When I decided to stop racing, I really wanted to give something back to the sport and for me it was always going to be about inspiring young girls and women.
These race cars are dangerous and you don't put someone in one unless you are 100 per cent certain that they can do what they need to do and be safe in the car.
Motorsport has always been my passion, and speaking about being a female in a man's world is part of my responsibility.
I'm proud of my driver test. So many people were waiting for me to test and fail, so they could say that women would never be able to race in F1. I always view my time in F1 as before and after the test. Beforehand, I could sense everybody asking, 'What's she doing in the F1 paddock? Is she good enough?' After my test, that attitude changed.
I think from a driving perspective, the great thing of being in a simulator a lot is that you can constantly work on areas. Of course it's not like being in a real car, and you always have to remember that, but it means there are all these things that you can work on.
You have to be ready to pounce when a rare chance comes.
I think we all, as drivers, come to the table with a package. It's either your speed and raw talent, your sponsorship money, your nationality. For me, one of my unique selling points is my gender, without a doubt.
The decision to retire was very easy. The timing had come to the point where it was very clear that my time was up.
As a sports person, you are always aware that at some point your career is coming to an end and you have to do something else. I always knew it had to end one day, and I was very determined to make sure I wasn't going to be known as an ex-racing driver.
There was very little opportunity to carry on in Formula 1. My goal was to get on to the starting grid and that didn't look achievable.
My progression into F1 came to represent so much more than a racing driver simply trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport. It was also the hope that finally there may again be a female on the starting grid.
I dared to be different, I want to inspire others to do the same.
It's not a gender thing. You can pick anyone off the street and it depends on his or her own character how they can drive a car.
Men are much more egotistical. But that means women can accept criticism and improve easier than men can.
I was asked to do some studies to see if I was different. And I do have more male testosterone than the average woman does. Whether that makes me more aggressive, I don't know.
I was always a very competitive little kid. I did swimming very competitively, downhill skiing very competitively. Everything was competition.
I think there's nobody closer in the world than your own husband. And we are very passionate about what we do, very competitive.
I'm a realistic person, but I'm also a person who believes a lot in goals.
It's not a man's world any more.
What many people don't realise is the first F1 test I was offered by Frank Williams and the team was a one-off. It was never planned that I would become part of the team or it would lead to more.
