A former butchers delivery driver turned F1 racer, shes still the only woman to ever rack up F1 World Championship points and was lovingly known by the press as Turins Tiger. As her former Formula 5000 teammate Ian Ashley noted to Motorsport Magazine: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. I went with her from Snetterton to Norwich once: 30mph all the way. Where better to begin than with the most successful female F1 driver of all time: Lella Lombardi. Lombardi was a versatile racer and tried her hand at numerous disciplines throughout her career. Lella Lombardi Biography - Italian racing driver (1941-1992) Lella Lombardi is a name firmly etched into the motorsport history books. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix but the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson, who became available after breaking away from Lotus. She would often speak of sacrifices. Desire could have cut the F1 mustard in the right car, but I also thought Lella was better than fortune allowed her to look. Born Explore our range of classic cars and spark your own racing career. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. 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. 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. After a difficult and unrewarding ETCC campaign she failed to start the final round at Nogaro due to illness. This was Lombardis breakthrough year. The boys ganged up and got horribly rough on the track filthy tricks, kart-style but she could look after herself. 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. ), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap). And Lombardi did. 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. It won't be long until we find out For a better experience, keep your browser up to date. HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the first practice session of the new F1 season in Bahrain, WATCH: Ride onboard as Alonso sets the fastest lap in Friday practice in Bahrain, Hulkenberg points out area where Haas 'have a lot of work to do' despite taking P5 in FP2, 2003-2023 Formula One World Championship Limited. Yes, I would like to receive communications including news, special offers. It was in one of their BMW-powered 2-litre prototypes that she became the first woman to win a round of an FIA-sanctioned World Championship, the 1979 Enna-Pergusa Six Hours, with hill-climb specialist Enrico Grimaldi as her co-driver. It was easily one of the most consistently successful eras of her career. She'd signed a deal, backed by personal sponsor Lavazza, the leading Italian coffee provider double espressos for everyone! The race suffered a major tragedy when the rear wing on Rolf Stommelen's Embassy Hill broke, sending him into the barrier. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi(26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. 3 March 1992(1992-03-03) (aged50)Milan, Italy Lombardi practiced her skills behind an F1 car in several non-championship events. She spoke okay English by then, plus Id worked with so many Italian drivers that I could almost speak the language.. She was very professional and we enjoyed working with her. 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. 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. The following year ended in a retirement. No trouble.. The fact that Cowell had all the traditional trappings of male heterosexuality but was a trans woman helped combat predominant stigmas around trans people, gay men and motoring too. I liked Lella a lot, Marie-Claude says. She told me shed been hit on her breast during a sailing trip and it hurt very much. Many of the members of the March team expressed their regret at having been so resistant to her ideas, knowing that she could have become an open wheel success if only shed had a reliable car. Her sex and sexuality were not topics of conversation in the paddock. 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. But finally everyone bowed to the pressure of. Vittorio Brambilla was one of only two to set a time on Friday afternoon. Instead, it was her achievements that did the talking for her. During the 1980s Lombardi raced touring cars but her form struggled due to ill health - initially chest pains, although the reality would turn out to be much worse. She wasnt rich and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. Newcomer Lella Lombardi, at just 5ft 2in, had wisely kept her head down unlike her hairy-chested March team-mate. Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. She won the race again in 1981 with Giorgio Francia, with whom she had also won the Vallelunga Six Hours. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. Could Lella have made it, if Max and Robin had listened and believed her comments, and discovered that cracked rear bulkhead sooner? Lombardis uncanny knack of pulling fish from the sea became apparent when they stayed on NASCAR boss Bill Frances boat in the Bahamas. Chi era Lella Lombardi: tutto sulla pilota italiana | Donne Magazine That includes both domestic and international flights. 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. Driver Information 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. On retirement from racing in 1988, Lombardi formed her own team Lombardi Autosport. Lella only complained about the inequality of Formula 1 because nobody had listened to her about changes for the car. Progress would require a backwards step first. 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 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. races, teams and much more. 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. In 1979 she won both the 6 hours of Pergusa and 6 hours of Vallelunga races. Stamina was no problem, either, because you couldnt drive flat out back then and expect to last the distance.. asks Mark Hughes. 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. She was retired after 20 laps. Her next two entries at Le Mans were not quite as great. 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. 0 History of Motorsport . 30 years without Lella Lombardi, the girl who beat males in F1 She was passionate about racing. BBC News came to her first test with us at Goodwood and she wanted to know why. But she wanted me to be just as fast and was always giving me tips and help. The final Grand Prixfor Lombardi was in Austria; a 12th place was her reward. The founder brought a pair of 1975 Brabham BT44B Grand Prix cars with help from the driver Loris Kessel, selling the other seat to whoever could afford them for selected races of the 1976 championship. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo. 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. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. In 1974, Lombardi became the first woman to race at the Race of Champions at Brand Hatch. Her experience has shaped the involvement of women in racing and how people perceive females in the racing industry. She did her own thing. Lella was my recommendation. The following year, in 1976, Lombardi only contested four F1 weekends. They were better than her only championship event that year, just only just. We discovered her story while investigating iconic women from history. Lombardi is the only woman to ever participate in the race of champions 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. The Petersen Automotive Museum will offer a special premiere screening of the film "Beyond Driven: Lella Lombardi and the Women of Formula Racing, "preceded by a social hour and followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers and motorsports drivers. Juan Manuel Fangio started in 1950 and had last race in 1958. Philanthropic enthusiast Count Zanon agreed and offered March 50,000 to run Lombardi in F1 in 1975. Proudly created with. Lella Lombardi is the Only Woman to Ever Score Points in Formula One Lella Lombardi Profiles | Facebook While she had some poor seasons behind the wheel of poor cars, she also could consistently log top ten finishes. At present, women hold two team principal positions in F1: Claire Williams and Monica Kaltenborn with Williams Grand Prix and Sauber, respectively. In 1976 Lombardi was confirmed at March alongside Brambilla and Stuck. 115 Lella Lombardi Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 115 lella lombardi stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. 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. And their respect. She finished 10th again in 1973, with a best of second place at Casale, in a Scuderia Italia Brabham BT41. Remondi told Motorsport Magazine: She would often speak of sacrifices. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson. She had an image to keep: Im tough so dont mess with me. She was a loner, really. Trailblazing racer Lella Lombardi remembered, 30 years on from her She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. [2] Initially, Lombardi tried to qualify for Formula One with a privately entered Brabham supported by the Italian Automobile Club but failed to qualify. Lella Lombardi will be remembered for her achievements in motorsport, her Formula 1 record and being one of only three openly LGBTQ+ F1 drivers. Race stopped after 29/75 Laps. Lombardi thus joined the ShellSPORT Luxembourg squad for the 74 Rothmans F5000 Championship and her Lola T330 wore 208 as a nod to the famous radio stations frequency. But he skipped 1952 season. 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 regularly overshadowed by emergent team mate Vittorio Brambilla, never getting within two seconds of him in qualifying. Lella Lombardi - An F1 Pioneer - f1correspondent Lombardis most successful season was 1979. Beyond Driven LOVE ENTERTAINMENT Had Lombardi not begun to get sicklater discovered to be breast cancershe likely would have continued in racing past the late 80s, when she was forced to retire. We know who could win the F1 championship in 2023, but who will have the car to maximise their talent? Motorcycle clubs were once a sanctuary for gay men and the first road trip ever conducted was pioneered by a woman. Because it was a short race, Lombardi was only awarded a half of a point. Vit would come back in and say, Yeah, yeah, cars perfect. 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. Thats the one I remember. 18 (12 starts) Deceased However, as were her wishes, the team remained active after her death and remains so today. Join Facebook to connect with Lella Lombardi and others you may know. 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. Quietly impressive, it was much better than her Montjuch performance. Thankfully, things began to change, helped by these motoring queer pioneers. So we were perfectly happy to have Lella. She also raced a Lola and an Eagle for Francisco Mirs team in the US F5000 series, as team mate to rising star James Hunt. Lella Lombardi | Formula 1 Wiki | Fandom Died Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, competing in Formula Monza. Bar a disappointing appearance at a Mallory Park round of the 1979 Aurora AFX F1 Championship in Zanons FW06, it would be sports cars, GTs and saloons from here on. Lombardi succeeded at qualifying this time and would be in the field for the South African Grand Prix. This was the race stopped prematurely at only 29 laps after Rolf Stommelens leading Hill had lost its rear wing and crashed heavily, killing onlookers. Proudly created withWix.com. We miss her passion, determination and modesty.. Thats unusual for a racing driver. 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. The rest of the races were plagued with DNFs or an average finish of 14th place. 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. Her claim to fame is shes the only woman driver to score points in Formula 1, but even that was cut in half. On her deathbed she asked us to continue the team to preserve what she had achieved. In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck. At the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Lombardi had a one-off drive for Williams. By then she was fighting the cancer that would eventually take her lifeMarch 1992 at the young age of 50. 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. Lella voted to race, with Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Ronnie Peterson, Vittorio Brambilla, Tony Brise, Jacky Ickx and Bob Evans sharing the idea. She was tough and had great duration.. People were staring and peeping. Lombardi then switched to racing an Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982 until the end of her career in '87. Finishing 14th at the season opener in Brazil, Lombardi then failed to qualify in Great Britain and Germany. 1974 British Grand Prix Here, Lombardi ran her best race of the year according to observers, finishing seventh, just missing out on acquiring a full point. Lella Lombardi: "Preferisco un incidente che innamorarmi", http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/llombard00/cup/index.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lella_Lombardi&oldid=1132016872, Italian Formula Three Championship drivers, Sportspeople from the Province of Alessandria, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 January 2023, at 21:48. Born in Frugarolo, Piedmont, she participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 20 July 1974. Lella only complained about the inequality of Formula 1 because nobody had listened to her about changes for the car. ), (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. Lombardi returned to F1 in 1976 for the British Grand Prix but failed to qualify the aging RAM Racing Brabham BT44 she was piloting. Maria Grazia Lombardi "Lella" Lombardi was a talented and brave driver, racing in Formula One from1974 to 1976. That certainly got their attention. However, Lombardi had an eventful driving career, aside from Formula One. 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. Wed been a disaster in terms of sponsorship since bursting into F1 in 1970, says Herd. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Races 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. Formula 1 Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. I can - Lella Lombardi - Car Throttle She had the strength of a man but a womans sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. But at 25 laps into the race, Rolf Stommelen crashed his car and killed five spectators. You are currently using an outdated browser. Lella Lombardi (1943-1992) - Find a Grave Memorial In 1974, Lombardi was the first female racing driver to qualify and compete at the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch. We miss her passion, determination and modesty., Lombardi checked into Milans San Camillo Clinic in February 1992 and died on March 3, days short of her 51st birthday. Maria Grazia Lombardi had spent 10 years climbing motor racings rungs, beginning with the Monza-based Formula 875. Points Podium Percentage : 23.96%. 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. She was, like many female drivers, not particularly conscious of her genderit was all about the racing. The latest news, updates and more straight to your inbox. I feel sorry for her and wonder about it even now.. Mar 2020 - Present2 years 11 months. She wasnt a publicity seeker. 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. Despite these early successes, Lombardis career was marred with obstacles. 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. Certainly, she would have achieved better results. She was also a lesbian but Lombardis sexuality was never center stage. 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. 0 The rest of the season played out and finished with Lombardi not being able to start the U.S.Grand Prix due to ignition failure on her way to the grid. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Premier Investment Group, LLC. 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. She worked hard to get what she wanted. After her Formula 1 career, Lombardi had success in sports car racing. [4] Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. Regardless of everything though, she still defined herself by her love of motorsports and is remembered by her words: I prefer to have an accident than to fall in love. It was too much too soon. Half points awarded, Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance), Non-classified finish (<90% race distance). [12] According to The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, because of Lella Lombardi, there are more women involved in other aspects of Formula One, especially "traditionally female" jobs such as modeling. Podiums She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. 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. He eventually qualified fifth, from where he triggered a first-corner pile-up. When Lella Lombardi climbed out of her Matra after the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, she didnt believe shed done anything unique. At the start of 1975,Lombardi was back on top. [7] In 1974, Lombardi was signed to drive the Shellsport-Luxembourg Lola in F5000 and finished fourth. A very distant 12th place at the next race, Austria, was Lombardis final GP. Lombardi was the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch and raced in sports cars. The World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, had the courage of his convictions and did the bare legal minimum of practice, and refused to start the race at all. The drivers' concerns were fueled by three recently killed, in otherwise survivable accidents, as a result of poorly installed barriers; certainly this sort of disorganization on the organizers behalf would have no place in modern Formula One. In her autobiography, Cowell describes motor racing as the be-all and nearly the end-all of my existence. Nationality