In the 70+ year history of Formula 1 there have been over 1,000 F1 drivers. Of those, a measly 5 have been female. Of those 5, the most successful of all has easily been Lella Lombardi. Here is a bit of her story:
Lombardi was born to humble beginnings to a butcher father in Frugarolo, Italy. Despite her jumble origins, Lombardi gained her love for motorsports from driving the delivery van for her father's store. At the age of 24 she purchased her first race car, and never looked back.
Lombardi's first foray into the the elite echelons of motorsport was a successful one. After a few years racing home-bought cars in Formula Monza, she moved up to the Formula Three championship. There she would go on to finish second in the title. Her love for racing never dwindled, and she would go on to challenge in both the Formula 850 series in 1970, and Formula 5000 in 1974. Most of all, her crowning achievement came from a championship win in Formula Ford Mexico.
She still wanted more from her career though, and with the blessings of the Italian Automobile club, Lombardi entered her first race with a privately owned race car. She wouldn't make the grid for the British GP, but her determination outmatched the machinery she had under her. Once 1975 rolled around, she was a full-time driver for March. Even then, a female driver in the sport was unheard of. In her first race for her new team, she became the first female driver to ever start a GP; 25 years after the sport's inception.
Despite the moment-us nature of her presence, she didn't let the pressure get to her. In her first full season of F1 she finished above 4 full-time drivers, and some sporadically-appearing legends such as Graham Hill and Wilson Fittipaldi. It was her second race that she'd become most known for. On a grid of 18 drivers, only 8 managed to finish the race. Of the top eight, Lombardi would cross the line to finish sixth; which was the edge of the points back then. Despite a halving of the points due to retirements, Lombardi had done what so many thought was impossible. A non-male driver was now registered on the championship standings.
She would register another top-10 finish that year and succumb to a slew of retirements. (As was the norm back then). Despite not all drivers competing for the full-season, Lombardi would finish 21st in that year's standings. The following season she would gain four more race starts, and earned a backup role with the RAM team. Her one-off drive with Williams in 1975 still makes her to date the only female driver to race for an eventual championship-winning team.
Lombardi's story is one of grit. Even after setting records in Formula One, she continued to compete well elsewhere. She finished 9th at Le Mans, and managed a 14th place finish at the 1974 Race of Champions. To date still the only female driver to qualify for that event. Despite unfortunately passing away in 1992, her partner, Fiorenza, continued to promote her legacy. We can all hope that one day, her story will be continued by another driver of her stature and class. Thank you for reading!
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