F1: 5 Women Drivers in Formula One

Since the inception of World Championship in 1950, the number of female drivers in Formula One history has been countable. Only five women racing drivers have entered at least one Grand Prix and out of which only two of them ever qualified and started a race. However, there have been several female test drivers contracted by the Formula One teams, while some female drivers have participated in non-competition testing and evaluation sessions with Formula One teams.

In 2012. Williams signed the British racer Susie Wolff as a development and test driver, who later on went on to become 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.

The team’s willingness to sign in female drivers has been positive with the recent signing news from Sauber, who roped in the Colombian driver Tatiana Calderón as a development driver for 2017 season. Later for 2018 season, she has been promoted to test driver role.

Here are the five female drivers in Formula One history.

#5 Maria Teresa de Filippis

Maria Teresa De Filippis is remembered as a pioneer in the male-dominated sport, though her Formula One career was brief.

This Italian racing driver was the first women to race in Formula One at 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, after starting her racing career as a 22-year-old. Maserati was a successful Formula One chassis manufacturer in the 1950s, signed Maria Teresa getting impressed of her performance in Italian sports car championship who finished second during the 1954 season.

De Filippis entered five races in the 1958 and 1959 seasons, scored her best result of the tenth position in the 1959 Belgian Grand Prix, which makes her the only female to have finished a World Championship Formula One race in a point-scoring position.

After the tragic death of Jean Behra at a support race for the 1958 German Grand Prix, devastated De Filippis was away from the racing circuits for around 20 years until 1979 when she joined the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix drivers and went on to take the role of Vice President in 1997.

#4 Lella Lombardi

Lella Lombardi is the Italian racing driver who happens to be the only female Formula One driver in history to have a top six finish in a World Championship race, which she did at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.

Lombardi received half point instead of a usual one point for that race due to a shortened race distance. Being the only women Formula One driver to have finished her career with points competed with De Filllipis in the most number of Grand Prix, with 12 starts and 17 entries.

March signed Lombardi to join alongside Brambilla and Stuck for the 1975 season. The Spanish Grand Prix race where Lombardi won her championship point was not only interrupted by rain but also with tragedies.

The major tragedy happened at the 25th lap when Stommelen’s rear wing broke sending him into the barrier, bouncing him back into the road and hitting the barrier across the way ended up flying into the crowd, killing five spectators.

#3 Divina Galica

Divina Galicia is a British sportswoman has an MBE (British order of chivalry) added to her name has competed in four Winter Olympics as a skier, apart from her racing career.

Galicia took up racing as the second career after she surprised everyone with her driving talent when she was invited to participate in the celebrity auto race. Galicia was brought into in the British Shellsport International Group 8 series in 1976.

After promising showings in that domestic series, Whiting decided to enter Galicia for that year's British Grand Prix.

At the start of the 1978 Formula One season, Galicia used the opportunity to replace Hesketh for Olympus Cameras but failed to qualify the 308E in season's first two races. Galicia made a second entry later in the season with her own M23 and produced a seventh-place finish.

Then she shifted interest towards Thundersports S2000 and truck racing. Later on became director of iRacing.com in 2005 leaving the Vice-President role of Skip Barber Race Series.

#2 Desiré Wilson

Desire Wilson became the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 Championship in 1980

Desire Randall Wilson of South Africa has a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her for her impeccable achievement.

As she became the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 Championship in 1980.

To date, she is the only woman to have been licensed to drive in a CART IndyCars event, as well as holding an FIA Super License, which enabled her to race at the highest level.

Since 1978, Desiré Wilson has been recognized as the most accomplished female racing driver in the world. Wilson also competed in CARTS and sports car racing. She is married to road course architect, Alan Wilson.

A book titled ‘Driver by Desire’ was published documenting her life as a racing driver. Having retired from driving, Desire Wilson ensured to maintain a presence in the sport through her husband Alan Wilson’s circuit consultancy.

#1 Giovanna Amati

Giovanna Amati is the latest women driver in Formula One World Championship, who made an entry in 1992 season. The Italian star was born with a silver spoon indeed, to actress Anna Maria Pancani and industrialist film owner Giovanni Amati.

Before her entry into Formula One, she made news for a wrong reason, she was kidnapped by three gangsters and was returned after 75 days of captivity for a $933000 ransom back in 1978 when she was around 20 years old.

In 1992 Brabham signed Amati to partner Eric van De Poele after they couldn’t rope in the F3000 driver Nakaya as he wasn’t granted with a super license by FIA (International Automobile Federation).

At South African track Amati suffered to qualify to set a time nine times slower than the pole sitter. Then at Mexico, she failed to qualify for the second consecutive time. Again in Brazil Amati who couldn’t qualify was sacked by the team. She was replaced by Damon Hill.

What do you think about this list? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!

Edited by Alan John