The Untold Story of Fascinating Women Drivers in Formula 1.
A handful of women who broke through the barriers to race in the ultimate motorsport format — Formula 1.
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, attracting millions of fans and showcasing the best drivers and teams in the world. However, it has always been a male-dominated sport (across all areas of Formula 1), with very few women participating as drivers, engineers, or managers.
The first Formula 1 World Championship took place in 1950. In the 72 years since then, only five women have attempted to enter a World Championship Grand Prix; of those five women, only two of them actually qualified for the race and were able to participate in it.
But why is this the case, what were the barriers?
Who were the early women dare-devils who went against the conventional thinking that F1 is sport that only men can participate in? What was their involvement, how far did they go?
I think it's very important to take a peek into the glorious past of women in F1 and appreciate their efforts to break into the high-octane world of Formula 1 against all odds.
It is also equally important to look at the new opportunities that are being generated for women in Formula 1 through the efforts of some F1 teams, F1 drivers, FIA, etc
My Inspiration
This article is inspired by my 12-year-old daughter, who has been a Mercedes F1 fan for many years. Not surprising her favourite driver is Lewis Hamilton, but she also is in awe of legendary F1 drivers — James Hunt, Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, Jackie Stewart, etc.
In recent years, she has also developed a lot of respect and admiration for F1 drivers — Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, George Russel, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher (my influence of being an ardent Ferrari fan for more than 27 years)
She may not watch all the F1 races, but she likes to keep herself updated on the driver market, why drivers leave a certain team and join another one, why some teams are doing better than others, how the logistics of Formula 1 works, and much more as you would expect from an enthusiastic and curious 12-year-old.
After the season finale of 2023— Abu Dhabi Grand Prix got over, which featured the new initiative by Formula 1 to provide a telecast feed of F1 Kids (a truly impressive one), she asked me if there were any women drivers who have ever participated in Formula 1. I think this question got triggered by the presence of the kids who were providing the commentary for F1 Kids, one of them being a girl.
I knew about one female F1 driver — Lella Lombardi (didn’t remember her name at that time) from Italy.
She then proceeded to ask more questions for which I didn’t have much information or answers. At that moment, she said “Dad, I think you should write about women who were part of Formula 1”.
I think, deep down she knew that if I am coaxed to write about a certain topic, I will put my head down and research the hell out of it and belt out an article.
So, this article is devoted to my daughter for inspiring me, for making me think, and importantly making me explore the history of women drivers in Formula 1 (the research itself has been such an insightful experience that I am really excited to put it all together)
In this article, I will explore the history of women in Formula 1, from the pioneers who broke the stereotypes to the current and future prospects who aim to make their mark.
I will also throw light on some of the challenges and achievements of women in Formula 1 and other forms of motorsports, and how the sport can become more inclusive and diverse.
The Pioneers: Maria Teresa de Filippis and Lella Lombardi
The first woman to enter a Formula 1 World Championship race was Maria Teresa de Filippis, an Italian driver who competed in the 1958 and 1959 seasons.
The young lady due to her social position, got an opportunity to get behind the wheel early and was eager to prove to her brothers that women behind the wheel are no worse than men. She got to the F1 grid at the age of 32 years old, taking part in a non-qualifying race. She entered five races and qualified for three.
Her first circuit of the championship was the Monaco Grand Prix, definitely not the easiest of all the F1 races. She didn’t qualify, but her debut did not go unnoticed.
During the next race the 1958 Belgium Grand Prix, not only did she qualify but she also finished in 10th position.
It was also not a surpirse that she faced a lot of prejudice and discrimination, as some race officials and male drivers did not believe that women belonged in Formula 1.
In the 1958 French Grand Prix, Maria Teresa de Filippis was straight up denied entry into the race by the race director for being a woman. As he put it, “the only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s.”
Considering this was probably the popular opinion at the time, it’s no wonder more women didn’t participate in Formula 1.
Despite the constant challenges, de Filippis paved the way for other women to follow her footsteps in F1.
This opened the gates for Lella Lombardi, another Italian driver who raced in three seasons from 1974 to 1976. In a three-year spell, Lombardi raced for March, RAM and Williams.
She has the distinguished title of being — The First Lady of Formula 1.
Early on, the Italian driver got behind the wheel of a truck on which she delivered orders for her father’s clients, as he was a butcher. Apparently, Lella loved being behind the wheel.
Soon she bought her first car. She first tried her skills in karting, then the 27-year-old woman began to compete in Italian Formula 3. Then, there was Formula 850, which she completed with the title of champion, winning 4 out of 10 races.
She began her career in Formula 1, when she was 33 years. Entered 17 races and started 12, becoming the first and only woman to score points in a Formula 1 World Championship race.
She achieved this feat in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, where she finished sixth in a shortened and chaotic race.
She also holds the unceremonious (and outside her control) record for the lowest number of points in a Formula 1 career, as she only received half a point due to the race being stopped before 75% of the distance.
Lombardi and de Filippis remain the only women to have started a Formula 1 World Championship race, and they set several milestones for women in the sport.
However, they also faced many difficulties, such as lack of funding, competitive machinery, and support from the teams and the media. They had to prove themselves constantly and overcome the stereotypes and biases that surrounded them.
The Contenders: Desiré Wilson and Giovanna Amati
Lella Lombardi, who completed her F1 career in 1976, was replaced by the British athlete Divina Galica.
Divina was a professional skier; she took part in several Olympic games. Twice she acted as captain of the British Alpine skiing team at the Olympics.
Not surprisingly, the love of speed and adrenaline pushed her to try herself in motor sport. And, of course, she ended up in Formula 1.
In 1976, she made her debut in F1 behind the wheel of a Ford Surtees TS16 during the British Grand Prix. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify either in this or in other races. 1978 became the final year in her career as a F1 racer.
Nevertheless, in the history of the championship she will remain the only Female driver, who happened to take part in three Olympic games.
She competed in three Winter Olympics as a skier, captaining the British Women’s Olympic Ski Team in 1968 and 1972. And she entered three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix.
To drive in my day you had to be fit,” she said. “Luckily I came off a skiing career and I was massively fit, I was built like a tank. Nowadays, I’ve seen a lot of women drivers who are extremely good, but as they move up the formula, they’re not quite strong enough.
Often they make some mistakes because they get fatigued. Of course, men get tired in those cars too, it’s not just women.
“Especially the modern F1 car, it creates enormous G-force, and the tracks nowadays don’t have many straights so you’re always turning and there is a lot of work to do.”
Constantly dealing with the world’s media is also difficult.
It then took two years for another woman to attempt to qualify for a Formula 1 race.
That woman was Desiré Wilson, a South African driver who had a successful career in other categories, such as Formula Ford, Formula Atlantic, and sports cars.
She is the only woman to have actually ever won a Grand Prix. She won the race at the Brands Hatch circuit during the 1980 British Formula 1 Championship (A spinoff series that is not to be confused with world championship).
As a result, she has a grandstand named after her at the circuit.
However, no woman has ever won a race while driving in the World Championship.
The last woman to try to enter a Formula 1 race was Giovanna Amati, an Italian driver who was signed by Brabham at the start of the 1992 season. She had a background in Formula 3, Formula 3000, and sports cars, and she was the first woman to be hired by a Formula 1 team in 15 years.
Giovanna was born in a wealthy Italian family. And although her mother was an actress, the life of this young woman could have been a plot for a blockbuster.
In 1978, 19-year-old Amati was kidnapped for ransom by a gang led by Jean Daniel Nieto. The girl was held hostage for more than 70 days.
During this time, rumours had it that the girl actually fell in love with the gang leader. Later, the kidnappers were arrested, but not the leader Nieto. He began sending love letters to Giovanna. The young girl, cooperating with the police, set up a meeting with him, and he was arrested.
Her way to the Formula 1 championship wasn’t very different from the ones that the earlier women had experienced.
Starting with Formula-Abarth, she tried competing in different classes and in 1992 got a place on the F1 grid. The 33-year-old racer had a contract with the Brabham team.
During her first Grand Prix in South Africa, Giovanna failed to qualify. Unfortunately, her F1 driving results turned out to be insignificant. The story repeated itself in the following races, and the results were not at all comforting. At that point, the sponsors refused to finance Amati and she was replaced with another driver.
She was then replaced by Damon Hill, who also struggled to qualify the same car for most of the season.
Just goes to demonstrate the importance of having a good competitive car to move up the ranks and make a mark in the sport.
Wilson and Amati showed that women could compete at the highest level of motorsport, but they also faced the harsh reality of Formula 1. Even they had to deal with inferior equipment, insufficient resources, and unfair expectations.
They also had to cope with the pressure and scrutiny of the media and the public, who often focused more on their appearance and personality than their performance and potential.
The Future: Jamie Chadwick and the W Series
Since Amati’s departure in 1992, no woman has entered a Formula 1 race, and only a few have been involved in testing or development roles.
Susie Wolff, who was a test driver for Williams and became the first woman to take part in a Grand Prix weekend since 1992.
Prior to working as a test driver for Williams, she participated in Formula Renault, Formula 3, and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM).
She is currently the CEO of the Venturi Racing Formula E team.
Other female drivers who have participated in Formula 1 in some capacity include Katherine Legge, who tested with the now-defunct Minardi team; Sarah Fisher, an IndyCar driver who performed a demo run with McLaren at the 2002 United States Grand Prix; and Carmen Jordá, who joined the Lotus F1 team and worked as a sim driver.
Tatiana Calderón, who was a development driver for Sauber and became the first woman to drive a modern Formula 1 car in 2018; and María de Villota, who was a test driver for Marussia until she tragically died in 2013 from the injuries she sustained in a testing accident in 2012.
However, there is a new hope for women in Formula 1, and her name is Jamie Chadwick. The 23-year-old British driver is currently a development driver for Williams, and she is also the reigning champion of the W Series, an all-female open-wheel racing series that was launched in 2019.
The W Series aims to provide a platform for women to showcase their talent and skills, and to create a pathway to Formula 1 and other top-level motorsport categories.
The W Series is supported by Formula 1, and it features on the same calendar as some of the Grand Prix events.
Chadwick has been impressive in the W Series, winning the inaugural championship in 2019 and defending her title in 2021 and 2022. She has also competed in other series, such as Formula 3, Formula Regional, and Extreme E.
In 2023 Jamie made the significant move to the US, signing to race for DHL Andretti Autosport in the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone Championship — the support formula to the huge American Indycar Series.
She has competed in Race of Champions and drove the historic 1986 World Championship winning Williams F1 car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. She also continues her media work with the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky Sports.
She has a strong ambition to reach Formula 1, and she has been working closely with Williams to gain experience and knowledge. She has also received praise and encouragement from several Formula 1 drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and George Russell.
Chadwick is not the only woman who has the potential to make it to Formula 1.
There are many other talented and determined female drivers in the W Series and beyond, such as Alice Powell, Beitske Visser, Marta García, and Maya Weug.
There are also plenty of female drivers who have made a name for themselves in other forms of motorsport; Danica Patrick, who is still the only woman to have won an IndyCar race, and the late Sabine Schmitz, who won the 24 Hours of Nürburging twice in a row.
They all have the passion and the drive to pursue their dreams, and they all deserve the opportunity and the support to do so.
The Challenges for Women in Formula 1
It is no surprise that women in Formula 1 over many decades have faced tons of challenges, primarily — discrimination, lack of funding, lack of opportunities, and lack of recognition.
They have had to fight against the stereotypes and the prejudices that have plagued the sport, and they have had to prove themselves over and over again. They have also had to balance their personal and professional lives, and to cope with the physical and mental demands of the sport.
However, the few women who have broken through these barriers and participating in various forms of motorsport and especially Formula 1 are inspiring others and changing the culture of the sport.
They have shown that women can be as fast, as skilled, and as competitive as men, and that they can contribute to the sport as drivers, engineers, managers, or journalists.
They have also shown that they can be role models and leaders, and that they can make a positive impact on the sport and the society.
The Future of Women in Formula 1
Formula 1 has made some progress in recent years to become more inclusive and diverse, and to promote gender equality and empowerment.
Some of the initiatives that have been implemented or supported by Formula 1 include:
- Elimination of the “grid girls”, who were replaced by the “grid kids”, who are young aspiring drivers who get to meet their idols and experience the thrill of the race.
- Creation of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, which aims to increase the participation and representation of women in all aspects of motorsport, from driving to engineering to management.
- Launch of the FIA Girls on Track programme, which aims to inspire and educate young girls about the opportunities and careers in motorsport, and to provide them with practical and fun activities to develop their skills and confidence.
- Partnership with the W Series, which aims to create a talent pipeline for women in Formula 1 and other top-level motorsport categories, and to increase the visibility and the credibility of women in the sport.
Final Thoughts
In my personal opinion, these initiatives are positive and promising, but they are not enough.
There is still a lot of work to be done to make Formula 1 more accessible and attractive for women, and to address the structural and cultural barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Some of the actions I think that could be taken to improve the situation —
- Get young girls involved in Go-karting from an early age. Sooner they get their hands on a steering wheel, wear a drivers’ helmet, smell the rubber, slide around the tracks, bump into the tyre barriers — the more they will get hooked. It all starts with the first turn of the steering wheel.
- Provide more funding and sponsorship for women in motorsport, especially at the grassroots level, where the costs and the competition are high, and the opportunities and the exposure are low.
- More mentoring and coaching for women in motorsport, especially from other women who have succeeded in the sport, and who can share their experiences and advice, and provide support and guidance.
- Increased education and awareness for women in motorsport, especially about the different roles and careers that are available in the sport, and the skills and qualifications that are required or beneficial for them.
- Better recognition and appreciation for women in motorsport, especially by celebrating their achievements and contributions, and by highlighting their stories and perspectives.
Formula 1 is a sport that inspires and empowers millions of people around the world, regardless of their gender, race, or background.
It is a sport that can benefit from the diversity and the talent of women, who can bring new ideas, new perspectives, and new ideas.
Last but not the least, it is a sport that is driven by passion, innovation, and excellence — the three attributes that women have in abundance.
Be the first one to receive exclusive and fascinating Formula 1 stories as soon as those are published.
If you liked reading this story, you might like these too.
⭐ Unleashing the Legends: The Wild James Hunt & The Survivor Niki Lauda
⭐ The Evolution of Formula 1 Engines: From Water Pumps to Hybrids
⭐ The Resurgence of Ford: Revving Up for a Spectacular Return to Formula One With Red Bull
⭐ The Streaming Revolution: How F1 TV Pro is Driving Revenue and Redefining Fan Engagement
⭐ Demystifying Formula 1: A Beginner’s Guide to the World of Racing
⭐ The Evolution of Formula 1: From Racing Passion to Global Business Powerhouse
⭐ From Tracks to Factories: The Astounding Investments Reshaping F1’s Landscape
⭐ The 6 Weirdest Formula 1 Cars Ever Built
⭐ A Beginner’s Guide to F1 Flags: Understanding the Language of Motorsport
⭐ 1.82 Seconds To Change 4 Tyres Of A Formula 1 Car
⭐ Strategy Of Undercutting In a Formula One Race
⭐ The Magical Era of Voiturette Racing Cars.
⭐ The Amazing Untold Story Of Colors On Formula 1 Cars From The 1900s To Now.
⭐ The Complex Web of Formula 1 Circus — 21 Races across 5 Continents
⭐ Motor Racing Makes A Roaring Come Back After The War.
⭐ Accelerating Eastward: Formula One’s Ambitious Drive to Captivate Asia’s Racing Fans
⭐ The Visionary Strategist: Bernie Ecclestone and the Birth of Formula 1
⭐ Ayrton Senna: Master of F1 and His 3 Most Memorable Races
⭐ The Nürburgring: Where Beauty and Drama Collide — Reliving the Golden Era of F1 Racing
⭐ World’s 1st Motor Racing Event Had A 90 Mins Lunch Break
⭐ How James Hunt Bought A Formula 2 Car With No Money & Finished 3rd?
and many more @
