Driven: The Fastest Woman in the World

This is BBC Radio 4.

Now, Formula 1 racing has long been a sport with a macho image,

one its boss, Bernie Ecclestone, played up to when he said that

he liked women to wear white, like all other domestic appliances.

But Susie Wolff has just become a development driver

for the Formula 1 Williams racing team.

That means she follows in the speedy

wake of greats like Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell.

It's every driver's dream to step into a Formula 1 car.

That's why, for me, joining the Williams team

was definitely a dream come true.

Not since 1976 has a woman raced in Formula 1.

I think we're definitely getting closer to the point where

we'll see ladies compete at the highest level.

Any day now there's going to be a female that comes along

and kicks our butts.

But I hope it's not in my period of time!

This year, my sister, Susie Wolff, will be tested in a Formula 1 car.

She's the fastest girl in the world, no, in a racing car?

And the day we see women in Formula 1 again will get a step closer.

She's supposed to be en route to us. So...

Danke.

'Ten years ago my sister and I took different paths.

'She embraced a world we grew up with - the world of motorsport -

'and I became a filmmaker.'

'Susie has just won the biggest break in motorsport -

'the chance to test for Formula 1.'

'I'm going to film her in this career-defining year to find out

'if she has what it takes to make it in the macho world of motorsport.'

'For the past seven years I've watched as Susie made her mark

'with Mercedes-Benz in Europe's premier league of touring cars, DTM.

'This top-ranking German tournament is the next biggest thing

'in racing to Formula 1.

'But this year, with the Formula 1 test looming on the horizon,

'I know she'll be under more pressure than ever.'

With the young guys coming up into the team,

they have that whole opinion,

"She's never going to be quicker than me."

My team-mate this year is the European Formula 3 champion

from last year, so he's a successful guy already

and sometimes after the sessions he says to me,

"I can't believe you can drive that fast.

"I think I'm driving really fast and I come in and you're quicker.

"For me it's impossible that you can drive that fast."

I say, "Yeah, get used to it, I can also drive fast!"

You always think to yourself, "OK, I'm not that nervous,"

but then the nerves come without you even knowing they're coming.

-Hey, Susie. Good morning. Radio tech?

-Loud and clear.

One minute, one minute.

You feel the adrenaline start to run through your body,

you feel the butterflies in your stomach

and you feel the kind of determination coming through.

As soon as you start the engine, boom, you say to yourself,

"That's it now. This is it. Let's go. Let's go."

When you're on power, you feel the car pushing your body down.

When you break you feel your body getting pushed against the belts.

When you're carrying lots of speed through a fast corner,

you feel your neck straining from the G-force.

And you're running through it in your head - "OK, I've got the apex.

"OK, yes, yes, yes, use all the track, use all the track.

"OK, that was good, next corner. OK, brake late, brake late."

"OK, apex, apex, power, power, power, power, power."

At that moment when you're on that lap there is not one thought

going through your head that is not to do with that lap.

Susie's Formula 1 journey begins here, at the Williams factory,

the birthplace of these awesome racing cars,

cars that we marvelled at as teenagers.

Legally you're too far back at the moment. You can't see your eyes from this point.

But also I feel like I would need to anyway come up, because I'm like...

OK.

'Seeing her being fitted to this car that cost tens of millions

'brings home to me the weight of responsibility

'she must feel on her shoulders.'

-I don't need to shuffle myself to reach the pedals in any way?

-No.

-We'll make the pedals fit you.

-It's possible to bring them all the way?

-OK.

-We might have to make some brackets for you, but...

-Yeah, but that makes it a lot easier.

Every Formula 1 driver goes through this process.

It can be a long-winded process, the in and out, the seat.

Fingers crossed it goes OK.

We're nearly ready.

Hopefully we've done enough mix to do the whole thing.

-Can you just hold that open a bit?

-Yeah.

It makes it all much more realistic now, and the guys put a lot

of effort into the seat

because it's such an important part of the test

because there's going to be so many forces going through my body

that I need to make sure that the seat is really comfortable.

And, yeah, it's really exciting because now it's one step closer.

'Susie's new boss,

'the founder of Williams F1, Sir Frank Williams, has over

'40 years' experience in Formula 1

'and has worked with many racing legends.'

That's my favourite picture up there, the one right by you.

With Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell.

'Sir Frank takes a moment to talk to Susie about what to expect

'driving a Formula 1 car for the first time.'

I think we'll look at the middle of October for your proper test.

You need to get, obviously, a bit tougher, if possible,

-with the gym work and so on.

-Yep.

And be confident then, once you have had a fitting,

that you are really satisfied with it, because

if it's a way off you'll soon find out within one morning at the test.

-Yeah.

-And we don't want that compromise for your sake, so...

-All the preparation beforehand is almost as important as the test itself.

-Yeah, I understand.

So I sincerely hope that you are ready to do it in every sense and nothing spoils your day.

-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.

-I'm looking forward to today, actually.

-Yeah, me, too!

-It'll be quite interesting.

Come on, collect it up, David.

Did you forget to do it? Oh, dear!

'In Oban, a small town on the west coast of Scotland, my mum met my dad

'when she bought her first motorbike from his shop, and Susie and I

'grew up to the soundtrack of roaring engines and the smell of petrol.'

I can remember always hounding Dad and Mum for £5 for,

I think, 10 or 15 minutes, and I think you and I

were on them so much that we were actually pretty good.

We were, like, beating all of the other little kids.

I remember thinking, "This is cool, I'm good at this, I want to do it,"

and eventually Dad bought us a kart,

but I remember distinctly going to our first proper race

and thinking, "Oh, my goodness!

"I'm out of my depth here!"

I watched the first practice, we were unloading and were totally,

absolutely gobsmacked at the speed of these things.

And we thought, "What are we doing here?"

And I can remember coming in and saying to Dad,

"It's all so fast out there, I'm getting hit and it's not great

"and I don't like it and what should I do now?" It was awful.

And he said, "Toots..." He always called me Toots when I was younger.

"You can go back out there and try and go faster, or we call it a day.

"We put the kart in the back of the truck,

"or you go back out there and if they hit you you hit them back."

"And that's how it goes." So I went for the first option,

and part of me going back out there was the fact that you were racing,

the fact that I had an older brother doing it,

and I always used to think, if he can do it, I can do it!

Lewis Hamilton, still just 12 years old,

the first year in this class, and look at him.

Number 44, great rolling start. Whedon couldn't get by.

And in third place, number 24, Susie Stoddart, the 14-year-old.

So the Scots lass is right in amongst them. Go for it, girl!

Karting is a mixed sport, there's no different classes for women and men,

and she started with the Scottish Championships,

she was doing well in that.

And the more she raced the better she got.

15th overall in the World Championships

and the first female in the World Championships.

-How does that make you feel?

-Very happy.

Let's hope there's more results like that to come!

The thing that sticks out in my memory is being taken to

Donington Park to watch a Formula 3 race and Jenson Button won that day.

I think I must have been around 14 then.

And that's when I first sort of said to myself,

"That's what I want to do."

And I've got determination and focus now because I've just got to

the stage where I love it that much, this is all I want to do.

I just want to get to the top and I'll basically do anything I can to get to the top.

And it's a good start from James Rossiter

but also for the pole man, Lewis Hamilton.

Susie Stoddart trying to move up as well.

-Do you have memories racing against Susie?

-I do. Really good memories.

Lewis Hamilton is our race leader.

The person who's really impressed me at the moment is Susie Stoddart.

That's the one I remember mostly, because, you know,

she was hunting me down.

And, Lewis Hamilton, superb, controlled victory.

And Susie Stoddart will come through to finish in third, her best result.

She finished on the podium with me.

Great to see one of the lady racers going well.

We've seen some quick girls before. The question is whether they can keep it going

through Formula Renault up to Formula 3 and then beyond that, isn't it?

Perhaps it was the first time she'd had to spray the bottle, I think it was for many of us.

And I gave her a bit of a hand.

He's a gentleman, isn't he, Lewis Hamilton? Look at that.

What a nice guy.

-He wasn't gentlemanly enough to let her pass, though, was he?!

-No.

I don't think Susie's going to have any favours from these guys on circuit.

And then, in 2006, Susie got her big break.

My mobile rang and it was Gerhard Ungar from Mercedes-Benz,

and he said, "What do you think about doing DTM?"

And it really was a dream come true.

I got to the first race at Hockenheim.

I ended up making a good start and passing Jean Alesi.

He was racing for Mercedes at that time in DTM

and apparently I heard after the race he was screaming over

the radio to his engineer, saying, "Get this girl out of my way!

"Get her out of my way!" And the engineer apparently replied to him,

"Jean, we can't get her out of the way, you have to overtake her."

I'm at Hockenheim race track, Germany,

to film Susie's first race of the 2012 DTM season.

-Thank you very much.

-No problem.

Televised in over 200 countries around the world, DTM attracts

huge crowds, megabucks and some of the biggest names in racing.

Susie's tough on the race track, she's fair,

she's sporting, she takes it very serious, as she should.

THEY SPEAK GERMAN

-COULTHARD:

-It's difficult to get past her, she really holds her own

and isn't forced into a mistake or anything on the track.

She's a driver like we are, she's a very quick driver.

I mean, she has her tracks where she's really, really quick.

Sometimes she has some problems, as we all have, so, yeah,

she drives equally so she gets treated equally.

'Joining the 100,000 spectators who've come to watch

'my sister's race are my mum and my dad.'

Is it different watching a daughter to a son racing?

Yes, it is, definitely.

I think, your son, you can handle it and what have you.

With a girl I always think she's a bit more vulnerable.

I have never been on the starting grid on the race.

Because I get so worked up, my heart is just beating

and my mouth goes all dry.

In karting you used to actually walk.

I didn't watch the race!

Too nervous.

I would walk around the car park until it would have finished!

When you see her out there, do you still sometimes remember

the little girl that you took on the bike?

Oh, I think all the time. Yep.

-Mum, you're upset as well?

-Yes! I get upset when your father's upset!

Is it the same feeling for you when you see Susie on the grid?

Totally, because it doesn't matter how old you are, we still remember

you as children and you will always be our children, so it does, yeah.

You're part of us and that's it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ECHO

And the DTM 2012 is go!

'I watch nervously as Susie starts from the back of the grid,

'after a poor qualifying the day before.

'She'll be racing at speeds of up to 170mph.'

Oh! And we've got a spinner in the pack there.

David. Are you being a brother or a director right now?

Definitely a brother. See any directing?

How's she doing?

She's quicker, actually. She's getting quicker all the time.

But so is her team-mate behind her.

'By the end of the race, Susie's climbed from 21st to 12th,

'a marked improvement from the qualifying, but there's still

'a lot to do if she's to collect points this season.'

Yeah, it was a shame for the first lap.

I made an OK start and then I was stuck on the outside

-and I lost the advantage on the inside.

-You were catching as well.

Yeah. Slowly but surely. Was pushing so hard at the end.

Big difference from qualifying. Good day and a good race.

Yeah, I think we can learn a lot from this weekend

and be stronger in the next race.

-Now time for...

-Now time for a drink!

I tell you, racing with Susie is tough.

The cliche of making fun of lady drivers gets blown out of the water

because, you know, Susie holds her own absolutely.

She drives the car exceptionally well.

But I think I got you round the outside of the first corner.

-No, not the first corner.

-Second corner. Oh, no, fourth.

-Hairpin.

-Hairpin, yeah.

'I would love to be able to turn round and tell you, no,

'it's all based on performance and there's no sexism, but...

'even after seven years of DTM it's still there.'

-I was in the inside.

-The first lap, at turn seven he just blew me off.

-Yeah.

-And in the corner four.

'I even noticed it today.

'You know, my team said "You nearly got beaten by a girl"

'to my team-mate, and as soon as they start with talk like that,

'where they give him the impression that it's embarrassing to be beaten by me,

'it's always difficult.'

At least they'll understand on the radio.

'I think a lot of them have that opinion that they just do not like the thought

'of ever being beaten by me or that they're ever slower than me.'

Really bad.

'Do you think your pink car sometimes helps?

'No, I think it doesn't help me at all. I think as soon as they see the pink car coming they say,'

"Oh, my goodness..." either, "I've got to pass her," or, "Don't want to get beaten by her."

Who makes you have the pink car?

It's a marketing strategy from the sponsor.

Er, but I think it's a real cliche of a blonde female driving a pink car.

It wouldn't be my choice, 100% not.

'Trainer Toni Mathis has been working with Mercedes-Benz for over 25 years.'

When I told Susie, "You have less muscles, you must do not so much,"

then that's the emotion for her to do more than the others!

And, you know, a woman have a bit less muscles

and they have to be so much stronger,

they need so much more discipline to do the same thing.

But she likes, she love this thing,

and that makes the training with her so easy.

HE SPEAKS GERMAN

There's no point in me doing my own programme

that's maybe better for a female, because I'm against men,

and I don't see that as a disadvantage, I don't see that

as unfair, that I have to work harder to keep up with them, maybe.

We had a couple of new team-mates this year and it came to press-ups

and Toni said, "Susie, you do them on your knees," and I said no,

boom, I just pushed out 20 press-ups and they were both like,

"Wow, you're fit, Susie," and they should see that.

They should see that I'm someone that they should be

conscious of as a competitor.

And so sometimes if they say, "Yeah, well, I was quicker,"

I say, "Yeah, you should be quicker.

"You should be quicker, you should be beating me. And if you're not then you're doing a crap job."

That makes it even harder for them.

And I say, "Don't focus on beating me, focus on beating the guys that are all quicker than you."

And that kind of then brings them down to this size!

Many people say women aren't strong enough for Formula 1.

This is something Susie has fought against throughout her career.

My ex-team-mates who are now Formula 1,

or even if you speak with David Coulthard or Ralf, they say it's

going to be a step up, especially the G-force through the neck.

You have to take your training to another level. You've just got to utilise every opportunity you can,

get your mind fresh, make sure you're getting up every day

and eating well and making sure you're getting sleep,

making sure you're prepared, you've left no stone unturned.

It's definitely going to be a new physical challenge.

'The third race of the DTM comes to Brands Hatch.

'My father used to bring us here to watch superbikes

'when we were younger.

'Now, with the F1 test on the horizon,

'Susie will be in the spotlight more than ever in front of her fans.'

Susie's... She drive very good... and then she's, er, very lovely.

'Before every race there are a series of qualifying rounds,

'which determine where each driver will start on the grid,

'making the next 15 minutes crucial for tomorrow's race.

'Susie qualifies at the back of the grid.

'Frustratingly for her, she was only half a second slower

'than the fastest qualifier.

'I'm used to a strong, steely Susie at a race weekend.

'But for the first time I see her unable to hide her raw emotions.'

It was a good lap. It was a lap and no mistake

and just thousandths and I would have made it.

Nothing. Very, very tough to take.

No-one said it would be easy, that's true,

but no-one also said it was going to be this bloody hard!

It gets to you eventually. There's only so long you can stay strong and happy.

-Then comes the anger.

-You're happy now, though.

Yeah, because I can't change it now and there's no point wasting hours

of my life being unhappy when I can't change the situation any more.

I know if Mum would hear me swearing she would be very disappointed!

You should have heard me in the helmet on my end lap.

When my engineer told me I was P21

I was screaming at the top of my voice.

And not very nice words.

SHE LAUGHS

That's me.

-I can't start at the back any more!

-Neither can I.

'When Susie was growing up, she had a poster above her bed

'of a young Formula 1 driver called David Coulthard.

'Now Susie and I join him on the pre-race parade lap.'

Who's the good-looking lad with the camera?

-I don't know, but I see him very often.

-Do you?

-VERY often.

Well, if it's as chilly for us, you can imagine for the car.

-I'm struggling to get brake temperature.

-Yeah, I know.

We're not going to need brakes in the first lap anyway.

-God, she's so feisty!

-I'm only joking!

-I'm glad you're not behind me. Oh, no, you are!

-I'm only joking!

-Please don't hit me.

-I won't, I won't.

-Again.

-No, I know.

That was a mistake, remember. Mistakes happen.

Yeah, no, I can accept that.

-Go around the outside, inside and everywhere.

-I go. Yeah. All or nothing.

'Susie met her husband, Toto, at DTM.

'Once a rally driver, he now works in the business of motorsport

'and is a director at Williams.'

You giving her some tips before the start, Toto?

Yes, for sure she says to herself, "What is this guy talking rubbish?"

She obviously takes tips off you better than anyone else.

You think she takes tips better from me than from you?

I think she takes rarely tips from anybody.

'At 92 laps long, Brands Hatch is the most physically demanding track

'in the DTM calendar.'

Round three of the DTM gets under way now,

and Gary Paffett slides off the line, but a tremendous start by Bruno Spengler...

'By the middle of the race, Susie starts losing ground on the cars ahead of her.'

-Far too greasy up the front.

-We cannot understand you, Susie.

-Repeat, please.

-I'm greasy on the front.

We're waiting for you.

'Susie suddenly comes in for an unplanned pit stop.

'Something is wrong.'

THEY DISCUSS

'Damage has affected the car's handling. Her race is over.'

Unfortunately, not a good day at the office.

This was one of the, let's say, rather worst races.

Yeah, but she will be fine. She's a tough one.

I have to take a step back because, you know,

at the end of the day she's out there on her own, driving the car.

I can't help her a lot.

As a driver she's much better than I ever was,

so lots of advice doesn't make any sense either.

Um, but I try to, you know, be at least a nice husband on those races.

Remember, the shirts must be nice in the luggage.

-Shirts must be nice in the luggage.

-Do you have to fold everything...

Now I've gone from racing driver to wife.

Back into normal clothes, into wife mode.

Yes, my darling husband, I shall fold your shirts nicely,

pack the bag nicely, check the train times.

Your wish is my command.

Your wish is MY command.

SHE LAUGHS Liar, liar, liar!

-Now your weekend is finished, now you have to comply.

-Yes! I know.

-So we meet each other in the...

-In the Thistle.

-Yeah.

-Looking forward to it.

-See you.

'Susie and Toto live in Switzerland.

'They've been married less than a year.'

The whole area of being what people would imagine a good wife would be

is...sometimes I think, oh, my goodness, you know,

I'm off racing 11 weekends of the year and training every day and...

..these things I know I'm weak at, so...

'After years of hearing Susie saying she'll never have children,

'it's a surprise to me

'when she starts talking about the possibility of starting a family.'

Will having children change you as a racing driver, do you think?

It will, and that's why I'm very clear in my head

that I won't have a child or children while I'm still racing.

Never, ever.

I couldn't go off racing and... put myself at risk,

knowing that I was responsible or someone else needed me

and someone else was relying on me.

And also, as a racing driver, your whole focus is on your sport,

so you're training, you're travelling a lot, you're racing.

There's no way you can do all that.

Once I nearly chopped my finger really badly.

I was chopping an onion and then

I didn't cook for two weeks on the grounds of danger

because I had a race that weekend.

How come male drivers find it quite easy to have families

and keep their racing career going?

Let's face it, men are great at going out

and doing their stuff and supporting the wife at home with the kids,

but they can still carry on with everything they do.

I think when you have a child it's the woman that sacrifices the most.

Back in the UK, Susie's preparation for the Formula 1 test continues.

But there is some shocking news about her friend Maria de Villota,

the only other female driver to be testing in Formula 1.

A Spanish Formula 1 test driver has been seriously

injured in a crash in Cambridgeshire.

Maria de Villota, a test driver for the Marussia F1 team,

was badly hurt this morning after

her car collided with a lorry at Duxford airfield.

The 32-year-old was taking part in the first of two days

of testing at the site ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.

I just got the most awful feeling in my stomach, it was a sick feeling.

Was that because it was Maria or because it was such a bad accident?

I'm not sure but whenever another driver gets hurt, it does affect you

and remind you just how dangerous this sport can be.

Does it put you more in the spotlight, the recent news?

Without a doubt.

We've had so many requests of people wanting to speak to me now

and wanting to know what my reaction is,

but we've said no to every request because what can I say

that not every racing driver will say? It was a terrible accident.

I'm friends with Maria, she's a really, really nice lady.

When things like that happen it does affect you definitely

because it is an awful thing that's happened.

She's had surgery on her skull, she's lost her right eye...

It's awful. It's really, really awful.

In 2006 at Nuremberg, I was there watching at this very corner

when Susie had a crash that put her in hospital.

It's times like these that remind you

how dangerous motor sport really is.

Many people have this theory that I'm so brave

that I'm a racing driver, but I never think of the fear,

I never think of having an accident.

I never think, "What happens if my wheel would fall off at this corner?"

At one of the races, my throttle stuck

and it was an awful feeling but an hour and a half later, I was

back in the car, they'd fix the problem and I was out there again.

I have respect when I'm out on track.

I realise I'm going fast, I realise I have in my power many things

that could cause a big accident

so when I'm racing against other people, you must always be aware

but I never think what would happen here or what if I had an accident?

Susie drives at the limit

and accidents are part and parcel of racing.

But the seconds between the crash and walking away are agonising.

This is Susie's last visit to the Williams factory

before she drives a Formula 1 car for the very first time,

and the last chance for her to practise the complex

controls of the car.

It's really tough.

I find it tough anyway because I'm not someone that plays

computer games a lot, so it's a completely different feeling.

Obviously you don't get the feedback through your body of what the

car is doing, it's all visual, but it's a fantastic simulator.

Very close and realistic, so to be able to spend time in there is

definitely a good preparation for the test.

Susie is halfway through her DTM season

as 5th round comes to Norisring,

a track that races through the streets of Nuremburg in Germany.

With the growing frustration of her DTM season so far,

Susie is beginning to resent the presence of me and my camera.

Everybody wants to beat her to showcase themselves, you know,

and I say they are beating the development driver.

These are high skilled drivers

and the mental thing plays a big role and at the end of the day,

she says no but I guess it had an effect on her.

Her bad form continues as she qualifies 19th.

Her team-mate is also having a bad season,

this time qualifying in 18th. The tension in the team is palpable.

I have to go back to doing it my way

because if I go late on the brakes, I immediately lock everything.

OK. OK. We'll do the map.

'I gave everything I could out there

'and for me there wasn't much more possible.'

It's becoming the same story.

Yeah, it's not that we're miles away, it's half a tenth

and I would've made it through, but it seems to be a general problem

in our team and we just can't qualify well.

You know the vibes, so you just stay well clear.

-You either stay out of her way or, I don't know.

-I have to be there.

-I'm glad you're there now.

-In a sense we're walking on eggshells.

You don't know which way to go. Do you go and see her or do you not,

because if you don't go and see her, you get a row and if you do go

and see her she says, "I'll speak to you later,"

-so you don't know what you're doing.

-And you get hurt because you wish you'd never been in the first place.

But I think it's important to still be there,

even if she is annoyed and she is not treating us good,

we are still there.

On a race weekend I am here to work.

I have only 11 race weekends in the year

so on those 11 race weekends, I'm absolutely fully focused

and concentrated, and I think sometimes for Mum and Dad

they'll come especially out to the race weekends and expect me

to sit down and chat about day-to-day life.

But from the other side, I can only imagine being a parent

where your main focus is taking your kid carting every weekend

and watching them progress through all the ranks and then suddenly

you're not needed as much any more.

I think maybe that's difficult, that they have to make that

transition from being very involved to actually letting me go

and find my way in and fight for myself in a tough environment.

I think it's part of letting go of a child anyway. It has to be done.

Whether it was motor racing or something else, you go through it,

so it is hard for a mother to suddenly realise that there's

other people out there that are taking your place

so it does take a long time, yeah, it does, yes.

But that's what happens when your children get older anyway.

-You find it quite hard?

-Very hard. Yes.

It's race day and it has been raining nonstop since last night.

In karting, I always remember Susie doing well in wet conditions.

But the risk of a crash is much greater.

They're expecting more rain to come during the race,

so I think everybody is a little bit more nervous than normal

but for me, starting P19, the one difficulty I will have

when it is very wet is the fact that the spray means you don't see

anything, but I have nothing to lose so I'm going to go for it.

Lights go.

Four, five... Extinguish, drop the clutch and accelerate

and fight through all the puddles.

Now this is the tricky one.

Down into the hairpin, there's a bit of a concertina effect,

it has caused a big traffic jam.

I hold my breath as she gets involved in a pile up

on the same corner she had her bad crash in 2006.

This time she is unscathed and manages to continue the race.

Things go from bad to worse as Susie seems be struggling

to control her car in the wet conditions.

And another spin and that's Adrien Tambay plunging round Susie Wolff.

As the race is about to end, Susie is forced to retire.

The front splitter is broken, the front bonnet is broken

and it was clear to me it was broken after the first corner because

I couldn't break the car down and I couldn't turn into the corners.

-Are you enjoying it?

-Right now, no. If I could stop I would because

for me, I've tried so hard to improve everything and to get things better

but there's no enjoyment from driving around at the back.

I'd rather do something else than be mediocre and be a back marker.

I think I'm good enough to achieve good things and if it doesn't

happen here, I will go find something else and I will be successful.

Do you think with what is happening this year with the F1 thing,

have you still got the killer instinct to win at DTM?

Yes, even more because people are all looking at my name now

because I'm getting a chance in Formula 1

so of course they want to see how well I am doing in DTM,

so for me 100% when I get on a race track to race I am there,

fully focused and doing the job, but at some point you must be realistic

and we are so far away from being anywhere near good this season

DTM that thank goodness that I had a chance in Formula 1,

because my chance to redeem myself and show that despite an awful season

in DTM, I am good enough and I am probably the best female out there.

Susie's response is the same I've seen through the years - determined,

stubborn and focusing on her future, the Formula 1 test.

Everything in motor sport is performance based

and it all comes down to that time, so I need to demonstrate that I'm

close enough to a good lap time and that I'm capable in the car.

I never think forward, "Well, what happens if that doesn't work

"and that doesn't work?"

I will be good enough, I am preparing myself for it

and the Formula 1 test will be good.

We are back at Hockenheim for the last race of DTM.

Frustration with the team and the lack of performance,

Susie decides to concentrate on the new challenges ahead.

She announces she will be leaving DTM. This will be her last

race for Mercedes.

I'm always a person who believes in their gut feeling.

I always believe that there is a gut feeling that sends

you on a path, which you have to follow

and every bone in my body is telling me it is time to leave DTM.

Quite some sadness actually, you can feel it in the whole paddock

and many people you can see that there's a certain regret that it's

actually a fact now that she is leaving DTM.

..Susie Wolff and David Coulthard.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

My mother steps on to the starting grid for the first time

since we started racing for Susie's last ever race in DTM.

Obviously the whole weekend is going to be quite emotional.

It's the end of a seven-year journey and I think Mum and Dad

should get as close as they can, enjoy every minute

and have special memories from my last ever DTM race.

I would never be where I am today without Mum and Dad.

I think they sacrificed a lot.

If you speak with them about it they say it wasn't a sacrifice,

they enjoyed it, but there is absolutely no question that

without them and their encouragement and their support,

I would never have become a professional racing driver.

I think a lot of people are sad to see her go actually,

which is really, really nice.

Obviously she's been thought a lot of and, as a parent,

that's nice to have.

-A bit sad. A bit sad.

-Are you nervous?

-Just...

all of them mixed together.

-Oh, here we go.

-Here we go.

Oh, it's been a good start. Come on!

Instantly Susie starts overtaking,

fighting her way from the back of the grid.

Well, Susie is up to 17th. Yes!

-Yes, come on! Go on, go on, go on, Susie.

-Come on!

-Come on!

She got there. She's up to 15th. Come on!

-Whoa, Susie.

-How is she doing, Mum?

-Hanging in there, David.

-Hanging in there.

-How are you doing?

-Hanging in there.

Susie and her team-mate Mehri battle against each other.

Eventually she passes him.

Yeah, she's got him. She got Mehri.

The race is over.

Susie has fought her way up from 21st to 13th, gaining eight places.

It's a great comeback.

That's all right for your last race!

-Yeah.

-Well done!

-Good ding-dongs.

Yes, I was flat-out the whole way. What happened to Mehri?

-Good race.

-You too.

It's over.

-Well done.

-He did really well.

-Yes, he did.

I have a great deal of affection for Susie.

I admire her commitment behind the wheel.

I'll be just wishing her the best in her future career.

I think that she is well on her way to being, if she chooses,

a long-term player in the world of professional motorsports.

I've enjoyed trying to keep up with the pink car,

but there's been times where she's just been too fast for me.

-Susie, I take my brow off to you.

-SUSIE LAUGHS

Do you think when you were that little girl

and you had that poster above your bed of David Coulthard that

one day you would be beating him in some races?

I was in the David Coulthard fan club.

I had my little membership card, I had my poster on the wall.

DTM was a brilliant chance to be part of a brilliant family.

I was team-mates with Mika Hakkinen, Jean Alesi, Ralf Schumacher

and I'm very excited when I think about the future and what comes next.

Silverstone - the mecca of British motor sport.

With her DTM career over, Susie's future now rests on proving

herself to the Williams Formula 1 team.

Well, I woke up at 4.30 in the night and the first thing

I did was jump up and look out the window and it was pouring with rain.

I thought, "Oh, no. OK. Just forget about it. Go back to bed.

"Sleep two more hours."

-Is there more to worry about when it's a wet track?

-Yeah, of course.

It makes things much more difficult, much more tricky,

obviously more slippery.

Her first challenge - handling the car in wet conditions, then, in her

ultimate test, she'll be expected to reach speeds of over 190mph.

..we're all very excited about it.

It's her first time in a Formula 1 car...

I am really quite nervous today.

I didn't think about it too much but today, I must admit

I didn't have too good a sleep last night and today it is happening.

What are you so nervous about?

I'm nervous about... I think, I'm nervous about the speed

but I think she will be fine but I just want her in one piece.

Susie has told me that the high-profile crowd are doubtful

she'll make the grade in today's test.

I know she's determined to prove them wrong.

Quite a momentous moment, I suppose, in the career for Susie Wolff...

You were highly successful in karting.

How hard has it been making the transition?

Your first outing in a Formula 1 car...

-Thank you very much.

-Susie...

Now I just want to get in the car and drive. I'm fed up of talking,

I'm fed up of standing around, I'm fed up of people asking me

how I'm feeling. It's about driving now

but I think I'm only half an hour away from the first run so finally.

And you can't just find a spot where no-one can talk to you?

I tried that and they pulled me out of that spot.

I was in the sim on Monday.

I was here yesterday to do a track walk

and I've been through every eventuality that could happen

to be prepared for what I would do, so I'm fully prepared.

I'm about to watch my little sister join an exclusive group

of racing drivers to have ever driven a Formula 1 car.

Susie must prove she can handle the car in tricky conditions -

a car capable of accelerating to 100mph in less than five seconds.

The noise.

How does it make you feel when you see her going round like that?

-It's just unbelievable.

-Just so, so proud.

-Are you nervous any more, Mum?

-No, it's gone. She's OK, she's fine.

Just want her to get quicker now.

She completes the first test successfully,

but her next run will be all about speed.

With slick tyres on a dry track,

the Williams technical team will be judging her every move.

Let's go down and see her.

On the first lap I thought it my helmet was going to fly off because

the G force and the speed was so much against my head,

I couldn't even keep it down. I said, "I hope I've done it tight enough."

I think my neck training worked

because my neck feels quite OK out there.

These cars are very complicated things to operate

and lots of switches and she just went out there, drove it

and had some good fun, so I think in a few more laps she's going to

get more confident and push harder.

Will you get a chance to speak to her in between or just wait?

I'll wait until she's finished. She doesn't need me now.

She can do it for herself.

Susie is given a target of a 52-second lap.

For any chance of continuing on her Formula 1 journey,

she must achieve this time in only ten laps.

After three laps, it's not looking good.

She's more than two seconds off the target time.

Her future with Williams hangs in the balance.

With each lap, she is getting quicker,

getting closer to the target of 52 seconds.

Then, on the last lap, everything comes together.

She reaches a top speed of 194mph and a lap time of 52.34 seconds.

-What is she like?!

-Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Today is a dream coming true. A dream that I have had for nearly 20 years.

A day that I have dreamed about for a long time,

imagined for a long time, and sometimes never thought would come.

It's finally here and it's very, very special.

I looked from up there, she was progressing quicker and quicker.

It looked competitive but she can do that, I always told you.

And have you got any reactions?

How does other people up there think she's doing?

Yeah, they love it, but I think the people who know her are not

very surprised because they knew she could do it. Fantastic.

I saw you smiling through the day. Were you a proud husband?

Very proud husband.

I mean, how many guys do you know whose girl has just completed

a Formula 1 test on a very professional level?

I am the only one in the world today, so that makes me very proud.

She's doing great and you know,

Susie has a big competitive advantage.

She's a female driver and there are not so many in that sport

and to see Susie in such a powerful car

and driving in Formula 1, that is something fantastic.

-Susie, how was it?

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Yeah, amazing.

Really, really amazing.

-Well done.

-And you didn't stall it!

-It's got anti-stall.

-Don't spoil it!

-Well done, Susie.

-Thank you.

Growing up in a family immersed in motorsport,

I never thought my sister's racing career was unusual.

It's taken a year following Susie with my camera

for me to realise it's not just unusual - it's exceptional.

# Sometime they go and get so good

# But then again it gets pretty rough

# But when I have you in my arms, baby

# You know I just can't I just can't get enough

# Oh, yeah

# Everybody's gotta live

# Before you know the reason why, yeah

# Everybody's gotta live

# And everybody's gonna die

# Everybody's gotta live

# You've gotta live before you know the reason why. #

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