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List of female Formula One drivers

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This is a list of female motor racing drivers who have taken part in the Formula One World Championship since the inception of the World Championship for Drivers in 1950.

Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first woman to enter a Formula One race. As of 2024, four other female drivers have entered at least one Grand Prix, although only two have qualified and started a race. Lella Lombardi has competed in the most Grands Prix of any female driver, with 17 entries and 12 starts. Desiré Wilson is the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind, finishing first at the 1980 British Aurora F1 Championship.

History

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Lella Lombardi remains the only woman to score points in Formula One
Maria Teresa de Filippis at Monza in 1958

The involvement of women in Formula One was pioneered by Italian Maria Teresa de Filippis, who entered five races between the 1958 and 1959 seasons in a Maserati 250F, starting three.[1] She was the first woman to qualify for a Grand Prix, and scored her best result of tenth place in the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix.[2][3][4][5] She did not take part in the following race in France—the race director denied her involvement, stating that "the only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s."[6][1] Maria ended her career at the Monaco Grand Prix the following year.[7]

The only time I was prevented from racing was at the French Grand Prix. The race director said, "The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s." Apart from that, I don’t think I encountered any prejudice — only surprise at my success.

— Maria Teresa de Filippis

After fifteen years, another Italian driver, Lella Lombardi, competed in three seasons between 1974 and 1976. Lombardi entered seventeen races and started twelve, achieving her best career finish of sixth at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. The race was stopped following a spectator accident, but because at least 29 of the scheduled 71 laps had been completed, the rules stipulated that, for the first time, half points were to be awarded.[8] Lombardi's sixth-place finish meant she became the first, and so far only, woman to score points in the World Championship.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

In 1976, British professional skier Divina Galica attempted to qualify for three Grand Prix, including the British Grand Prix. This was notably the only Formula One Grand Prix in which multiple female drivers (Lombardi and Galica) entered. However, both failed to qualify.[12][13][15][16]

In 1980, the South African Desiré Wilson tried to qualify for the British Grand Prix, but did not succeed. In the same year, she won at Brands Hatch in the British Aurora F1 championship, becoming the first woman to win a Formula 1 race. As of 2024, she is only female driver to win a Formula One race of any kind. As a result of this achievement, Wilson has a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her.[17][18][19][20][21]

As of October 2024, the last woman to have driven in a Formula One Grand Prix event was Italian former Formula 3000 driver Giovanna Amati, who was signed to Brabham at the beginning of the 1992 season. She failed to qualify for three races in which she was entered. She was replaced by Damon Hill, who also failed to qualify the same car in 6 out of the 8 following races he entered. Brabham's lead driver that season was Eric van de Poele, who only managed to qualify once. After 11 races, the team folded.[22][23]

Drivers

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Official drivers

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Drivers listed in this table are those who have entered a Grand Prix. Actual starts are stated in brackets.

# Name Seasons Teams Entries
(starts) 		Points
1 FilippisItaly Maria Teresa de Filippis 1958–1959 Maserati, Behra-Porsche 05 (3) 40
2 LombardiItaly Lella Lombardi 1974–1976 March, RAM, Williams 17 (12) 50.5
3 GalicaUnited Kingdom Divina Galica 1976, 1978 Surtees, Hesketh 03 (0) 2–
4 WilsonSouth Africa Desiré Wilson 1980 Williams 01 (0) 3–
5 AmatiItaly Giovanna Amati 1992 Brabham 03 (0) 1–

Test drivers and development drivers

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Test driver Susie Wolff in 2012

Some female drivers have participated in non-competition testing and evaluation sessions with Formula One teams. IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher performed a demonstration run with McLaren after first practice for the 2002 United States Grand Prix.[24] Katherine Legge tested with Minardi at the Vallelunga Circuit in 2005.[25]

Other female drivers have been contracted to Formula One teams in testing and development capacities. In 2012, Williams signed Susie Wolff as a development and test driver. Two years later, Wolff became the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years, when she participated in the first practice session at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone;[26] the previous time being in 1992, when Giovanna Amati who was the official Brabham team driver alongside Eric van der Poele, made three unsuccessful Grand Prix qualification attempts. Van der Poele and later Damon Hill, Amatis replacement only managed to qualify the uncompetitive Brabham 3 times out of 18 attempts and the team folded after 11 races.[27][28] María de Villota, the daughter of Spanish Formula One driver Emilio de Villota, was hired as a test driver for Marussia[29] until her crash in 2012 at the Duxford Aerodrome during a straightline test. De Villota died from her injuries the following year.[30] In 2014, Sauber signed IndyCar Series driver Simona de Silvestro as an "affiliated driver", with the goal of having her compete in 2015.[31] In 2015 Lotus F1 signed Carmen Jordá to a deal including a run in a car.[32]

Sauber signed Colombian driver Tatiana Calderón as development driver for 2017.[33] Calderón was promoted from her development driver role to test driver for the 2018 season, and tested an F1 car for the first time with Sauber in Mexico in October 2018.[34][35]

In 2019, Williams Driver Academy signed leading W Series contender Jamie Chadwick as a development driver for the Williams F1 team.[36] Chadwick later won the 2019 W Series championship, the 2021 W Series championship and the 2022 W Series championship, and continued as a Williams development driver in 2022.[37]

In September 2023, Aston Martin driver ambassador Jessica Hawkins tested a 2021-spec F1 car at the Hungaroring.[38]

Milestones

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Slotnik, Daniel (January 16, 2016). "Maria Teresa de Filippis, Pioneer of Auto Racing, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "1958 FRENCH GRAND PRIX - RACE RESULT". Formula 1. Formula One Group. Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  3. ^ "F1: Primeira mulher a pilotar um Formula 1 é "estrela" em Portimão" [F1: First woman to pilot a Formula 1 car is "star" in Portimão] (in Portuguese). Autoportal. October 12, 2010. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  4. ^ "Escocesa é a primeira mulher a participar de treino oficial da F1 em 22 anos" [Scot is the first woman to take part in official F1 training in 22 years]. JC (in Portuguese). UOL. July 4, 2014. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  5. ^ "Maria Teresa de Filippis • Career & Character Info". Motorsport Database - Motor Sport Magazine. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Eve, James (March 5, 2006). "Maria Teresa De Filippis". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2015. At first they thought I wouldn't be able to compete, but then I went all the way to Formula One. The only time I was prevented from racing was at the French Grand Prix. The race director said: 'The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser's.' Apart from that I don't think I encountered any prejudice - only surprise at my success.
  7. ^ Williams, Richard (January 11, 2016). "Maria Teresa de Filippis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Aziz, Ishani, ed. (April 27, 2020). "Paradise lost: Montjuïc and the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix". Motor Sport. Retrieved September 16, 2024. McLaren's Jochen Mass, who just happened to be leading the few remaining runners at the stoppage, got his only grand prix victory, while Lella Lombardi became still the only female F1 points scorer (or, rather, half-a-point scorer due to the shortened race).
  9. ^ "1975 SPANISH GRAND PRIX - RACE RESULT". Formula 1. Formula One Group. April 27, 1975. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Baldwain, Alan (May 5, 2015). "Lombardi feat was mere footnote to tragic 1975 race". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2015. Finishing sixth, two laps behind McLaren winner Jochen Mass in a race stopped at one third distance with only half points awarded, was Italian Maria Grazia 'Lella' Lombardi in her March car.
  11. ^ "Espanhola é esperança de presença feminina na F1 após 20 anos" [Spanish is hope of female presence in F1 after 20 years]. Esporte - Automobilismo (in Portuguese). iG. August 23, 2011. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Micheletti, Marcos Junior. "Lella Lombardi". Terceiro Tempo. Universo Online. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Jacques, Fábio (May 11, 2012). "Coluna La Rascasse: As mulheres e a Fórmula 1" (in Portuguese). F1Mania. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  14. ^ "Formula One's other half-point races". ESPN. Reuters. August 29, 2021. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "Women in Formula One". formula1-dictionary.net. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  16. ^ Baldwin, Alan (May 7, 2015). "Women in F1: still a distant dream? - IOL Motoring F1 Grand Prix". IOL. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  17. ^ "Desiré Wilson: Formula 1's trailblazing driver". Silverstone Interactive Museum. October 4, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  18. ^ "Desire Wilson • Career & Character Info". Motorsport Database - Motor Sport Magazine. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  19. ^ Feltham, Luke (February 20, 2020). "Desiré Wilson: Fast but forgotten". The Mail & Guardian. M&G Media Ltd. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  20. ^ Diepraam, Mattijs (October 1998). "F1's only female winner". FORIX 8W. Autosport.com. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  21. ^ "Desire Wilson: The story of F1's only race-winning woman - F1 Fanatic". F1 Fanatic. February 26, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  22. ^ "Lembra se de...Giovanna Amati?". Autosport.pt. September 8, 2008. Retrieved July 27, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ "Giovanna Amati - F1 Driver Profile". ESPN UK. Retrieved July 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "Sarah Fisher to drive McLaren". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. September 19, 2002. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  25. ^ "Katherine Legge makes Minardi debut". F1.com. November 23, 2005. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  26. ^ "British Grand Prix 2014: Susie Wolff the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years". Independent. July 4, 2014.
  27. ^ Elizalde, Pablo (April 11, 2012). "Susie Wolff joins Williams as development driver". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  28. ^ Noble, Jonathan (July 15, 2013). "Wolff, Juncadella join Williams for young driver test at Silverstone". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  29. ^ "Maria de Villota joins Marussia F1 team as test driver for the 2012 season". Autosport. March 7, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  30. ^ "Former Formula One test driver Maria de Villota dies". USA Today. Associated Press. October 11, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  31. ^ Press Association (February 14, 2014). "Sauber hire IndyCar driver Simona de Silvestro to prepare her for F1". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  32. ^ Autosport (February 26, 2014). "F1: Lotus signs Jorda to development role". Racer. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  33. ^ Benson, Andrew (February 28, 2017). "Tatiana Calderon: Sauber sign Colombian as development driver for 2017". BBC Sport. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  34. ^ Klein, Jamie (March 6, 2018). "Tatiana Calderon gets expanded Sauber Formula 1 team role". Autosport.com. Autosport Media UK. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  35. ^ Smith, Luke (October 31, 2018). "Tatiana Calderon hails 'incredible experience' after maiden F1 test". Crash.net. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  36. ^ "Jamie Chadwick joins Williams Racing Driver Academy". www.williamsf1.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  37. ^ "Rokit Williams Racing: Jamie Chadwick". Williams F1. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  38. ^ "Jessica Hawkins completes debut F1 test with AMF1 Team". Aston Martin F1. September 26, 2023. Archived from the original on October 1, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  39. ^ Eve, James (March 5, 2006). "Maria Teresa De Filippis". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  40. ^ "GPGuide – Driver Profile: Maria Teresa de Filippis". Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  41. ^ Bouzanquet, Jean François (2009). Fast Ladies: Female Racing Drivers 1888 to 1970. Dorchester: Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9781845842253. LCCN 2020415446. Retrieved January 27, 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  42. ^ "1976 British Grand Prix - Race Result". Formula 1. Formula One Group. Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
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