5 women drivers who competed in F1

Coming into 2024, F1 remains a male-dominated sport, from drivers to team bosses, and engineers to technicians. Amid this preponderance, there have been a few trailblazers who defied all odds to stand tall.

They might not be household names or even remotely popular, but these women drivers paved the path for other females to come up ahead and try their luck in the sport. However, Lella Lombardi, Maria Teresa de Filippis, Divina Galica, Desire Wilson and Giovanna Amati remain the only five female drivers to have competed in a Formula One race.

---

Five pioneering female F1 drivers

#1 Lella Lombardi

Born in Frugarolo, Italy in 1941, Lella Lombardi was the only female driver to have scored a Formula 1 point. After an impressive upward trajectory and then a solid Formula 3 stint (particularly the Formula 3000), she went up the ladder to qualify for Formula 1. She raced her first in the 1974 British Grand Prix, where she drove the Brabham-Ford.

Lombardi raced for three years and made 17 appearances before she lost her March opportunity due to insufficient backing. She raced her last in the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. Despite losing her F1 seat, she continued racing and attained some more success before breathing her last in 1992 as she succumbed to cancer.

---

#2 Maria Teresa de Filippis

Born in 1926 in Naples, Italy, Maria de Filippis was the first woman driver to have competed in Formula 1. She quickly rose through the ranks in junior series and finally landed herself in a Maserati as a works driver in 1954. However, it wasn't before 1958 that she got the opportunity to race in F1.

De Filippis made her debut in the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix with Behra-Porsche. In her F1 career, she had five race entries and only three starts. Almost a year later, she raced her last in the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix. She hung up her overalls following the death of her teammate and friend Jean Behra.

De Filippis died in 2016 at the age of 89.

---

#3 Divina Galica

Born in 1944 in Hertfordshire, England, Divina Galica is an Olympian as well as a former Formula 1 driver. After competing in four Winter Olympics as a skier, representing the British Women's Olympic Ski Team in 1968 and 1972, she entered the pinnacle of motorsport four years later.

Galica made her debut in the 1976 British Grand Prix, but failed to qualify. In total, she has three race entries to her name, but failed to start all three races. Her last appearance in F1 was in the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix.

---

#4 Desire Wilson

Born in 1953 in Brakpan, South Africa, Desire Wilson is the only female driver from the African continent to have raced in Formula 1. She also became one of five female F1 drivers to have graced the sport.

After some formidable results in the junior racing series, Wilson brought herself to the pinnacle of motorsport. However, she could only manage a single Grand Prix entry, as the 1980 British Grand Prix was her first and last F1 race. Following her departure from the sport, she went on to race in other racing series.

---

#5 Giovanna Amati

Born in 1959 in Rome, Italy, Giovanna Amati is the third Italian female driver on the list. She is also the last woman as of 2024 to have competed in the F1 world championship. Amati rose through the ranks in the junior racing series and finally landed herself with Brabham in 1992.

Amati's debut race was the 1992 South African Grand Prix, her home race. She went on to have two more entries that year, the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix and the 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix. Ultimately, Brabham replaced her with Damon Hill, who went on to become a world champion.

Amati continued to race in other categories after her F1 days were over.