“I think it would probably be good [to have a female driver], but you would need someone who could be competitive. With Danica it shows it's possible for an extremely talented lady to be competitive in what is historically seen as a male environment. It probably opens people's eyes to the possibility of that happening.”

Lewis Hamilton bucked the trend last year by becoming the first black driver ever to graduate to the top flight – undeniably boosting the sport's interest and popularity as it looks to make its presence felt in new markets worldwide, particularly in Asia – and the addition of a female driver would only serve to broaden that appeal further. Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes squad handed fellow IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher a chance to test at Indy in 2002, and Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President Norbert Haug said there would be no gender barrier should a sufficiently talented female star wish to join the grid.

“I think the key is to be competitive,” the German stressed. “In various sports it's not possible, but it should be basically possible in motorsport as the Indy Racing League has proven or as, for example, the DTM shows.

“We had a winner in touring cars years ago – many years ago, 16 years ago, I think – with Ellen Lohr beating her team-mate Keke Rosberg. That was not very pleasing for my friend Keke, but anyway, it is possible and hopefully Formula 1 will experience that in the future.”