Let’s cut the polite small talk: Formula 1 has treated women like optional accessories for most of its history. On-track entries? Rare. Starts? Rarer. Points? One time, half of one. The sport loves to call itself the pinnacle. For women, it’s looked more like a locked penthouse with a broken intercom.
But the history isn’t empty, and the future isn’t hopeless. The pioneers were few, the doors half-open, and the excuses abundant. The plot thickens like F1’s excuse list.
The Pioneers Who Kicked the Door (Sometimes Off Its Hinges)
Maria Teresa de Filippis: First to Start, First to Get Snubbed
In 1958, Maria Teresa de Filippis did what the boys club said she couldn’t—qualified and started a Grand Prix in a Maserati 250F. Belgium 1958, P10 at the flag. Not bad for someone told to “go slow and win.” Then France told her the only helmet a woman should wear is at the hairdresser’s. File this under: Yikes.
She entered five races, started three, and proved a point with style. The system blinked, then slammed the door again. Somewhere, a PR manager just had a minor stroke.
Lella Lombardi: The Half-Point Heard Round the World
Seventeen entries, twelve starts, and one result nobody else has matched: points on the board. 1975 Spanish GP, a race stopped early after a tragic accident, awarded half points. Lombardi finished sixth. Result? The only woman to score in F1 World Championship history. The competition? Reduced to expensive spectators.
She nearly scored again at the 1975 German GP with P7 while nursing a puncture. That’s grit. That’s class. That’s F1 pretending it didn’t happen.
Divina Galica and Desiré Wilson: Close Calls and a Different Kind of Win
Divina Galica tried to qualify three times in 1976, including the British GP—the lone weekend with multiple women entered. None made the grid. The sport shrugged. Again. Another masterclass in how NOT to open doors.
Desiré Wilson? She didn’t qualify for the 1980 British GP—but then went and won a Formula One race in the British Aurora F1 Championship at Brands Hatch. The only woman to win any Formula 1 race, of any kind. There’s a grandstand in her name. Respect served hot.
Giovanna Amati: The Last GP Entry (So Far)
1992. Brabham signed Giovanna Amati. Three attempts, three DNQs. That car? A rolling brick. Her replacement, Damon Hill, failed to qualify in most attempts too. The team folded mid-season. Blame the driver? Please. That defense was pure Schumacher—minus the success part.
And that was the last woman to enter a Grand Prix weekend. As of 2024. Tick-tock, gentlemen.
Who’s Been In The Car: The Roll Call
Race Entries and Starts: The Brutal Headcount
As of 2024, five women have entered at least one Grand Prix. Only two—de Filippis and Lombardi—qualified and started races. Lombardi owns the most entries and starts. The record book looks sparse enough to fit on a post-it note.
- Maria Teresa de Filippis – First woman to qualify and start; best result P10 (Belgium 1958)
- Lella Lombardi – 17 entries, 12 starts; first and only female F1 points scorer
- Divina Galica – Multiple attempts, no starts
- Desiré Wilson – Attempted British GP; won an Aurora F1 race in 1980
- Giovanna Amati – Entered three races in 1992; DNQ in an uncompetitive Brabham
The Test/Dev Era: Progress or PR Stunt?
From Demos to FP1: Wolff, de Villota, and Co.
Plenty of women have worn team kit. Fewer got serious laps. Sarah Fisher did a McLaren demo in 2002. Katherine Legge tested a Minardi in 2005. Useful? Somewhat. Transformative? Not quite.
Susie Wolff broke a 22-year drought by driving FP1 for Williams in 2014, then again in Germany. She proved the pace was real. The system applauded, then went back to scheduling meetings.
Tragedy, Contracts, and the One That Got Away
María de Villota joined Marussia as a test driver before a horrific straight-line testing crash in 2012. She died in 2013 from her injuries. The sport lost a fighter and a symbol. The rain showed up like that friend who always causes drama at parties.
Simona de Silvestro signed as an “affiliated driver” with Sauber in 2014 aiming for a 2015 seat. It never materialized. Carmen Jordá joined Lotus F1 in 2015 in a development role. Tatiana Calderón tested a Sauber in 2018. More doors cracked, not flung open.
Off-Track Boss Moves: Running the Show
Monisha Kaltenborn: First Female Team Principal
Sauber made history with Monisha Kaltenborn—first female Team Principal in F1 in 2012, after becoming CEO in 2010. She ran the ship through choppy waters until 2017. Not a token. A boss.
Since then? The pipeline hasn’t exactly burst. Teams love talking inclusion. Hiring it? That’s slower than my grandmother’s WiFi.
Strategy As A Weapon: Hannah Schmitz
Red Bull’s Principal Strategy Engineer, Hannah Schmitz, turns chaos into trophies. Think Hungary 2022: softs from P10 for Verstappen, and the field got sent back to karting school. Split-second calls, massive stakes, no flinching.
If you’re angry at her, it’s because she beat you on the pit wall. Frequently.
F1 Academy: Pathway or PR Patch?
The Series, the Mission, the Stakes
F1 Academy launched to develop young female drivers, now running on F1 weekends. Five teams, three cars each, 15 drivers. T421 chassis, 13-inch Pirellis, speeds around 240 km/h. Real kit. Real learning. Real pressure.
Points system? Busy. Two poles earn bonus points, fastest laps pay if you’re in the top 10. Maximum 56 points per weekend, 122 in play. Translation: every lap matters, every mistake costs. The wind played favorites today—apparently it’s an Academy fan.
Marta García: The Benchmark
Inaugural champion in 2023 with PREMA. First race winner at Spielberg, eight wins, five poles, twelve podiums. She didn’t just win, she sent everyone else back to karting school.
Her prize? A fully funded 2024 FRECA seat with PREMA. That’s a proper ladder rung, not a photo op. More of this, fewer “we tried” emails.
The Elephant in the Paddock: Representation by the Numbers
Still a Boys’ Club, But the Fans Aren’t Buying It
Women make up a fraction of F1 team staff, and even fewer in senior roles. Some teams don’t even share the data. Cute. Others show single-digit percentages. That’s not a pipeline problem; that’s a hiring philosophy problem.
The stands tell a different story: women fans are everywhere, loud and loyal. The demand is there. The supply chain is asleep at the wheel.
Key Milestones Worth Remembering
Crash Course Timeline
These aren’t footnotes. They’re markers. Learn them.
| Milestone | Who | When/Where |
|---|---|---|
| First woman to start an F1 GP | Maria Teresa de Filippis | 1958 Belgian GP (P10 finish) |
| First woman to score F1 points | Lella Lombardi | 1975 Spanish GP (half points) |
| First F1 race with multiple women entered | Lombardi & Galica | 1976 British GP |
| Only woman to win any F1 race | Desiré Wilson | 1980 Aurora F1, Brands Hatch |
| Last woman entered in a GP weekend | Giovanna Amati | 1992 (Brabham, DNQs) |
Where We Go From Here
Less Speeches, More Seats
F1 Academy is a start, not a solution. The ladder from karts to F3 to F2 and beyond needs funding, seat time, and political will. Bold strategy: let’s do exactly what works in junior formulas. Back talent. Properly.
Want a woman back on the F1 grid? Then stop treating practice sessions like charity. Fund full-season campaigns. Build pipelines. Hold teams accountable. Lights out and away we… oh wait, the budget meeting ran long.
The Bottom Line
Women have already proved they can handle the speed, the heat, and the spotlight. The barrier isn’t talent. It’s access. The sport loves a comeback story. Time to write one that ends on the grid, not the photocall.
Because when the next woman gets her shot, she won’t just start a race. She’ll send everyone else back to karting school. And no, that won’t be a surprise. It’ll be overdue.