History of female F1 drivers: A look at the women who've broken the barriers

Since the commencement of Formula One competitions, women person played large roles successful varying capacities, including racing drivers. In 1958, the archetypal pistillate F1 driver, Maria Teresa de Filippis, acceptable the gait for women worldwide. Discover the inspiring past of pistillate F1 drivers.

Since 1958, women person stolen the amusement driving successful Formula One. Photo: @FemalesinMSport (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

• Maria Teresa de Filippis was the archetypal pistillate to contention successful Formula One.
• Italian contention car operator Lella Lombardi became the archetypal and lone pistillate to people points successful a Formula One Grand Prix successful 1975.
• Divina Galica actively competed successful Formula One World Championship Grands Prix betwixt 1964 and 1976.
• Trailblazers specified arsenic Claire Williams and Susie Wolff person contributed greatly to the improvement of pistillate racing.

Insight into the past of pistillate F1 drivers

Although their numbers can not comparison to antheral F1 drivers, women person been instrumental successful F1's success. While Maria Teresa de Filippis was the archetypal F1 driver, others specified arsenic Monisha Kaltenborn became the archetypal pistillate F1 Team Principal and Laura Mueller, the archetypal pistillate contention technologist successful F1 history.

The pioneering women successful F1 past (1950s–1980s)

The pistillate trailblazers of F1 history earlier the 1980s see Maria Teresa de Filippis, Lella Lombardi, Divina Galica, and Desire Wilson. Here is simply a heavy dive into women who participated and scored points successful Grand Prix races during this period.

1. Maria Teresa de Filippis – 1958

Female F1 driver, Maria Teresa de Filippis drives the peculiar F2 Porsche built successful Modena for Jean Behra successful a contention to suffice for the constricted grid successful the Monaco Grand Prix. Photo: @NetoDemetriou
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Maria Teresa de Filippis
• Date of birth: 11 November 1926
• Place of birth: Naples, Italy
• Date of death: 8 January 2016
• F1 debut year: 1958

Italian motocross operator Maria Teresa de Filippis was the archetypal pistillate to contention successful Formula One. Thanks to a stake from her brothers, De Filippis embarked connected a vocation that continues to power pistillate engagement successful centrifugal sport.

She entered 5 World Championship Grands Prix, with 3 starts successful the Monaco Grand Prix successful 1958. Although she was incapable to suffice successful 1958 and 1959, different notable achievements see winning her precise archetypal lawsuit driving a Fiat 500, the 12 Hours of Pescara, and the Trullo d'Oro.

2. Lella Lombardi – 1975

Female F1 driver, Maria Grazia Lombardi, was pictured successful a driver's gear. Photo: @culturef1
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Maria Grazia Lombardi
• Date of birth: 26 March 1941
• Place of birth: Frugarolo, Italy
• Date of death: 3 March 1992
• F1 debut year: 1974

Lella Lombardi debuted successful Formula One during the British Grand Prix connected July 20, 1974. Although she failed to qualify, Lella shattered barriers successful Formula One arsenic the archetypal and lone pistillate to people points successful a Grand Prix.

Her instauration to racing began with driving her father's transportation van and aboriginal racing karts. Before entering Formula One, she had won 4 Formula 850 races and competed successful the Italian F3 and Formula Monza. Other accomplishments of the Italian racer see winning the 1979 and 1980 Enna Six Hours, the Vallelunga Six Hours and the European Touring Car Championship.

3. Divina Galica – 1976

Divina Galica sits aboard the Shell Sport Whiting Surtees TS16 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 earlier the commencement of the British Grand Prix connected 14th July 1976. Photo: Central Press
Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Divina Mary Galica
• Date of birth: 13 August 1944
• Place of birth: Bushey Heath, Bushey, United Kingdom
• F1 debut year: 1976

The 1968 and 1972 British Women's Olympic skis squad skipper entered 3 Formula One World Championship Grand Prix betwixt 1964 and 1976. The multi-sport jock competed arsenic a contention car operator and a professional skier.

In 1976, she clocked implicit 170mph (274 km/h) driving the Surtees TS16, becoming the fastest pistillate successful the F1 circuit. In 1980, she won the Aurora AFX British F1 Championship successful a Scheckter Wolf WR4. She besides qualified and raced successful the South African Grand Prix successful the pursuing year.

4. Desiré Wilson – 1980

Desire Wilson attempts to suffice for an authoritative F1 race, the 1980 British GP. Photo: @blog_formula1
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Desiré Wilson née Randall
• Date of birth: 26 November 1953
• Age: 71 years aged arsenic of May 2025
• Place of birth: Brakpan, South Africa
• F1 debut year: 1980

South Africa-born racer, Desiré Wilson, is the archetypal pistillate operator to triumph a contention successful Formula One machinery. She won the 1980 British Aurora F1 bid and aboriginal won astatine Monza and Silverstone. Although she entered the 1980 British Grand Prix astatine Brands Hatch with a Williams FW07, she failed to qualify.

Women who shaped Formula 1 (1990s–2000s)

In the 1990s and 2000s, women similar Giovanna Amati, Susie Wolff, and Claire Williams importantly impacted Formula 1, some arsenic drivers and behind-the-scenes professionals. Here are phenomenal women who played a cardinal relation successful the team's operations, including driving F1 cars.

1. Giovanna Amati – 1992

Giovanna Amati during the 1992 South African GP astatine Kyalami successful Kyalami, South Africa. Photo: Rainer Schlegelmilch
Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Giovanna Amati
• Date of birth: 20 July 1959
• Age: 66 years aged arsenic of May 20252
• Place of birth: Rome, Italy
• F1 debut year: 1992

Amati began her nonrecreational racing vocation successful 1981, starting successful Formula Abarth. After attending a racing school, she progressed dilatory up the single-seater ladder, racing successful the Italian Formula Three and Formula 3000.

Then, successful 1992, she became the past pistillate operator to vie successful Formula 1 World Championship races. She besides became the archetypal and past pistillate to enactment successful a Formula 1 play until 2014.

2. Katherine Legge – 2002

Female F1 driver, Katherine Legge pictured during n F1 race. Photo: @RoadandTrack
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Katherine Anne Legge
• Date of birth: 12 July 1980
• Age: 45 years aged arsenic of May 2025
• Place of birth: Guildford, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
• F1 debut year: 2002

Katherine Legge is simply a British racing driver who competed successful the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, IndyCar Series, and IMSA Sports Car Championship. In November 2005, Legge became the archetypal pistillate to trial a Formula One car, conducting a two-day trial astatine Vallelunga Circuit for the Minardi F1 Team.

The modern epoch of F1 pistillate drivers (2010s—present)

In the modern epoch of F1, determination is simply a renewed absorption connected women's participation. Below is simply a database of trailblazing drivers, trial drivers oregon improvement drivers from the 2010s.

1. Susie Wolff – 2014

Susie Wolff is simply a erstwhile pistillate F1 driver, turned enforcement wh heads the F1 Academy. Photo: @audreyesor
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Suzanne Wolff
• Date of birth: 6 December 1982
• Age: 43 years aged arsenic of May 2025
• Place of birth: Oban, United Kingdom
• Debut year: 2014

Susie Wolff is the existent managing manager of the F1 Academy, a dedicated all-female racing level aimed astatine processing pistillate engagement successful the sport. Alongside her husband, Toto Wolff, Susie has go a formidable unit successful the sport

In 2014, she debuted successful Formula 1 astatine the British Grand Prix during a Friday signifier session. She participated successful a 2nd signifier league astatine the 2014 German Grand Prix.

2. Jamie Chadwick – 2019

Female F1 driver, Jamie Chadwick, is regarded arsenic the UK's astir decorated pistillate motorsport driver. Photo: @SilverstoneUK
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Jamie Laura Chadwick
• Date of birth: 20 May 1998
• Age: 37 years aged arsenic of May 2025
• Place of birth: Bath, United Kingdom
• Debut year: 2019

She was a improvement operator for the Williams Formula One squad and a trial operator for the Jaguar Formula E team. Jamie Chadwick. Chadwick drove Keke Rosberg's FW08C astatine the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, marking her debut successful a Formula 1 car.

3. Léna Bühler – 2023

Léna Bühler is simply a Swiss calved racing whiz . Photo: @SilverstoneUK
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Léna Bühler
• Date of birth: 9 July 1997
• Age: 28 years aged arsenic of May 2025
• Place of birth: Valeyres-sous-Montagny, Switzerland
• Debut year: 2023

Léna Bühler has go the archetypal F1 Academy operator announced to beryllium racing successful 2023. She besides became the archetypal pistillate operator to contention successful the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine successful 2021, signaling the champion effect of 20th position.

Notable women successful Formula 1

In summation to the racers mentioned above, the pursuing women are besides among the apical talents successful the F1 competition.

• Marta Garcia
• Alice Powell
• Fabienne Wohlwend
• Emma Kimiläinen
• Doriane Pin
• Marta Garcia
• Nerea Marti
• Chloe Chambers
• Bianca Bustamante
• Alice Powell
• Alisha Palmowski
• Ella Lloyd

Why are determination nary pistillate F1 drivers?

Various factors lend to the underrepresentation of women successful F1. These see a perceived deficiency of pistillate drivers successful the endowment pool, less relation models and little way time. However, a welcoming civilization mightiness alteration the statistic of women drivers.

Can determination beryllium pistillate F1 drivers?

Yes. Motorsports are unfastened to all, with nary authoritative restrictions based connected gender.

Have determination been immoderate pistillate F1 drivers?

Yes. There person been respective pistillate Formula 1 drivers, though not galore compared to antheral drivers.

Are determination immoderate pistillate F1 drivers successful 2025?

There are no confirmed pistillate F1 drivers successful the main Formula 1 title for the 2025 season. However, the 2025 F1 Academy season, an all-female racing series, has respective talented pistillate drivers participating.

Who was the archetypal pistillate to vie successful an F1 race?

Maria Teresa de Filippis was an Italian racing operator and the archetypal pistillate to contention successful Formula One. She participated successful 5 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting connected 18 May 1958, but scored nary title points.

Who was the past pistillate F1 driver?

As of May 2025, the past pistillate to person driven successful a Formula One Grand Prix lawsuit was Italian erstwhile Formula 3000 operator Giovanna Amati. However, respective pistillate drivers vie and enactment successful the contention done the F1 Academy.

The past of pistillate F1 drivers paints a representation of drive, endowment and tenacity contempt challenges. From Maria Teresa de Filippis to Léna Bühler, the roadworthy to practice successful Formula Grand Prix races has been agelong and demanding, marked by perseverance and groundbreaking milestones.

Legit.ng has precocious published an nonfiction listing the greatest Formula 1 drivers. The champion Formula 1 drivers, specified arsenic Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, harvester talent, speed, and accomplishment connected racetracks worldwide.

Since 1950, galore legendary drivers person defined the athletics with their skill, courage, and unrelenting thrust to win. Discover the database of the satellite champions who person graced F1 podiums implicit the years.

Source: Legit.ng