Fast, Furious and Female: Women in Formula One

 Fast, Furious and Female: Women in Formula One

Divina Mary Galica is a sportswoman in every sense of the word. Not only was she a skilled and accomplished racer who entered three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix – she also competed in four Winter Olympics as a skier and captained the British Women’s Olympic Ski Team (1968 and 1972).

Giovanna Amati was a former racing driver from Italy and the most recent female driver to have entered Formula One. A quick overview of her racing career follows:

1985–86 – She  started her racing career in Formula Abarth series before moving up into Formula Three

1987 – An entry into Formula 3000 brought little success but the following year, Amati improved her performances.

1989 – She moved to Japan but still had no success.

1990 – She moved back to Europe and saw better performances that continued into 1991.

1992 – Amati became the fifth woman Formula One driver when she signed for Brabham.

Maria Teresa de Filippis was an Italian racing driver, and the first woman to race in Formula One. Although she scored no championship points, she participated in five World Championship Grands Prix. Filippis’ career, although brief, was significant enough to earn her a reputation as a pioneer of the sport.

Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver from Italy. Lombardi participated in a staggering 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix and finished her career with half a point. She is the only female Formula One driver in history to have a top-six finish in a World Championship race. As well as being the sole female driver to score points in Formula One (and the only driver with a career total of half a point), she is one of two who qualified for a Formula One race.