Formula 1 has always seen men competing in the races and winning championships. However, it was not always the men who were sitting in these single-seater cars. Recently, fewer and fewer women can be seen in the sport and very little gender inclusivity can be noticed at the races.
The championship races have seen men dominate for a majority period of time. In this, there have been times when women have come forth and driven alongside men in the championships. There have also been teams who have employed women as test drivers.
Although, in recent years, no woman has participated in a race. The last race with a woman in the sport was in 1992 which would be 31 years ago. While the latest addition was Suzie Wolff in 2014 driving for Williams at the British Grand Prix. However, a few women have made a name in history by having the courage to compete against men in this sport.
The 5 Formula 1 drivers who made history
Maria Teresa de Filippis
Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first-ever woman to race in Formula 1. She was an Italian racer who participated in a count of five Grand Prix races. However, she failed to win any races or win any points for her and her team. Maria Teresa had a very brief career in Formula 1 however, she went on to win races in other categories of Motorsports and became the voice of women who wanted to compete in the sport.
It was at the end of World War 2, in 1940, when de Filippis would find herself particularly fond of motorsport racing. However, after long reservations from her close friends and family, she finally started her racing career at the age of 22. She won her first-ever race in a Fiat 500 and would soon find inspiration to move forward in the field.
She drove in a Maserati in Formula 1. After her impeccable driving skills, she also heard Juan Manuel Fangio remark her saying, “You go too fast, you take too many risks.”. However, the Italian failed to secure any points in Formula 1 until retirement.
She went on to get married and died at the age of 89. Nonetheless, she was the vice chairman of the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers after joining it in 1979. Although, soon her legacy will be carried on by a fellow Italian driver.
Lella Lombardi
Divina Galica
Divina Galica soon joined Formula 1 after Lella Lombardi left in 1976. She drove for teams such as Surtees and Hesketh. After struggling for a whole season in Formula 1 with the car, she finally had a breakthrough in 1977. Galica drove a secondhand Surtees and won third and second place in races at the British series. However, she could not manage to clinch any Formula 1 Championship.
After a short while in the Formula 1 races, Galica found herself wanting to stop racing in Formula 1. Soon she went on to become a racing instructor for Skip Barber Racing School. After spending years with the schools, she became the Vice President of the school and managed not just training but also the racing series. She then left the School to become a Director for iRacing.com until finally joining Bertil Roos Racing School as a race instructor in 2018.
Desiré Wilson
Desiré Wilson is a former woman driver in Formula 1 being only one of five. She was a driver from South Africa who joined Formula 1 and became the only female driver to win a race. She won the race at the British Aurora F1 championship in 1980. Wilson also became the first female driver to win races under the FIA World Championships after winning the Monza 1000km and the Silverstone 6 Hours World championship.
In 1979, Wilson went on to add yet another pedestal in the history for women after being the first female driver to lead an F1 race. She led the race until she spun in the wets. However, lest giving up she fought back and took the third place and recorded the first-ever fastest lap by a woman in F1. She also drove in a Spice SE90C alongside an all-female crew for Le Mans, however, did not see great results.
Giovanna Amati
Why have women struggled to succeed in a Formula 1?
Throughout the history of Motorsports, there have been no regulations denying women from competing in the races. However, as time has passed by, fewer women have come forth to claim a seat in a car and compete. The competition in recent years has increased massively. With great drivers with years of experience in other motorsport racing events, have failed to keep their place in the sport.
Nonetheless, Formula 1 and FIA have taken initial steps in the sport to represent women and bring racing events for women. Formula 1 has also come up with F1 Academy which is to cater to the women in the sport. These women drive Formula 2 cars and compete in races.
As the sport grows, more and more drivers have talked about wanting inclusivity in the sport. One of the many drivers also includes the seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, who has talked about wanting more for women in the sport. Furthermore, there have also been some inspiring women like Lissi Mackintosh and Suzie Wolff who have made their names in the field.