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. Lella Lombardi - Wikiwand Elford: When asked in a press conference how she was coping with such a hefty car, she replied, I dont have to carry it, I just have to drive it.. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. She was also a lesbian but Lombardis sexuality was never center stage. 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. Only when Ronnie Peterson described the same handling characteristic in 1976 did the penny begin to drop. First Race 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. She called out the hostile climate towards women after the Grand Prix, which was a first for the sport. Maria Grazia Lombardi aka Lella Lombardi (1941-1992) was a female racing driver from Italy who recorded 17 participations (12 starts) in the Formula One World Championship between 1974 and 1976, setting the record as a woman who raced the most in Formula 1. The Nov. 15 event runs from 6:30-10 p.m. Lombardi made history at the 1975 . That's how much I love racing. She also beat Maurizio Flamminis March to win a heat at Vallelunga. Those were not easy cars to drive basically a Formula 2 with a big, tall lump stuck in the back but she got quicker and quicker during the year. Then, Lombardi briefly moved to RAM Racing, her best result being 12th at the Austrian Grand Prix. In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck. [2] In 1975, Lombardi was invited to join Vittorio Brambilla and Hans-Joachim Stuck on the March engineering team, racing the full season with Zanon's Lavazza Coffee Companys sponsorship. [5] She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. 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. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. There were two other female drivers in the field: American Janet Guthrie and Belgian Christine Beckers. ), She is commemorated by a bust in her birthplace Frugarolo, near Alessandria, and her eponymous team in Lombardy exists to this day. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi(26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. 2023 by Bump & Beyond. She wasnt there to make up the numbers. She won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. Motorsports have always been popular with all kinds of people. The first race that season was in South Africa, and Lombardi made it in. Subscribe Shop Subscribe Articles F1 Articles F1 Opinion Mark Hughes History MotoGP Podcasts Competitions The Showroom Articles She wasnt one of those tossers that arrive in F1 from time to time. Or become a seller if you've got a car to sell. We had a good relationship and we always agreed. Her best results 4ths at Brands, Monza, Oulton Park and Mallory Park. BBC News came to her first test with us at Goodwood and she wanted to know why. Im just as competitive as any male in my mind. [14] This need for financial support is combated by the rise of the W-series, which started in October 2018. I always regard the F5000 race she did with a Matich A50 at Sandown Park later in 1974 as a better indicator of her grit and potential. At the start of 1975,Lombardi was back on top. Driver Information In 1971, Lomardi added the Formula Ford Mexico championship title to her collection. But even today we associate motorsports with something overly fraternal. On her deathbed she asked us to continue the team to preserve what she had achieved. Lombardi grew up in Italy and developed an interest in racing by driving a delivery van for her family. The following year, Lombardi would compete again this time driving a March-Ford but was unfortunately forced to retire after twenty laps. It was easily one of the most consistently successful eras of her career. Held in Barcelona's Parc de Montjuc, later the site of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, the race passed into legend for other reasons. Lella Lombardi died in March 1992 She was one of the few women that have raced the 24 hours of LeMans, witha best result of 4th. 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. As Angela Webb, one of the race promoters who knew Lella, says in a retrospective in Motorsport Magazine: She stayed in Italy and flew to each race, yet never asked for expenses. Perhaps its the legacy of cars being thought of as symbolic of straight men or the continual presence of concepts like the Grid Girls in F1, a tradition which was only recently discontinued. Amazingly, Lombardi also raced in NASCAR driving in the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway in 1977. 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. Desire could have cut the F1 mustard in the right car, but I also thought Lella was better than fortune allowed her to look. Died Lombardi was a versatile racer and tried her hand at numerous disciplines throughout her career. People were staring and peeping. This, and other good results, attracted attention, with whichLombardi obtained backing to try and run in the 1974 British Grand Prix. Apart from the Spanish Grand Prix, Lombardi would fail to score any more points despite an impressive result of 7th in Germany. While trying to avoid Stommelen as he crossed the track, Carlos Pace crashed, and five spectators were killed by Stommelen's flying car. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. 3 March 1992(1992-03-03) (aged50)Milan, Italy Lomardi had a successful junior career in the lead up to her time in F1. Sidste udgave: Lella Lombardi, Williams-Ford, USAs Grand Prix 1975, Watkins Glen. Lella Lombardi: She made her point - Motor Sport Magazine A start in the 1976 Brazil Grand Prix with a 14th place finish would be the end of Lombardi's career with the March team; she was then replaced by the great Ronnie Peterson. But, Much later, when her chassis was stripped down, the reason why she complained of persistent understeer that became snap oversteer became apparent, when it was discovered that the cast aluminium rear bulkhead had been cracked since Monaco. Born in 1941 in Frugarolo, Italy, Lombardi first started driving as the delivery person for her family shop (they were butchers). After a crash during Monaco practice, Lombardi would complain consistently of a quirk with her 751: understeering badly into corners, its rear end would suddenly fall over into a big oversteer when power was applied. 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. Italian racing driver (1941-1992) Lombardi at 1975 Dutch Grand Prix. wikipedia.en/Lella_Lombardi.md at main chinapedia/wikipedia.en 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. Leena Gade is one of a growing number of female engineers in the sport, with multiple Le Mans victories to her credit while working for AudiSport. Discover moreclassic cars| classic motorcycles and scooters, The story of the woman who invented the road trip, Attic stories: engines and ingenuity with Paola Lagnena, The customisable Mini Coopers that everyone wanted. And Lombardi did. Instead, it was her achievements that did the talking for her. [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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. Cowell continued driving after her transition, winning the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb. There were only two drivers per car back then, and we managed the two-and-a-bit-hour stints easily. Unfortunately, a major miscalculation in the Jean Sage-run team led to their retirement, when they ran out of fuel. She moved up through the ranks of local racing and built her reputation as the Tigress of Turinwhen she finished second in the 1968 Italian Formula Three championship. 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 5000 stretched to a year-old Brabham BT42 sponsored by Allied Polymer Group and run at the British GP at Brands Hatch by Hexagon Racing, with help from Epstein. Lombardis uncanny knack of pulling fish from the sea became apparent when they stayed on NASCAR boss Bill Frances boat in the Bahamas. Women began competing as grand-prix racing drivers as early as 1958, when Anna-Maria de Fillipis competed in three Formula One events. Lella Lombardi | The "forgotten" drivers of F1 Eye For Film: Interview with Riyaana Hartley about Lella Lombardi and No trouble. The latest news, updates and more straight to your inbox. Progress would require a backwards step first. 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. 26 March 1941. Lombardi is the only woman to ever participate in the race of champions She was regularly overshadowed by emergent team mate Vittorio Brambilla, never getting within two seconds of him in qualifying. The race continued for another four laps, resulting in Lombardis sixth-place finish. Please update your cookie preferences, WATCH: F1 for beginners Everything you need to know about F1 ahead of the new season, Live Blog You are currently using an outdated browser. Lombardi is the most successful out of all five women who have competed in Formula 1. When Lella Lombardi climbed out of her Matra after the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, she didnt believe shed done anything unique. Because it was a short race, Lombardi was only awarded a half of a point. She spoke okay English by then, plus Id worked with so many Italian drivers that I could almost speak the language.. In 1974, Lombardi was the first female racing driver to qualify and compete at the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch. F1 Unlocked, LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Feature Driving Line Accelerating Automotive Passion by providing a fresh angle of what fuels us. She never brought a girlfriend. Formula One World ChampionshipCareer Statistics Lombardi enjoyed a successful association with Osella. Into 1974 Epstein signed Lella Lombardi, she had come through Italian racing and European F3 and immediately impressed with her handling of HU18. She finished, but she wasnt driving a particularly great car. Lombardi's career in the Grand Prix arena was done, but her career in motorsport was not. The race only continued for four more laps before it was stopped. Born in Frugarolo, Italy, on March 21 1941, she reached adolescence understanding that two aspects of her nature were at odds with public opinion of the day: she loved cars and she was gay. Lella was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. 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. As one might expect, Lombardi turned her hand to endurance racing in both sports and touring cars racing at Le Mans on four occasions, including her final appearance when she partnered with Mark Thatcher, son of the British Prime Minister. She very tenacious, she from an early age she was attracted to four wheels and motors, preferring scale models to dolls. Lella Lombardi is still the only woman ever to score F1 championship points. Having survived being held as a prisoner of war, she returned to racing after WWII, founding her own motor racing team in 1946 and competing in a number of races across Europe. Jackie Epstein was running a Formula 5000 team out of Brands and we persuaded him to give Lella a try that winter. Still, shes always going to be known in history as one of the few women to take part in Formula Oneone of five women to enter a race, one of two women to start a race, and the only one who has ever scored points. Proudly created with. Lombardi also competed numerous times at 24 Hours of Le Mans with her best result, a ninth place finish, coming in 1976. 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. We discovered her story while investigating iconic women from history. Half points awarded, Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance), Non-classified finish (<90% race distance). She tried to blame her breast pain on a sailing injury, but her condition degenerated so rapidly that there was no way it could have been anything minor. Delightful. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. Lella Lombardi - An F1 Pioneer - f1correspondent It won't be long until we find out For a better experience, keep your browser up to date. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. But she wasnt done with racing quite yet. We gave Ronnie a new chassis for Monaco after his misunderstanding with Carlos Reutemann in Belgium, says Herd. Petersons return from Lotus after the Brazilian GP also signalled the end of Lombardis time with March. Rather than ask to be entirely funded in her efforts behind the wheel of the Brabham, she paid her way herself. They were better than her only championship event that year, just only just. And much of the team that backed him in Formula 1 were wealthy gay men. No entourage. If shed been a bit more glamorous perhaps more people would have noticed.. Her success gave visibility to trans people and a narrative the public hadnt come into contact with that transitions werent smokescreens for the perceived undercurrent of male homosexuality. Such was her tenacity that she basically taught herselfand also worked for her parents to save the money to pay for her first car, which she bought at the age of 24. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. Lombardis most successful season was 1979. She performed exceptionally well. But Lombardi was tenacious. She was third behind Keith Holland and champion-elect Bob Evans when a race at Snetterton was temporarily halted after six laps because of rain, then finished fifth after a collision with Holland while fighting for the lead on the restart. We would never fight. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Beyond Driven LOVE ENTERTAINMENT 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. She would often speak of sacrifices. (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap. Women in Motorsport: Lella Lombardi | History of Motorsport | FinM Formula 1 was very important for her and her friend Fiorenza. Queer drivers are a case in point. Its difficult to celebrate a points-scoring position in those circumstances. We knew what shed done beforehand and clearly she was very capable.. "My directing partner Vincent Tran and I first became aware of Lella Lombardi in 2018. Lella was my recommendation. Its perfect. Sign up to receive marketing communications. Career The next race, the German Grand Prix, was held at Nrburgring on the 14.189-mile Nordschleife not for the faint of heart. Lombardi was not actually from Turin but rather the same area of Italy. Vit would come back in and say, Yeah, yeah, cars perfect. 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. 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. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. Lella was the perfect co-driver, says Beckers. Formula 1 Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. She was sure of her illness by 1985. She remembered how foreign people appreciated her but at the same time she wanted to be known in Italy despite the difficulties of being accepted in a very male world.. Wed just started the ShellSPORT Celebrity Series [for Escort Mexicos] and my wife Angela invited her to compete at Brands Hatch in July. Wins But finally everyone bowed to the pressure of. 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. Search instead in Creative? But its boss Charles James wanted to be involved lock, stock and barrel. 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. Facebook gives people the power. 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. ), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap). This was back in 1936 and by 1939 shed competed in the Antwerp Grand Prix. She was just the second female driver to ever race in the Formula One World Championship, preceded only by Maria-Teresa de Filippis' pioneering race career in 1958 and '59. Lella Lombardi. Speaking in this month's. That certainly got their attention. 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. . In 1975, Lombardi joined the March team for a full seasonat that time alongside the macho Vittorio Brambilla (nicknamed the Monza Gorilla) and Hans-Joachim Stuck. Lella Lombardis racing career has influenced the perceptions of subsequent generations of females in racing. I went with her from Snetterton to Norwich once: 30mph all the way. 0 Pitting on lap seven because of flat spots, he would, amid the chaos, recover to finish a lapped fifth. With assistance from her partner Fiorenza, sister and brother-in-law, the Lella cover was soon blown by newsworthy results and, by 1967, she was contesting Italian Formula 3 in a Branca-Ford.