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Britain is in desperate need of a Formula One hero capable of picking up where the likes of Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Nigel Mansell left off. Trouble is, we haven't got one. Although David Coulthard continues to make up the numbers, he's very much yesterday's man. Jenson Button has shown a lot of promise, but hasn't secured a single victory, which means he's won as many grands prix as me or you.

By MIke Rutherford

15th February 2005

Since these days Britain's car racing industry isn't producing any true heroes from within, it's perhaps time to look at outsiders. Motorcycle legend Carl Fogarty is still young enough to make the switch from two to four wheels. But he told me that, despite being good at it, he found driving an F1 car hellishly boring and a tad easy after the excitement and gruelling challenges of Superbikes. So where else can we look? Britain needs a new car racing hero who's tough, versatile, aggressive, competitive, fit, head-strong and a proven, successful, world-beating athlete. No, I'm not thinking about Kelly Holmes. But I am nominating another Dame - Ellen MacArthur.

I met her last summer when she took me sailing for an afternoon. The first thing that struck me was her piercing, determined, almost scary eyes, which all extra-special, winning drivers possess. Also, Ellen's handshake is so firm, it's obvious she's as strong as a lion. She's a grafter, too, who gets stuck in and is so hands-on that her palms feel like sandpaper. As with Stirling Moss, she's got the classic race driver's build - short, stocky, thick neck, strong arms and muscular upper body. You wouldn't want to fight this hard-as-nails woman in the street, on the sea, in the pits or on the track. Just like Michael Schumacher, she's supremely confident, almost intimidating and deliberately comes across as arrogant if she needs to unnerve somebody. After all, she is the most competitive and determined woman on the planet - along with Kelly Holmes, of course.

Her reflexes have to be seen to be believed; her nimbleness and athleticism as she bounces around make her either a superwoman or a freak of nature. She's a thinker because she's got a technical brain, but also a doer because her hands never stop working. Ellen knows how to design, steer, race and fix complicated, state-of-the-art modes of transport. Her bravery, endurance, willingness to continue when the going gets unbearably tough, strength under extreme pressure and overall work ethic are all legendary.

She loves fast, powerful cars, and is looking for new challenges - and I think the switch from high seas to the track is right for her and Britain. Don't worry: if Ellen is able to race a boat around the globe for months on end with hardly any sleep, she's more than capable of steering a comparatively user-friendly F1 car for an hour or two.

What's more, she is sponsored by Renault which, as we all know, has an F1 team. With this in mind, I called the French firm about the possibility of the sailor turning driver. A spokesman assured me that the company would lay on a private track and at least one race car for her to test in anger if she wants. Britain's Dame Ellen MacArthur, international top-flight race driver. Don't, whatever you do, rule it out.

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