
0:26:08 > 0:26:10'in the DTM calendar.'
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Round three of the DTM gets under way now,
0:26:22 > 0:26:27and Gary Paffett slides off the line, but a tremendous start by Bruno Spengler...
0:26:44 > 0:26:48'By the middle of the race, Susie starts losing ground on the cars ahead of her.'
0:26:48 > 0:26:53- Far too greasy up the front. - We cannot understand you, Susie.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58- Repeat, please.- I'm greasy on the front.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01We're waiting for you.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06'Susie suddenly comes in for an unplanned pit stop.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07'Something is wrong.'
0:27:07 > 0:27:10THEY DISCUSS
0:27:12 > 0:27:16'Damage has affected the car's handling. Her race is over.'
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Unfortunately, not a good day at the office.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30This was one of the, let's say, rather worst races.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Yeah, but she will be fine. She's a tough one.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I have to take a step back because, you know,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40at the end of the day she's out there on her own, driving the car.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I can't help her a lot.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45As a driver she's much better than I ever was,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50so lots of advice doesn't make any sense either.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55Um, but I try to, you know, be at least a nice husband on those races.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Remember, the shirts must be nice in the luggage.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- Shirts must be nice in the luggage. - Do you have to fold everything...
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Now I've gone from racing driver to wife.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Back into normal clothes, into wife mode.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Yes, my darling husband, I shall fold your shirts nicely,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14pack the bag nicely, check the train times.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Your wish is my command.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Your wish is MY command.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22SHE LAUGHS Liar, liar, liar!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26- Now your weekend is finished, now you have to comply.- Yes! I know.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- So we meet each other in the... - In the Thistle.- Yeah.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- Looking forward to it.- See you.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51'Susie and Toto live in Switzerland.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55'They've been married less than a year.'
0:28:55 > 0:29:00The whole area of being what people would imagine a good wife would be
0:29:00 > 0:29:04is...sometimes I think, oh, my goodness, you know,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08I'm off racing 11 weekends of the year and training every day and...
0:29:11 > 0:29:15..these things I know I'm weak at, so...
0:29:15 > 0:29:18'After years of hearing Susie saying she'll never have children,
0:29:18 > 0:29:19'it's a surprise to me
0:29:19 > 0:29:24'when she starts talking about the possibility of starting a family.'
0:29:25 > 0:29:31Will having children change you as a racing driver, do you think?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It will, and that's why I'm very clear in my head
0:29:34 > 0:29:39that I won't have a child or children while I'm still racing.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Never, ever.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46I couldn't go off racing and... put myself at risk,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49knowing that I was responsible or someone else needed me
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and someone else was relying on me.
0:29:51 > 0:29:57And also, as a racing driver, your whole focus is on your sport,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00so you're training, you're travelling a lot, you're racing.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02There's no way you can do all that.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Once I nearly chopped my finger really badly.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10I was chopping an onion and then
0:30:10 > 0:30:13I didn't cook for two weeks on the grounds of danger
0:30:13 > 0:30:15because I had a race that weekend.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21How come male drivers find it quite easy to have families
0:30:21 > 0:30:23and keep their racing career going?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Let's face it, men are great at going out
0:30:26 > 0:30:29and doing their stuff and supporting the wife at home with the kids,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32but they can still carry on with everything they do.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36I think when you have a child it's the woman that sacrifices the most.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Back in the UK, Susie's preparation for the Formula 1 test continues.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49But there is some shocking news about her friend Maria de Villota,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53the only other female driver to be testing in Formula 1.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57A Spanish Formula 1 test driver has been seriously
0:30:57 > 0:31:00injured in a crash in Cambridgeshire.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Maria de Villota, a test driver for the Marussia F1 team,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05was badly hurt this morning after
0:31:05 > 0:31:09her car collided with a lorry at Duxford airfield.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12The 32-year-old was taking part in the first of two days
0:31:12 > 0:31:15of testing at the site ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23I just got the most awful feeling in my stomach, it was a sick feeling.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Was that because it was Maria or because it was such a bad accident?
0:31:26 > 0:31:31I'm not sure but whenever another driver gets hurt, it does affect you
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and remind you just how dangerous this sport can be.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Does it put you more in the spotlight, the recent news?
0:31:42 > 0:31:43Without a doubt.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46We've had so many requests of people wanting to speak to me now
0:31:46 > 0:31:48and wanting to know what my reaction is,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52but we've said no to every request because what can I say
0:31:52 > 0:31:56that not every racing driver will say? It was a terrible accident.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I'm friends with Maria, she's a really, really nice lady.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02When things like that happen it does affect you definitely
0:32:02 > 0:32:05because it is an awful thing that's happened.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10She's had surgery on her skull, she's lost her right eye...
0:32:10 > 0:32:12It's awful. It's really, really awful.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26In 2006 at Nuremberg, I was there watching at this very corner
0:32:26 > 0:32:29when Susie had a crash that put her in hospital.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33It's times like these that remind you
0:32:33 > 0:32:36how dangerous motor sport really is.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Many people have this theory that I'm so brave
0:32:39 > 0:32:43that I'm a racing driver, but I never think of the fear,
0:32:43 > 0:32:44I never think of having an accident.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48I never think, "What happens if my wheel would fall off at this corner?"
0:32:48 > 0:32:50At one of the races, my throttle stuck
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and it was an awful feeling but an hour and a half later, I was
0:32:53 > 0:32:58back in the car, they'd fix the problem and I was out there again.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00I have respect when I'm out on track.
0:33:00 > 0:33:07I realise I'm going fast, I realise I have in my power many things
0:33:07 > 0:33:09that could cause a big accident
0:33:09 > 0:33:12so when I'm racing against other people, you must always be aware
0:33:12 > 0:33:16but I never think what would happen here or what if I had an accident?
0:33:18 > 0:33:19Susie drives at the limit
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and accidents are part and parcel of racing.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31But the seconds between the crash and walking away are agonising.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44This is Susie's last visit to the Williams factory
0:33:44 > 0:33:47before she drives a Formula 1 car for the very first time,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51and the last chance for her to practise the complex
0:33:51 > 0:33:52controls of the car.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58It's really tough.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I find it tough anyway because I'm not someone that plays
0:34:01 > 0:34:05computer games a lot, so it's a completely different feeling.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Obviously you don't get the feedback through your body of what the
0:34:09 > 0:34:13car is doing, it's all visual, but it's a fantastic simulator.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Very close and realistic, so to be able to spend time in there is
0:34:17 > 0:34:20definitely a good preparation for the test.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Susie is halfway through her DTM season
0:34:38 > 0:34:40as 5th round comes to Norisring,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43a track that races through the streets of Nuremburg in Germany.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52With the growing frustration of her DTM season so far,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Susie is beginning to resent the presence of me and my camera.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Everybody wants to beat her to showcase themselves, you know,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and I say they are beating the development driver.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14These are high skilled drivers
0:35:14 > 0:35:18and the mental thing plays a big role and at the end of the day,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21she says no but I guess it had an effect on her.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Her bad form continues as she qualifies 19th.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Her team-mate is also having a bad season,
0:35:28 > 0:35:33this time qualifying in 18th. The tension in the team is palpable.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34I have to go back to doing it my way
0:35:34 > 0:35:38because if I go late on the brakes, I immediately lock everything.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43OK. OK. We'll do the map.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46'I gave everything I could out there
0:35:46 > 0:35:49'and for me there wasn't much more possible.'
0:35:49 > 0:35:52It's becoming the same story.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Yeah, it's not that we're miles away, it's half a tenth
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and I would've made it through, but it seems to be a general problem
0:35:59 > 0:36:02in our team and we just can't qualify well.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07You know the vibes, so you just stay well clear.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12- You either stay out of her way or, I don't know.- I have to be there.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- I'm glad you're there now.- In a sense we're walking on eggshells.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18You don't know which way to go. Do you go and see her or do you not,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20because if you don't go and see her, you get a row and if you do go
0:36:20 > 0:36:22and see her she says, "I'll speak to you later,"
0:36:22 > 0:36:26- so you don't know what you're doing. - And you get hurt because you wish you'd never been in the first place.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28But I think it's important to still be there,
0:36:28 > 0:36:33even if she is annoyed and she is not treating us good,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35we are still there.
0:36:35 > 0:36:36On a race weekend I am here to work.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38I have only 11 race weekends in the year
0:36:38 > 0:36:42so on those 11 race weekends, I'm absolutely fully focused
0:36:42 > 0:36:44and concentrated, and I think sometimes for Mum and Dad
0:36:44 > 0:36:47they'll come especially out to the race weekends and expect me
0:36:47 > 0:36:50to sit down and chat about day-to-day life.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52But from the other side, I can only imagine being a parent
0:36:52 > 0:36:56where your main focus is taking your kid carting every weekend
0:36:56 > 0:37:00and watching them progress through all the ranks and then suddenly
0:37:00 > 0:37:02you're not needed as much any more.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05I think maybe that's difficult, that they have to make that
0:37:05 > 0:37:09transition from being very involved to actually letting me go
0:37:09 > 0:37:13and find my way in and fight for myself in a tough environment.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20I think it's part of letting go of a child anyway. It has to be done.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Whether it was motor racing or something else, you go through it,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28so it is hard for a mother to suddenly realise that there's
0:37:28 > 0:37:30other people out there that are taking your place
0:37:30 > 0:37:35so it does take a long time, yeah, it does, yes.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40But that's what happens when your children get older anyway.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42- You find it quite hard? - Very hard. Yes.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54It's race day and it has been raining nonstop since last night.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05In karting, I always remember Susie doing well in wet conditions.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10But the risk of a crash is much greater.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12They're expecting more rain to come during the race,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16so I think everybody is a little bit more nervous than normal
0:38:16 > 0:38:20but for me, starting P19, the one difficulty I will have
0:38:20 > 0:38:23when it is very wet is the fact that the spray means you don't see
0:38:23 > 0:38:28anything, but I have nothing to lose so I'm going to go for it.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Lights go.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42Four, five... Extinguish, drop the clutch and accelerate
0:38:42 > 0:38:45and fight through all the puddles.
0:38:49 > 0:38:50Now this is the tricky one.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Down into the hairpin, there's a bit of a concertina effect,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57it has caused a big traffic jam.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I hold my breath as she gets involved in a pile up
0:39:02 > 0:39:06on the same corner she had her bad crash in 2006.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13This time she is unscathed and manages to continue the race.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Things go from bad to worse as Susie seems be struggling
0:39:19 > 0:39:22to control her car in the wet conditions.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27And another spin and that's Adrien Tambay plunging round Susie Wolff.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33As the race is about to end, Susie is forced to retire.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40The front splitter is broken, the front bonnet is broken
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and it was clear to me it was broken after the first corner because
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I couldn't break the car down and I couldn't turn into the corners.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- Are you enjoying it?- Right now, no. If I could stop I would because
0:39:50 > 0:39:55for me, I've tried so hard to improve everything and to get things better
0:39:55 > 0:39:58but there's no enjoyment from driving around at the back.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03I'd rather do something else than be mediocre and be a back marker.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I think I'm good enough to achieve good things and if it doesn't
0:40:06 > 0:40:10happen here, I will go find something else and I will be successful.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14Do you think with what is happening this year with the F1 thing,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18have you still got the killer instinct to win at DTM?
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Yes, even more because people are all looking at my name now
0:40:22 > 0:40:24because I'm getting a chance in Formula 1
0:40:24 > 0:40:27so of course they want to see how well I am doing in DTM,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31so for me 100% when I get on a race track to race I am there,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35fully focused and doing the job, but at some point you must be realistic
0:40:35 > 0:40:40and we are so far away from being anywhere near good this season
0:40:40 > 0:40:43DTM that thank goodness that I had a chance in Formula 1,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47because my chance to redeem myself and show that despite an awful season
0:40:47 > 0:40:54in DTM, I am good enough and I am probably the best female out there.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18Susie's response is the same I've seen through the years - determined,
0:41:18 > 0:41:22stubborn and focusing on her future, the Formula 1 test.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Everything in motor sport is performance based
0:41:27 > 0:41:31and it all comes down to that time, so I need to demonstrate that I'm
0:41:31 > 0:41:36close enough to a good lap time and that I'm capable in the car.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I never think forward, "Well, what happens if that doesn't work
0:41:39 > 0:41:41"and that doesn't work?"
0:41:41 > 0:41:43I will be good enough, I am preparing myself for it
0:41:43 > 0:41:45and the Formula 1 test will be good.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58We are back at Hockenheim for the last race of DTM.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Frustration with the team and the lack of performance,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Susie decides to concentrate on the new challenges ahead.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14She announces she will be leaving DTM. This will be her last
0:42:14 > 0:42:16race for Mercedes.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19I'm always a person who believes in their gut feeling.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22I always believe that there is a gut feeling that sends
0:42:22 > 0:42:25you on a path, which you have to follow
0:42:25 > 0:42:29and every bone in my body is telling me it is time to leave DTM.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Quite some sadness actually, you can feel it in the whole paddock
0:42:34 > 0:42:37and many people you can see that there's a certain regret that it's
0:42:37 > 0:42:40actually a fact now that she is leaving DTM.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47..Susie Wolff and David Coulthard.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:42:51 > 0:42:54My mother steps on to the starting grid for the first time
0:42:54 > 0:42:58since we started racing for Susie's last ever race in DTM.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Obviously the whole weekend is going to be quite emotional.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15It's the end of a seven-year journey and I think Mum and Dad
0:43:15 > 0:43:18should get as close as they can, enjoy every minute
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and have special memories from my last ever DTM race.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39I would never be where I am today without Mum and Dad.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40I think they sacrificed a lot.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43If you speak with them about it they say it wasn't a sacrifice,
0:43:43 > 0:43:46they enjoyed it, but there is absolutely no question that
0:43:46 > 0:43:50without them and their encouragement and their support,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I would never have become a professional racing driver.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56I think a lot of people are sad to see her go actually,
0:43:56 > 0:43:58which is really, really nice.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01Obviously she's been thought a lot of and, as a parent,
0:44:01 > 0:44:02that's nice to have.
0:44:06 > 0:44:13- A bit sad. A bit sad. - Are you nervous?- Just...
0:44:13 > 0:44:15all of them mixed together.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30- Oh, here we go.- Here we go.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37Oh, it's been a good start. Come on!
0:44:43 > 0:44:45Instantly Susie starts overtaking,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48fighting her way from the back of the grid.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04Well, Susie is up to 17th. Yes!
0:45:13 > 0:45:17- Yes, come on! Go on, go on, go on, Susie.- Come on!- Come on!
0:45:17 > 0:45:22She got there. She's up to 15th. Come on!
0:45:23 > 0:45:28- Whoa, Susie.- How is she doing, Mum?- Hanging in there, David.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31- Hanging in there.- How are you doing? - Hanging in there.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37Susie and her team-mate Mehri battle against each other.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Eventually she passes him.
0:45:41 > 0:45:42Yeah, she's got him. She got Mehri.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48The race is over.
0:45:48 > 0:45:54Susie has fought her way up from 21st to 13th, gaining eight places.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55It's a great comeback.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10That's all right for your last race!
0:46:10 > 0:46:15- Yeah.- Well done!- Good ding-dongs.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Yes, I was flat-out the whole way. What happened to Mehri?
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- Good race.- You too.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44It's over.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47- Well done.- He did really well. - Yes, he did.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54I have a great deal of affection for Susie.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56I admire her commitment behind the wheel.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59I'll be just wishing her the best in her future career.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02I think that she is well on her way to being, if she chooses,
0:47:02 > 0:47:07a long-term player in the world of professional motorsports.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09I've enjoyed trying to keep up with the pink car,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12but there's been times where she's just been too fast for me.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- Susie, I take my brow off to you. - SUSIE LAUGHS
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Do you think when you were that little girl
0:47:20 > 0:47:23and you had that poster above your bed of David Coulthard that
0:47:23 > 0:47:27one day you would be beating him in some races?
0:47:27 > 0:47:29I was in the David Coulthard fan club.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33I had my little membership card, I had my poster on the wall.
0:47:33 > 0:47:40DTM was a brilliant chance to be part of a brilliant family.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44I was team-mates with Mika Hakkinen, Jean Alesi, Ralf Schumacher
0:47:44 > 0:47:49and I'm very excited when I think about the future and what comes next.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Silverstone - the mecca of British motor sport.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06With her DTM career over, Susie's future now rests on proving
0:48:06 > 0:48:09herself to the Williams Formula 1 team.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Well, I woke up at 4.30 in the night and the first thing
0:48:14 > 0:48:19I did was jump up and look out the window and it was pouring with rain.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21I thought, "Oh, no. OK. Just forget about it. Go back to bed.
0:48:21 > 0:48:22"Sleep two more hours."
0:48:33 > 0:48:36- Is there more to worry about when it's a wet track?- Yeah, of course.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39It makes things much more difficult, much more tricky,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41obviously more slippery.
0:48:41 > 0:48:46Her first challenge - handling the car in wet conditions, then, in her
0:48:46 > 0:48:52ultimate test, she'll be expected to reach speeds of over 190mph.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00..we're all very excited about it.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03It's her first time in a Formula 1 car...
0:49:03 > 0:49:05I am really quite nervous today.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09I didn't think about it too much but today, I must admit
0:49:09 > 0:49:13I didn't have too good a sleep last night and today it is happening.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15What are you so nervous about?
0:49:15 > 0:49:20I'm nervous about... I think, I'm nervous about the speed
0:49:20 > 0:49:23but I think she will be fine but I just want her in one piece.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Susie has told me that the high-profile crowd are doubtful
0:49:30 > 0:49:33she'll make the grade in today's test.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I know she's determined to prove them wrong.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41Quite a momentous moment, I suppose, in the career for Susie Wolff...
0:49:43 > 0:49:45You were highly successful in karting.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48How hard has it been making the transition?
0:49:53 > 0:49:56Your first outing in a Formula 1 car...
0:50:00 > 0:50:02- Thank you very much.- Susie...
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Now I just want to get in the car and drive. I'm fed up of talking,
0:50:05 > 0:50:07I'm fed up of standing around, I'm fed up of people asking me
0:50:07 > 0:50:09how I'm feeling. It's about driving now
0:50:09 > 0:50:13but I think I'm only half an hour away from the first run so finally.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17And you can't just find a spot where no-one can talk to you?
0:50:17 > 0:50:19I tried that and they pulled me out of that spot.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34I was in the sim on Monday.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37I was here yesterday to do a track walk
0:50:37 > 0:50:39and I've been through every eventuality that could happen
0:50:39 > 0:50:43to be prepared for what I would do, so I'm fully prepared.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20I'm about to watch my little sister join an exclusive group
0:51:20 > 0:51:23of racing drivers to have ever driven a Formula 1 car.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29Susie must prove she can handle the car in tricky conditions -
0:51:29 > 0:51:34a car capable of accelerating to 100mph in less than five seconds.
0:52:36 > 0:52:37The noise.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40How does it make you feel when you see her going round like that?
0:52:40 > 0:52:43- It's just unbelievable. - Just so, so proud.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05- Are you nervous any more, Mum?- No, it's gone. She's OK, she's fine.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Just want her to get quicker now.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11She completes the first test successfully,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14but her next run will be all about speed.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17With slick tyres on a dry track,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21the Williams technical team will be judging her every move.
0:53:22 > 0:53:23Let's go down and see her.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35On the first lap I thought it my helmet was going to fly off because
0:53:35 > 0:53:38the G force and the speed was so much against my head,
0:53:38 > 0:53:42I couldn't even keep it down. I said, "I hope I've done it tight enough."
0:53:42 > 0:53:44I think my neck training worked
0:53:44 > 0:53:48because my neck feels quite OK out there.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50These cars are very complicated things to operate
0:53:50 > 0:53:53and lots of switches and she just went out there, drove it
0:53:53 > 0:53:57and had some good fun, so I think in a few more laps she's going to
0:53:57 > 0:53:58get more confident and push harder.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02Will you get a chance to speak to her in between or just wait?
0:54:02 > 0:54:04I'll wait until she's finished. She doesn't need me now.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06She can do it for herself.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19Susie is given a target of a 52-second lap.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22For any chance of continuing on her Formula 1 journey,
0:54:22 > 0:54:26she must achieve this time in only ten laps.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45After three laps, it's not looking good.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49She's more than two seconds off the target time.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57Her future with Williams hangs in the balance.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38With each lap, she is getting quicker,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41getting closer to the target of 52 seconds.
0:55:45 > 0:55:50Then, on the last lap, everything comes together.
0:55:50 > 0:55:57She reaches a top speed of 194mph and a lap time of 52.34 seconds.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17- What is she like?!- Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
0:56:22 > 0:56:29Today is a dream coming true. A dream that I have had for nearly 20 years.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31A day that I have dreamed about for a long time,
0:56:31 > 0:56:35imagined for a long time, and sometimes never thought would come.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38It's finally here and it's very, very special.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44I looked from up there, she was progressing quicker and quicker.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49It looked competitive but she can do that, I always told you.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52And have you got any reactions?
0:56:52 > 0:56:54How does other people up there think she's doing?
0:56:54 > 0:56:57Yeah, they love it, but I think the people who know her are not
0:56:57 > 0:57:00very surprised because they knew she could do it. Fantastic.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03I saw you smiling through the day. Were you a proud husband?
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Very proud husband.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09I mean, how many guys do you know whose girl has just completed
0:57:09 > 0:57:12a Formula 1 test on a very professional level?
0:57:12 > 0:57:16I am the only one in the world today, so that makes me very proud.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18She's doing great and you know,
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Susie has a big competitive advantage.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24She's a female driver and there are not so many in that sport
0:57:24 > 0:57:26and to see Susie in such a powerful car
0:57:26 > 0:57:29and driving in Formula 1, that is something fantastic.
0:57:31 > 0:57:36- Susie, how was it? - CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:57:36 > 0:57:38Yeah, amazing.
0:57:38 > 0:57:39Really, really amazing.
0:57:52 > 0:57:58- Well done.- And you didn't stall it! - It's got anti-stall.- Don't spoil it!
0:58:00 > 0:58:03- Well done, Susie.- Thank you.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Growing up in a family immersed in motorsport,
0:58:05 > 0:58:09I never thought my sister's racing career was unusual.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12It's taken a year following Susie with my camera
0:58:12 > 0:58:16for me to realise it's not just unusual - it's exceptional.
0:58:35 > 0:58:39# Sometime they go and get so good
0:58:39 > 0:58:43# But then again it gets pretty rough
0:58:43 > 0:58:47# But when I have you in my arms, baby
0:58:47 > 0:58:51# You know I just can't I just can't get enough
0:58:51 > 0:58:53# Oh, yeah
0:58:53 > 0:58:57# Everybody's gotta live
0:58:57 > 0:59:01# Before you know the reason why, yeah
0:59:01 > 0:59:06# Everybody's gotta live
0:59:06 > 0:59:11# And everybody's gonna die
0:59:11 > 0:59:14# Everybody's gotta live
0:59:14 > 0:59:20# You've gotta live before you know the reason why. #
0:59:22 > 0:59:25Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd