‘Women are kick-ass drivers’

Alexandra, a well-known Formula 1 pundit, is insistent that women are excellent drivers. So where, asks Alix Norman, are all the female F1 stars?

“Women multitask superbly, have lightning reflexes, and can handle any amount of pressure – EXACTLY the strengths you need to handle a car at speed. Basically, we’re kick-ass drivers!”

Alexandra Phasaria speaks from great experience, and those who dismiss her knowledge do so at risk! This softly-spoken 40-year-old is not only a member of Cyprus’ best-known automotive dynasty, she’s also a race pundit, a veteran of any number of rallies, and the co-host of one of the island’s only two F1 podcasts. And when it comes to cars, she knows exactly what she’s talking about!

“My dad, Christos, was a three-time rally champion. My mother, Despo Platriti, was among the first women rally drivers on the island in the late 70s. I was always kind of inundated by cars!” she laughs.

Initially, Alexandra resisted the family fascination. “I wanted to forge my own, separate identity,” she reveals. “But then, one day, I sat down to watch the 1997 Canadian Grand Prix. And I was hooked! Something clicked. And from that point on, I wanted to learn everything there was to know about cars: as a young teen, I’d pedal all the way down to Platias Eleftherias every Friday to buy Autosport and then read it cover to cover!”

At 19, Alexandra began writing for a local automotive magazine, and then headed off to study communications – “always with an eye to automotive journalism,” she adds. “I was really inspired by female journalists like Rosie Charalambous, who both rallied and wrote. I wanted to follow in their footsteps, both on and off the circuit.”

On her return to Cyprus, Alexandra worked for Chevrolet, later taking jobs in marketing, public relations and journalism. “But no matter what I did, I was always involved in our shop, the Phasarias Automotive Centre on Griva Digeni. I knew everything there was to know about roll bars, shock absorbers, and cages! I loved helping people plan how they were going to start their rally careers, making sure customers got the right equipment to build or upgrade their cars. It found it fascinating working in the shop. And,” she chuckles, “not without its moments of levity…

“I can’t count the number of times a man entered the shop, clocked me at the counter, and looked completely nonplussed. Usually the conversation went something like: ‘I need help.’ I’d nod. There’d be an awkward pause, usually followed by the words: ‘No, I need help with something specific.’ And when I walked out from behind the counter, you could see the panic set in; you could quite literally see them thinking ‘Help! Where is the man?!’

“It’s the same when my husband and I rent cars abroad – men tend to talk over me, assuming I know nothing. And once, when I was getting into my car at the start of a rally, I heard a young boy cry out ‘Look! Why is there a woman co-driving? She will crash!’ It wasn’t malicious or anything,” Alexandra adds. “But it did make me think about how early the stereotyping begins – the way we get monster trucks and remote-control cars for boys, while girls are invariably given dolls.”

Fortunately, change is in the air, even in Cyprus, says Alexandra. “Over the last few years I’ve seen loads more women in the shop buying equipment for their own cars. There’s also been a push from the FIA to get women involved in motorsports, and increasing numbers of women are taking up rallying.

“The automotive world is waking up to the realisation that women have the strength, speed and stamina needed to race professionally,” she enthuses. “All that’s lacking is the sponsorship. It’s there to a certain extent in the rally world, but not in Formula 1. F1 requires hefty financial backing from an early age, and women don’t ‘sell’ in male-dominated sports. In fact, it’s been almost a decade since we’ve last seen a female F1 driver – the longest period ever. In 2014, Suzy Wolf test drove the Williams car. And that was the last time a woman took part in an F1 weekend!”

While Alexandra’s age precludes her from climbing the F1 ladder, she’s certainly helped change the rally game. Especially in Cyprus.

“Between 2007 and 2015, I was taking part in five or six rallies each year, usually as co-driver to Odysseas Odysseos. You name it, I’ve seen it. And coped with it!” she laughs.

“Once, the wheel disengaged as we approached the Rizoelia roundabout in Larnaca. Boy was that fun! During another rally stage in Athienou, the gearbox went; all we had was 4^th gear! If we’d stopped, we would have forfeited, so we had to keep rolling. So I called the police and asked them to escort us back to time control!”

Alexandra has experienced the steering wheel falling off mid-stage. She’s been inside the car when it burst into flames! “You just remain completely calm, deal with whatever’s happening, and never give up! It’s just what you do. So don’t ever tell me women can’t handle the pressures of high-speed driving!”

Now working for the Press Information Office, Alexandra no longer rallies. But she’s still very much involved in auto sports. “Chris Constantinides and I co-host the F1 SidePod on Spotify, Facebook and YouTube. It’s two knowledgeable friends talking about everything in the previous race,” she explains. “We’re not pretentious and serious – rather, it’s fun, light and honest, with a good dose of insight.

“I’m surprised,” she adds, “that we’ve garnered listeners from all over the world – people tune in from Greece, Canada, Australia and the States. And here on the island, the podcast also hosts regular F1 race events at Moondog’s. It’s a great way to bring local enthusiasts together for a burger, a beer, and a viewing bash…

“And, we’re now seeing more and more women show up at these events too,” she smiles. “Even in Cyprus, automotive change is in the air!”

For more information, visit the FB page ‘F1 SidePod’