Sign up to receive marketing communications. It wasnt a publicity stunt. Lella was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. Many male drivers at the time couldnt bear to lose to Lombardi, a woman, and would do everything in their power, including tampering with her car, to keep her from succeeding. Find flight for cheapWith its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. 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. Her next-best finish was a seventh place at the German Grand Prix. Janet Guthrie, Sarah Fisher, Lyn St James, Danica Patrick and Simona de Silvestro all raced in IndyCars, Danica winning a race at Motegi, and Simona showing a racers courage after a fiery inversion at Indianapolis. That's how much I love racing. On reflection, however, he was probably looking after himself.. [9] Lombardi also successfully performed at other races, including the German Grand Prix at the Nrburgring, where she finished seventh. Others obsessed about her gender and sexuality, but Lella couldnt care less about any of that. If shed been a bit more glamorous perhaps more people would have noticed.. That year, she won both the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelungaevents she was competing in as part of both the World Sportscar Championship and the Italian Sportscar Championship. Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, competing in Formula Monza. Facebook gives people the power. But she was a fighter and never gave up even through the operations. She was regularly overshadowed by emergent team mate Vittorio Brambilla, never getting within two seconds of him in qualifying. She quickly discovered a love for the cars but had to hide this from her parents at a time when female drivers were looked down upon. Lella only complained about the inequality of Formula 1 because nobody had listened to her about changes for the car. Lombardi also competed numerous times at 24 Hours of Le Mans with her best result, a ninth place finish, coming in 1976. Her team-mate was established series front-runner Ian Ashley: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. Thats something I dont have any problems sharing with my male colleagues. 0 Search instead in Creative? She finished, but she wasnt driving a particularly great car. 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. The race only continued for four more laps before it was stopped. 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. Lombardi's story has impacted generations of racers. Painful. It turned out to be her only sliver of a point that season. There were 34 contestants for the 25 places on the grid, which made the prospect of the Italian getting into the race remote. She was, like many female drivers, not particularly conscious of her genderit was all about the racing. Lombardi's performances in 1975 were hampered by a cracked rear bulkhead Robin Herd freely admitted in an interview we did in 2009 that he and Max Mosley had "had her over" in 1975, and said that he was most impressed with her performance finishing seventh at the Nurburgring in a race of attrition as she was battling with a puncture. She would often speak of sacrifices. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. We may earn a commission from links on this page. She had an image to keep: Im tough so dont mess with me. She was a loner, really. [14] Chadwick argues that for women entering Formula One in 2022, financial support is a greater obstacle than gender. Motorcycle clubs were once a sanctuary for gay men and the first road trip ever conducted was pioneered by a woman. Poles It won't be long until we find out For a better experience, keep your browser up to date. Lombardi was within 1.1 seconds of John Watsons sister car by Thursdays end and had improved by three tenths when a broken driveshaft denied her a final Friday push. Behind the wheel, female drivers compete at the highest levels. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Create your free account today and explore our weekly auctions curated by our team of experts. Michele Mouton came within a whisker of becoming the World Rally Champion, Lilian Bryner has won the Spa 24 Hours, and Sabine Schmitz has twice triumphed at the Nrburgring 24. By creating your free Catawiki account, youll be able to bid on any of our 65,000 special objects up for auction every week. [6]. Maria Grazia Lombardi was born in Piedmont, Italy, on March 26th 1941. While apremature end to a life and career that had not reachedits full potential, Lella Lombardi nevertheless made her point; no one can take that away from her. Lombardi succeeded at qualifying this time and would be in the field for the South African Grand Prix. But the Italian would outlast the American in the race. That same year she attempted to make her Grand Prix debut in the British GP at Brands Hatch, in a Brabham BT42 rented from Bernie Ecclestone for 5,000, entered by Hexagon of Highgate and sponsored by Allie Polymer Group. You can update your preferences, withdraw your consent at any time, and see a detailed description of the types of cookies we and our partners use in our Cookie Policy. She qualified 7 seconds off pole in P24 and got half a point because there were 18 DNFs, 5 people died and the race was abandoned. By then she was fighting the cancer that would eventually take her lifeMarch 1992 at the young age of 50. 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. She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. That was the first time we saw her, says John Webb, the UKs most go-ahead promoter of the period. Things like that just dont worry me. We were too busy building production racing cars. I went with her from Snetterton to Norwich once: 30mph all the way. Formula 1 was very important for her and her friend Fiorenza. Technically, because he was regarded by many as only semi-closeted as he often brought a girlfriend along to his races though friends and colleagues say most of them knew and werent bothered by it. That led to a test in one of Jackie Epsteins ShellSPORT F5000 Lola T330s. Career Delightful. Lombardi and Beckers qualified fourth at Daytona, but crashed out after 78 laps when a slower Porsche suffered a blow-out as Beckers drew alongside. Some of this was cultural, while the rest was sheer bravado in a sport that still regularly claimed the lives of those who competed. She was up against the cream of Australias macho heroes, notably eventual winner Max Stewart and Big Rev Kevin Bartlett in their Lolas. 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. Lella Lombardi is one of only two women to start a world championship race in the history of F1 Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi, the only female driver to finish in a points position in a Formula One world championship motor race, was born on this day in 1941 in Frugarolo, near Alessandria in Piedmont. In the 1975 event, she was once again able to qualify and compete with a March-Ford. Lella was far from being the first female female pioneer in racing. Her legacy, however, was assured 40 years ago when, on a hill overlooking Barcelona, she scored that half-point and proved her point: I am not a feminist, only a free and independent woman., The first race of 2023 is yet to be run, but Ferrari is already downplaying its chances in the Bahrain Grand Prix, and pinning its hopes for the F1 season on catching up with upgrades, IndyCar might be running semi-vintage machinery, but the racing excitement and driver pool is second to none in his season preview Preston Lerner asks if 2023 can be its rebirth, Ferrari's ability to challenge the searing pace of Max Verstappen and Red Bull in 2023 rests on it remedying its engine reliability woes, says Mark Hughes. 26 March 1941. Feeling this to be an overt bid by NASCAR to discredit her operation, her offer of help to these sisters-in-arms, though genuine, was made through gritted teeth. Recognised by his signature yellow Brabham, Beuttler remained forever, a dash of colour in a grey field. [15] The W-series is a womens racing championship, which eliminates financial barriers, and gives equal opportunity to female racers. Not only was she a novice in Formula One, but her car also suffered a broken gearbox in the vital Final Qualifying Session. Petersons return from Lotus after the Brazilian GP also signalled the end of Lombardis time with March. [5] She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. 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. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo. Could Lella have made it, if Max and Robin had listened and believed her comments, and discovered that cracked rear bulkhead sooner? She learned how to drive behind the wheel of the delivery van for her familys butcher shop. #Grand Prix: nr of GrandPrix in all seasons. Lella Lombardi races, wins and teams | Motorsport Database - Motor Sport Magazine Find out about British F1 driver, Lella Lombardi, their career, history and character information incl. Mike Beuttler was technically the first openly gay F1 driver ever. The Daily Mail branded her the Tigress of Turin in the lead up to the race. She was sure of her illness by 1985. 0 This was back in 1936 and by 1939 shed competed in the Antwerp Grand Prix. The following year, Lombardi would compete again this time driving a March-Ford but was unfortunately forced to retire after twenty laps. We discovered her story while investigating iconic women from history. She endeared herself to the media when she was asked how it felt to handle such big cars and replied: I dont have to carry it, I just have to drive it., WATCH: 10 iconic Williams moments as the team reach 750 GPs at Monaco. Fresh from bridging the Indy 500s gender gap, and contesting the Winston Cup on a shoestring, Guthrie was dismayed by the Europeans red-carpet welcome. While trying to avoid Stommelen as he crossed the track, Carlos Pace crashed, and five spectators were killed by Stommelen's flying car. There was a multiple crash at the first corner involving at least nine cars, and there were other incidents for some 35 minutes, until finally the leading car suffered a structural failure and went over the barrier killing four bystanders. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. 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. Italian racing driver (1941-1992) Lombardi at 1975 Dutch Grand Prix. In 1974, Lombardi was the first female racing driver to qualify and compete at the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch. She was taking home swaths of victories in the lower tiers of racing, ready to make a name for herself. On retirement from racing in 1988, Lombardi formed her own team Lombardi Autosport. She had raced hard against some of the best drivers in the world, and she finished in sixth place. Showing Editorial results for lella lombardi. [8] That winter, she met an Italian nobleman, Count Vittorio Zanon, who sponsored her entrance into F1. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Wed just started the ShellSPORT Celebrity Series [for Escort Mexicos] and my wife Angela invited her to compete at Brands Hatch in July. The following year, in 1976, Lombardi only contested four F1 weekends. She gave them a good going over before finishing third, only two seconds behind Bartlett and sharing fastest lap with Stewart. Lombardi died of breast cancer three weeks before her 51st birthday. Lombardi's career in the Grand Prix arena was done, but her career in motorsport was not. Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. Something, however, did get lost in translation. Motor Sport correspondent Denis Jenkinson reckoned hers, A game try. Held in Barcelona's Parc de Montjuc, later the site of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, the race passed into legend for other reasons. Thankfully, things began to change, helped by these motoring queer pioneers. Races She was a racing driver first and foremost. Thats why we were strong. 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. She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. She told me shed been hit on her breast during a sailing trip and it hurt very much. The race continued for another four laps, resulting in Lombardis sixth-place finish. Over her career, Lombardi started an impressive twelve F1 races, spanning the 1974-1976 seasons. With its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. She worked hard to get what she wanted. Lella Lombardi. I liked Lella a lot, Marie-Claude says. She also enjoyed success in the European Touring Car Championship in 1982, when a series of class victories helped Alfa Romeo to the title. She wasnt there to make up the numbers. Brambilla, perhaps never really pushing that car whenever he was asked to try it, never mentioned the handling problem, but Ronnie Peterson quickly noted it in 1976. This perhaps shows us how much attention was paid to the lives of female racers at the time. Lombardi returned to F1 in 1976 for the British Grand Prix but failed to qualify the aging RAM Racing Brabham BT44 she was piloting. Lella Lombardi was born in 1941 in Frugarolo, a small village in Piedmont, the fourth daughter of a cured meat industrialist. That includes both domestic and international flights. In 1979 she won both the 6 hours of Pergusa and 6 hours of Vallelunga races. The world in general, and motor racing in particular, was a less enlightened place in the mid-'70s than present day. We know who could win the F1 championship in 2023, but who will have the car to maximise their talent? Lella Lombardi (and every other woman to ever compete in F1 for that matter) is shit and didn't deserve to score anything. She raced a Lola-Chevrolet and finished 14th. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson. Lombardis involvement was short lived as she died of breast cancer on the 3rd March 1992 at the untimely age of fifty. La Lombardi non aveva ancora compiuto 51 anni ed stata sepolta nel cimitero di Frugarolo, nell'alessandrino, suo paese natale. Her experience has shaped the involvement of women in racing and how people perceive females in the racing industry. We had a good relationship and we always agreed. "My directing partner Vincent Tran and I first became aware of Lella Lombardi in 2018. Now she impressed racings international set by finishing 12th in F3s most prestigious race. She had an image to keep: Im tough so dont mess with me. The likes of Tony Brise, Brian Henton, Alan Jones, Larry Perkins and Danny Sullivan didnt even make Monacos final. 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.". Long and successful associations with Osella and Alfa Romeo followed. It was clear that the Tigress of Turin a geographically misleading nickname coined by a lazy press would not be disgraced should she be given an F1 opportunity. She was very professional and we enjoyed working with her. Newcomer Lella Lombardi, at just 5ft 2in, had wisely kept her head down unlike her hairy-chested March team-mate. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. I really think that there are too many women who perhaps feel that motor racing is essentially a masculine affair. Lombardis uncanny knack of pulling fish from the sea became apparent when they stayed on NASCAR boss Bill Frances boat in the Bahamas. BBC News came to her first test with us at Goodwood and she wanted to know why. Formula One World ChampionshipCareer Statistics Wins 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. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. [12] Lombardi is also used as one of the reference points for females in racing. Frugarolo. It was too much too soon. In 1977, she competed in NASCAR at the Firecracker 400 that took place at Daytona. Speaking in this month's. Cowell had a family, she was a war veteran and an avid motoring enthusiast and racer. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap. She spoke okay English by then, plus Id worked with so many Italian drivers that I could almost speak the language.. ), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap). The damaged monocoque was still in the workshop so we took it apart and discovered a crack in its cast-magnesium rear bulkhead. One place and one lap behind him was Lombardi: the first and to date only woman to score a point in a world championship GP, but in a half-points race. Even Jochen Mass, declared the precipitate winner after 29 laps, scrambled from his McLaren with a face like thunder and threatened violence to smug officials. She was judged purely as a racing driver. She continued in sports cars until the beginning of the 80s, when she swapped over to the much less-publicized touring car racing. Born She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. 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. In her autobiography, Cowell describes motor racing as the be-all and nearly the end-all of my existence. 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. Lombardi, Lella (1942) Internationally famous Italian racing-car driver, known as "the Tigress of Turin," who was the first woman to compete in the U.S. Grand Prix. The subsequent 75 V6 model was less successful and so Lombardi, though she had managed an eighth place in the 1986 Spa 24 Hours co-driven by Drovandi and Roberto Castagna, switched to a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth for 1987. The following year, Lella joined Christine Dacremont in a Lancia Stratos and finished second in their class. The rest of the races were plagued with DNFs or an average finish of 14th place. Thereafter she turned her attention to the European Touring Car Championship and played an important role in Alfas quartet of titles from 1982 by notching numerous class wins in its Group A GTV6 alongside a gamut of co-drivers: Anna Cambiaghi, Antonio Palma, Giancarlo Naddeo, Francia and Rinaldo Drovandi. ITA But even today we associate motorsports with something overly fraternal. She stayed in Italy and flew to each race, yet never asked for expenses. She was also the only woman to score a point (in a fact half . That she got as far as she did is a testament to her character. Lombardi raced a Lola-Chevrolet finishing unclassified in 14th. She was not interested in music, reading, culture or anything else. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Im not terribly conscious of there being a difference between male and female in this sort of thing. But her 1975 season, too, was a pretty unfortunate year. Later that season, partnered by Giorgio Francia, she won the Vallelunga Six Hours; the pair would go on to win the 1981 Mugello Six Hours as well. You can set your cookie preferences using the toggles below. Lella Lombardi is still the only woman ever to score F1 championship points. Having coped with her Chevrolets worsening transmission problem, Lombardi chose not to restart after a long stoppage for rain and was classified 31st. [2] Initially, Lombardi tried to qualify for Formula One with a privately entered Brabham supported by the Italian Automobile Club but failed to qualify. Lombardis place in motorsport history is firmly fixed. 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. That certainly got their attention. Half points awarded, Race stopped after 29/54 Laps. She failed to qualify RAM Racings BT44B at Brands where Divina Galica, the Webbs latest fast lady, outperformed her and in Germany the car was impounded by court injunction. Half points awarded, Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance), Non-classified finish (<90% race distance). Most of the scheduled practice was boycotted by a majority of drivers, who were adamant that the circuit barriers as erected on the round-the-houses circuit were badly assembled. Pitting on lap seven because of flat spots, he would, amid the chaos, recover to finish a lapped fifth. But it seemed to be the most fruitful option for a woman looking to continue behind the wheel due to how many options were available for her. But finally everyone bowed to the pressure of. ), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap), (key) (note: results shown in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap), (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. The following year ended in a retirement. Her next two entries at Le Mans were not quite as great. Janet Guthrie and Christine Beckers were competing alongside Lombardi, who finished in 31st. She continued to impress, and ran the series in 1974. Determined. BBC News came to her first test with us at Goodwood and she wanted to know why. At the start of 1975,Lombardi was back on top. [13] Journalist Phil Pash reports that though Lombardi viewed racing as a masculine sport, she succeeded regardless because of her competitive spirit. [13] Among others who comment on the effects of Lombardis legacy is Matt Majendie, who writes about Jamie Chadwick. However, the onset of the Second World War led her to joining the RAF as a pilot something she had previously trained as. Quite what Lombardi made of all of this confusion and acrimony is anyone's guess, but it took a great deal of intestinal fortitude and determination to climb aboard and race to a sixth place and half a point and a place in history. This piece offers a snapshot into some of Lombardis most impressive racing achievements. He did a few laps and said, Its neutral. As a trans woman, Cowell won the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb, one of the worlds oldest motorsports events. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. In 1971, Lomardi added the Formula Ford Mexico championship title to her collection. But Lombardi was tenacious. No entourage. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was, and still is, an inspiration to many women in motorsport. 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. Despite these early successes, Lombardis career was marred with obstacles. Lombardi then switched to racing an Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982 until the end of her career in '87. Check here for latest versions. By checking this box, you agree to Nitto Tires, 6 Racers That Broke Barriers Who Youve Probably Never Heard Of, 10 Great Ayrton Senna Quotes to Motivate You, Yes, I would like to receive emails from Nitto Tire and Driving Line. Though officials erected barricades and bosses manned the barriers because the drivers were rightly unamused by Montjuchs laughable Acme Inc Armco, the latter would eventually kowtow and race with a collective madness bar world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who stayed true to his word and refused to start. World Titles Wed been a disaster in terms of sponsorship since bursting into F1 in 1970, says Herd. At that time, sixth place was the final points-scoring position in a race. And Lombardi did. This approach works for an endless parade of nobody male drivers, and it got Lella close enough to just grasp at history, at least for a moment, before it all started to slip away from her. Sadly, after a breast injury in 1985 she started to suffer from the cancer that finally claimed her on March 3, 1992 in Milans San Camillo Clinic, days short of her 51st birthday. Lombardi made history for two reasons at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix - she was the first woman to score points in a Grand Prix, and the first driver to score a career total of 0.5 points, after the accident of Rolf Stommelen which stopped the Grand Prix before half-distance, remaining the only person to achieve either of these. Lombardi is the only woman to ever participate in the race of champions Her career is defined by a success halfway taken away from her, let down by lack of sponsors and unreliable cars. Jackie Epstein was running a Formula 5000 team out of Brands and we persuaded him to give Lella a try that winter. She died of breast cancer in 1992 at the age of 50, survived by her partner Fiorenza, who had been by her side for much of her career. [2] At the opening race of the campaign in South Africa, Lombardi became the first woman, since Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958, to successfully qualify for a Grand Prix. Sometimes Lella told us that she could have been rich and famous if she had stayed in America, but her feeling for Italy triumphed, says Giusy Remondi of Lella Lombardi Autosport. Vittorio Brambilla was one of only two to set a time on Friday afternoon. As a greater number of females participate in entry-level racing from a young age, we will eventually see another one meet and surpass the groundbreaking achievements of Lella Lombardi. Certainly, she would have achieved better results. She had the strength of a man but a womans sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. READ MORE: 10 F1 cars we wish were as quick as they looked, She crashed in Monaco and didnt qualify, finished seventh in Germany, 14th in Holland, 17th in Austria and 18th in France, and non-started a Williams FW04 in America. Siddiq Saunderson Moved to L.A. and Immediately Bought a Prius, Millennials and Zillennials Can't Get Enough of Manual Transmissions, Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus (Lifetime Subscription), Tesla Investor Day 2023 Was Pretty Great if You Ignored Elon. She wasnt rich her father was a butcher and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. She didnt give many interviews, reveal too much, or even dress in the traditionally feminine way that might draw her more attentionits almost impossible to find many quotes from her. Podiums She was much more concerned by the settings than I was, great with the mechanics and very speedy. Lombardi grew up in Italy and developed an interest in racing by driving a delivery van for her family. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. To optimise your browsing experience, please update your browser. View the profiles of people named Lella Lombardi. Lombardi enjoyed a successful association with Osella. Its difficult to celebrate a points-scoring position in those circumstances. [7] In 1974, Lombardi was signed to drive the Shellsport-Luxembourg Lola in F5000 and finished fourth. asks Mark Hughes. 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.