Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. On retirement from racing in 1988, Lombardi formed her own team Lombardi Autosport. But history will remember that day differentlyit was the only time in the history of Formula One that a woman has ever scored points in a championship event. Lombardi raced a Lola-Chevrolet finishing unclassified in 14th. During one of the most controversial weekends in F1 history, set amid a notoriously dangerous Barcelona street circuit . Create your free account today and explore our weekly auctions curated by our team of experts. Long and successful associations with Osella and Alfa Romeo followed. She raced a Lola-Chevrolet and finished 14th. Born near Turin, Italy, neither of Lombardis parents knew how to drive. At the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, Lombardi scored half a point, making her the only woman to ever score any championship points in Formula 1. . Only half points were awarded that day because the race got cut short. She wasnt far off team mate John Watsons times initially in a similar car, but failed to qualify by nine-tenths after a driveshaft failure. But I dont think he ever did a flying lap in that car. Beuttler was known for his canary-yellow racing look. Mar 2020 - Present2 years 11 months. She was judged purely as a racing driver. She didnt care. In Formula One, more than any other branch of the sport, if you are not in the right car at the right time, then you stand little chance of success. Having coped with her Chevrolets worsening transmission problem, Lombardi chose not to restart after a long stoppage for rain and was classified 31st. I love motor racing and thats all I want to do. She was regularly overshadowed by emergent team mate Vittorio Brambilla, never getting within two seconds of him in qualifying. Theres a lot of glamour surrounding the first girl to do Motor well in Formula One, but in some Sports ways the whole business is overrated. She was not interested in music, reading, culture or anything else. She did what many failed F1 drivers did and still do: She took to sports cars, a discipline shed dabbled in in 1975 with her first Le Mans entry, an Alpine shared with Marie-Claude Beaumont. But Lombardi was tenacious. Formula One World ChampionshipCareer Statistics While failing to qualify, Pete Lyons, arguably the leading F1 journalist of that era, nevertheless described Lombardi'sintroduction to the world of Formula One like this: "Lella Lombardi drove her BT42 the same chassis with which Pace failed to qualify in France in a brisk enough, and clean enough, manner to impress people favourably.". Marie-Claude believes that she and Lella could have won Le Mans in 1975. Back then it was an endurance race rather than a sprint and we were quite competitive. And she left as her legacy her own racing team, Lella Lombardi Autosport, the question of what might have been, and a shining example of how to live life on your own terms, with your whole being focused on your target and not what others think of you. Well, I dont agree at all. She was tough and had great duration.. F1 Unlocked, F1 2023: Star drivers, standout teams and surprise stories Our writers give their predictions ahead of the new F1 season, What the teams said Friday practice in Bahrain, F2: Pourchaire takes impressive pole in Sakhir. But even today we associate motorsports with something overly fraternal. Janet Guthrie and Christine Beckers were competing alongside Lombardi, who finished in 31st. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. Lella Lombardi is a name firmly etched into the motorsport history books. Her best result of the season would come at her last Grand Prix, 12th place in Austria. She also enjoyed success in the European Touring Car Championship in 1982, when a series of class victories helped Alfa Romeo to the title. The Indy 500's gender segregation had just been nullified, which meant NASCAR had to step up to the plate. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo. But he skipped 1952 season. In the pre-war days there were speedy heroines such as Elizabeth Junek, Kay Petre and Gwenda Hawkes, the latter duo starring on the daunting Brooklands concrete saucer. We invite you to get behind the wheel with us, it's certain to be an interesting drive. This perhaps shows us how much attention was paid to the lives of female racers at the time. Though Zanon, a huge fan of Petersons, smoothed matters by helping her find employment elsewhere, the transition was not without problem. 1974 British Grand Prix But she wasnt done with racing quite yet. That she got as far as she did is a testament to her character. She was really nice, and a good partner to share a car with, something I was not used to. She stayed in Italy and flew to each race, yet never asked for expenses. This was despite the fact that she maintained a great relationship with team owner Robin Herd, who spoke only praise of Lombardi: She wasnt a publicity seeker. I don't know how you can positively spin that as earning it on merit. The male gaze has shaped motorsports, which is why those drivers that operate outside of its sight and yet succeed within it, are so remarkable. The F1 cars of that time were no easy feat to manage worlds away from the control of today. In 1977, she competed in NASCAR at the Firecracker 400 that took place at Daytona. [1] Her father was a butcher, who gave Lella her first job as a delivery driver for the family's shop. Synopsis. Half points awarded, Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance), Non-classified finish (<90% race distance). She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. It was in one of the formers nimble BMW-engined 2-litre prototypes that Lombardi became the first woman to win a round of an FIA-sanctioned world championship: the 1979 Enna Six Hours, co-driven by hillclimb specialist Enrico Grimaldi. Her team-mate was established series front-runner Ian Ashley: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. The accident shortened the race but Lombardi still secured the only F1 championship points for a female ever and the first for somebody openly queer. "My directing partner Vincent Tran and I first became aware of Lella Lombardi in 2018. This took place in 1951, but before then shed been a moderately successful motor racer and pilot in the RAF. She raced in Italian F3 for the next two years, finishing 10th in the championship both times and beating rated hotshoe Maurizio Flammini in a heat at Vallelunga. Date of birth. She won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. The race only continued for four more laps before it was stopped. She raced regularly for March in F1 in 1975 with backing from Count Googie Zanon, retiring an old 741 with fuel system problems on her debut in South Africa, when she became the only woman after de Filippis to qualify for an official GP (ahead of Wilson Fittipaldi and Graham Hill), then scored that half point in only her second outing, the controversial Spanish race. She did her own thing. Lombardi is the only woman to ever participate in the race of champions Growing up an all-around sportswoman, Lombardi had the opportunity to become anything she wanted, but she didnt fall in love with racing until she was in her twenties. This was back in 1936 and by 1939 shed competed in the Antwerp Grand Prix. To optimise your browsing experience, please update your browser. PhotosCourtesy of and Copyright to Sutton Motorsport Images, Sign up for more restomod content to add horsepower to your inbox. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson. Podiums She lived well and had little trouble getting sponsorship. The relationship between Lombardi and the team soured, ending her career with March. She'd signed a deal, backed by personal sponsor Lavazza, the leading Italian coffee provider double espressos for everyone! In 1974, Lombardi became the first woman to race at the Race of Champions at Brand Hatch. However, Lombardi had an eventful driving career, aside from Formula One. In situations where options are slim, you have to take every opportunity that comes your way. Vit would come back in and say, Yeah, yeah, cars perfect. Lombardi's next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, saw her make history. She was, like many female drivers, not particularly conscious of her genderit was all about the racing. 2023 by Bump & Beyond. While she remains one of the elite few women who've raced in Formula One, and the only of them to gain a score, motorsport continues to evolve, and in many ways, reflects the social progress seen elsewhere. In 1989 she founded her own racing team, Lombardi Autosport.[11]. Over her career, Lombardi started an impressive twelve F1 races, spanning the 1974-1976 seasons. Lella Lombardi remains the only woman on F1's score sheet, but her passion brought impressive racing achievements elsewhere, too Montjuich 1975: Lella Lombardi hustles her March to sixth place and the only GP point for a woman albeit halved by the shortened race DPPI Author Paul Fearnley 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 It was a deep irony that when Maria Grazia Lella Lombardi became the only woman to score a World Championship point in only her second GP, in Spain in a works March 751 in 1975 it was actually only half a point. Her F1 debut came in the tragic Spanish Grand Prix of 1975, where a car lost control and killed four spectators. A successful placing in the 1965 Formula Monza, however, gave Lombardi away, when her parents read about her in the papers. 0 Tatiana Calderon follows in their wheeltracks this season. We gave Ronnie a new chassis for Monaco after his misunderstanding with Carlos Reutemann in Belgium, says Herd. And Lombardi did. Formula 1 Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Driver Information [7] In 1974, Lombardi was signed to drive the Shellsport-Luxembourg Lola in F5000 and finished fourth. She was undaunted. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the race. She would just say to me, Marie, I have to do Formula 1., READ MORE: 5 reasons F1 fans are still in awe of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. The next race, the German Grand Prix, was held at Nrburgring on the 14.189-mile Nordschleife not for the faint of heart. Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. Petersons return from Lotus after the Brazilian GP also signalled the end of Lombardis time with March. In '74 the title was won by Bob Evans in a T332. She had the strength of a man but a womans sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. He did a few laps and said, Its neutral. With the exception of Monaco, she qualified to start all of the remaining races. After she had finished 12th in the prestigious Monaco F3 support race, an impressed John Webb of Brands Hatch fame put her in his Celebrity Escort Mexico series, where she beat Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds. Women began competing as grand-prix racing drivers as early as 1958, when Anna-Maria de Fillipis competed in three Formula One events. That includes both domestic and international flights. Half points awarded, Race stopped after 29/54 Laps. She was retired after 20 laps. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. She had raced hard against some of the best drivers in the world, and she finished in sixth place. We were quite close on lap times, and what was nice with her is that she would hand the car back to me exactly as it was when I had handed it to her. By 1974 she was ready to make her Formula One debut behind the wheel of a privately entered Brabham in which, unfortunately, she didnt qualify. We know who could win the F1 championship in 2023, but who will have the car to maximise their talent? She admitted privately, however, that it felt like riding a buffalo and, unsurprisingly, Guthrie, who had finished a fine 12th in that years Daytona 500, outqualified her by nine places. While she had some poor seasons behind the wheel of poor cars, she also could consistently log top ten finishes. The success of becoming the first women to score points in F1 was sadly rather overshadowed due to the death of five spectators during the race. Just her racing. 3 March 1992(1992-03-03) (aged50)Milan, Italy She was, however, ahead of fellow non-qualifiers Vern Schuppan, Howden Ganley, Mike Wilds and Leo Kinnunen. Born in Frugarolo, Piedmont, she participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 20 July 1974. 0 By the time she arrived at Monaco in early June she had scored half of the six victories that would help her become Italys Ford Escort Mexico Challenge champion. Lombardi then switched to racing an Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982 until the end of her career in '87. And because its usually the woman of the house who makes the major interior design decisions, we decided to run an all-woman crew. Only when Ronnie Peterson described the same handling characteristic in 1976 did the penny begin to drop. Originally from Frugarolo in Piedmont district of Italy, Lombardi climbed through the junior Formulas, becoming the Ford Escort Mexico Champion and putting on a very assured performance in the Monaco F3 race, ahead of then future World Champion, Alan Jones. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. She wasnt rich and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. She had the strength of a man but a womans sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. Formula 1 was at its most macho: James Hunt was having sex for breakfast; the Monza Gorilla was muscling a works March; and, on a hill overlooking Barcelona, officials, team bosses and drivers were at each others throats. If shed been a bit more glamorous perhaps more people would have noticed.. Born Maria Grazia 'Lella' Lombardi in Frugarolo, Italy, and so far the only woman to have registered a top six finish in a World Championshop Grand Prix, she took half a point for finishing in 6th place in the prematurely terminated 1975 Spanish GP at Barcelona's Montjuich Park. Lella Lombardi Driver Information Born 26 March 1941 Frugarolo, Italy Died 3 March 1992 (aged 50) Milan, Italy Nationality ITA Formula One World Championship Career Statistics Status Deceased World Titles 0 Races 18 (12 starts) Poles 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Fastest Laps 0 Points 0.5 First Race 1974 British Grand Prix Last Race 1976 Austrian Grand Prix She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. She had done F1 and so knew the business. Im just as competitive as any male in my mind. Born Maria Grazia Lombardi on the 26th March 1941, Lomardi grew up in Frugarolo in the Piedmont area of Italy, where her first job saw her drive the delivery van for her familys butcher shop. Look for the latest news stories and features, sent straight to your inbox! Wikipedia. However, this race only lasted 23 laps until Lombardi was forced to retire with a fuel system problem. We knew what shed done beforehand and clearly she was very capable.. Cowell had a family, she was a war veteran and an avid motoring enthusiast and racer. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. Record keeping was scarce in the 60s and 70s, and the quiet, nondescript Lombardi wasnt one to steal the public eye, especially due to her sexuality. Juan Manuel Fangio started in 1950 and had last race in 1958. Showing Editorial results for lella lombardi. She also competed four times at the 24 hours of Le Mans, where she finished 20th in 1976 in a Lancia Stratos Turbo. Even her major success that year was tinged with tragedy. Enjoying his most competitive spell of F1, and with time against him at 37, the oldest man in the field can perhaps be excused his lack of concern for a friend and future co-driver. Maria Grazia " Lella " Lombardi (26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix.

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