Lombardis most successful season was 1979. Held in Barcelona's Parc de Montjuc, later the site of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, the race passed into legend for other reasons. Please update your cookie preferences, WATCH: F1 for beginners Everything you need to know about F1 ahead of the new season, Live Blog Inaltera [a wallpaper manufacturer] was about to launch in America in 1977 and so we entered the Daytona 24 Hours, too. The relationship between Lombardi and the team soured, ending her career with March. He was very ambitious and so we signed big names Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo to show that we meant business. Record keeping was scarce in the 60s and 70s, and the quiet, nondescript Lombardi wasnt one to steal the public eye, especially due to her sexuality. 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. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. 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. Just racing and fishing.. 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. Sidste udgave: Lella Lombardi, Williams-Ford, USAs Grand Prix 1975, Watkins Glen. Philanthropic enthusiast Count Zanon agreed and offered March 50,000 to run Lombardi in F1 in 1975. 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 race suffered a major tragedy when the rear wing on Rolf Stommelen's Embassy Hill broke, sending him into the barrier. Her next-best finish was a seventh place at the German Grand Prix. The irony of Beuttlers racing record is that even though he achieved five top-10 finishes in the 28 races he took part in, he never managed to secure any points though todays regulations would have awarded him some. 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. In 1971, Lomardi added the Formula Ford Mexico championship title to her collection. Only when Ronnie Peterson described the same handling characteristic in 1976 did the penny begin to drop. Explore our range of classic cars and spark your own racing career. There were two other female drivers in the field: American Janet Guthrie and Belgian Christine Beckers. 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. The first race that season was in South Africa, and Lombardi made it in. In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck. Anyone seriously expecting the Italian girl to qualify for a place on the grid must show a lamentable knowledge of Grand Prix racing today, but this is no reflection on her efforts, which were very commendable.. But its boss Charles James wanted to be involved lock, stock and barrel. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. The race was stopped shortly thereafter and half points awarded to those who happened to occupy the top six positions at the time.". 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. On retirement from racing in 1988, Lombardi formed her own team Lombardi Autosport. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi(26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. Women began competing as grand-prix racing drivers as early as 1958, when Anna-Maria de Fillipis competed in three Formula One events. More statistics by age for Lella Lombardi Career chart profile Seasons: nr of season from first GP until the last. Rather than ask to be entirely funded in her efforts behind the wheel of the Brabham, she paid her way herself. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. 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. Lella was my recommendation. Formula 1 Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo. Lella was the perfect co-driver, says Beckers. The 5000 we spent renting a car from Bernie Ecclestone was our only investment in Lella, says Angela Webb. Apart from the Spanish Grand Prix, Lombardi would fail to score any more points despite an impressive result of 7th in Germany. Starting in karting and moving to Formula Monza and Formula Three, Lombardi advanced through racing until she reached Formula One. Speaking in this month's. 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. 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. [3] Lella Lombardi was also one of the first female racers in a same-sex relationship. 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. Maria Grazia Lombardi "Lella" Lombardi was a talented and brave driver, racing in Formula One from1974 to 1976. Its perfect. She lived well and had little trouble getting sponsorship. She was a racing driver first and foremost. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. As her former Formula 5000 teammate Ian Ashley noted to Motorsport Magazine: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. Thats something I dont have any problems sharing with my male colleagues. [15] As an example of successful women produced by Formula One,[16] Lombardi is credited with making Formula One accessible to women. Lella Lombardi remains the only woman on F1's score sheet, but her passion brought impressive racing achievements elsewhere, too Montjuich 1975: Lella Lombardi hustles her March to sixth place and the only GP point for a woman albeit halved by the shortened race DPPI Author Paul Fearnley 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Not only was she a novice in Formula One, but her car also suffered a broken gearbox in the vital Final Qualifying Session. Nine tenths shy of the grid, she had, in a better car admittedly, lapped as quickly as Tom Bels and faster than Vern Schuppan, John Nicholson, Howden Ganley, Wilds and Leo Kinnunen. Maria Grazia Lombardi was born in Piedmont, Italy, on March 26th 1941. Half points awarded, Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance), Non-classified finish (<90% race distance). There was no fairy-tale result in South Africa, however, as her car was retired with low fuel pressure. That was the first time we saw her, says John Webb, the UKs most go-ahead promoter of the period. Unfortunately, her iconic achievement has been curtailed by the . And because its usually the woman of the house who makes the major interior design decisions, we decided to run an all-woman crew. Could Lella have made it, if Max and Robin had listened and believed her comments, and discovered that cracked rear bulkhead sooner? She'd signed a deal, backed by personal sponsor Lavazza, the leading Italian coffee provider double espressos for everyone! In 1979 she won both the 6 hours of Pergusa and 6 hours of Vallelunga races. Lella was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. There were 34 contestants for the 25 places on the grid, which made the prospect of the Italian getting into the race remote. Frugarolo. By creating your free Catawiki account, youll be able to bid on any of our 65,000 special objects up for auction every week. Initially we had wanted Inaltera as a sponsor, says team manager Vic Elford. Lombardi's place in motorsport history is firmly fixed. In fact she had already come close to making her GP debut. Beuttler was known for his canary-yellow racing look. She continued to impress, and ran the series in 1974. She raced regularly for March in F1 in 1975 with backing from Count Googie Zanon, retiring an old 741 with fuel system problems on her debut in South Africa, when she became the only woman after de Filippis to qualify for an official GP (ahead of Wilson Fittipaldi and Graham Hill), then scored that half point in only her second outing, the controversial Spanish race. 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. No entourage. I went with her from Snetterton to Norwich once: 30mph all the way. She wasnt rich and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. He did a few laps and said, Its neutral. The boys ganged up and got horribly rough on the track filthy tricks, kart-style but she could look after herself. The latest news, updates and more straight to your inbox. 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. Having coped with her Chevrolets worsening transmission problem, Lombardi chose not to restart after a long stoppage for rain and was classified 31st. Poor Lella, shed had bad traction all along. Beuttler was an excellent amateur driver and dabbled semi-professionally in F1, competing in a number of races over the years. We had a good relationship and we always agreed. 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. Sign up to receive marketing communications. He eventually qualified fifth, from where he triggered a first-corner pile-up. La Lombardi non aveva ancora compiuto 51 anni ed stata sepolta nel cimitero di Frugarolo, nell'alessandrino, suo paese natale. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the race. 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. At Catawiki, youll be surprised every week with the impressive selection of special objects we have on offer. BBC News came to her first test with us at Goodwood and she wanted to know why. Lombardi's next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, saw her make history. 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. 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. Podium Percentage : 23.96%. We were too busy building production racing cars. Lella Lombardi The Nov. 15 event runs from 6:30-10 p.m. Lombardi made history at the 1975 . Painful. At present, women hold two team principal positions in F1: Claire Williams and Monica Kaltenborn with Williams Grand Prix and Sauber, respectively. Im just as competitive as any male in my mind. Thats unusual for a racing driver. Behind the wheel, female drivers compete at the highest levels. She was very professional and we enjoyed working with her. 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. 0 Certainly, she would have achieved better results. 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, however, ahead of fellow non-qualifiers Vern Schuppan, Howden Ganley, Mike Wilds and Leo Kinnunen. 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. 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. 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. 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. I first met her that year when she and Fiorenza asked my husband Bruno to help create a team, says Remondi. As a trans woman, Cowell won the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb, one of the worlds oldest motorsports events. Mike Beuttler was technically the first openly gay F1 driver ever. That certainly got their attention. She was a very good racer, it was very easy with her. That includes both domestic and international flights. 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. * Most laps led. Cowell continued driving after her transition, winning the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb. Sincethe 20th century, women have risen from being second-class citizens in previous eras, to now running countries, corporations and, in truth, men. 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. Lella Lombardi Driver Information Born 26 March 1941 Frugarolo, Italy Died 3 March 1992 (aged 50) Milan, Italy Nationality ITA Formula One World Championship Career Statistics Status Deceased World Titles 0 Races 18 (12 starts) Poles 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Fastest Laps 0 Points 0.5 First Race 1974 British Grand Prix Last Race 1976 Austrian Grand Prix During one of the most controversial weekends in F1 history, set amid a notoriously dangerous Barcelona street circuit . 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. 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. Lombardis friends remember her fondly as someone humble who enjoyed her life but understood its difficulties. She did her own thing. On her deathbed she asked us to continue the team to preserve what she had achieved. She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. She moved on to Formula Three in 1968. Poles Yes, I would like to receive communications including news, special offers. Podiums From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. The early days of her love affair with motorsports saw her sneak into Brooklands racing circuit wearing mechanics overalls, offering to help any mechanic or driver who would accept it. 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. In fact we got zero PR from it. 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. Even her major success that year was tinged with tragedy. 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. 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. 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. Just her racing. Career 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. [14] Chadwick argues that for women entering Formula One in 2022, financial support is a greater obstacle than gender. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was, and still is, an inspiration to many women in motorsport. Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, competing in Formula Monza. Montjuich 1975: Lella Lombardi hustles her March to sixth place and the only GP point for a woman albeit halved by the shortened race. I don't know how you can positively spin that as earning it on merit. It won't be long until we find out For a better experience, keep your browser up to date. I went with her from Snetterton to Norwich once: 30mph all the way. The next race, the German Grand Prix, was held at Nrburgring on the 14.189-mile Nordschleife not for the faint of heart. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson. She was very professional and we enjoyed working with her. Her sex and sexuality were not topics of conversation in the paddock. Died It was a deep irony that when Maria Grazia Lella Lombardi became the only woman to score a World Championship point in only her second GP, in Spain in a works March 751 in 1975 it was actually only half a point. Lella Lombardi will be remembered for her achievements in motorsport, her Formula 1 record and being one of only three openly LGBTQ+ F1 drivers. READ MORE: 'Finding a new challenge is my motivation' Jamie Chadwick on whats next after clinching her second W Series title. People were staring and peeping. Her claim to fame is shes the only woman driver to score points in Formula 1, but even that was cut in half. We knew what shed done beforehand and clearly she was very capable.. 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. Wed been a disaster in terms of sponsorship since bursting into F1 in 1970, says Herd. That led to a test in one of Jackie Epsteins ShellSPORT F5000 Lola T330s. The world in general, and motor racing in particular, was a less enlightened place in the mid-'70s than present day. People were staring and peeping. She spoke okay English by then, plus Id worked with so many Italian drivers that I could almost speak the language.. But even today we associate motorsports with something overly fraternal. Nel 1988 Lella si ritirata e ha aperto la scuderia Lombardi Autosport, dove diventata team manager. The thing I like is the feeling when you pass the checkered flag first. At the Spanish Grand Prix in 1975, former butcher's delivery driver and ex Formula 3 Championship runner up, Lella Lombardi, became the first, and still only, female driver to win F1 World Championship points. 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. This was Lombardis breakthrough year. 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. ), (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. 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. We miss her passion, determination and modesty.. 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. Janet Guthrie and Christine Beckers were competing alongside Lombardi, who finished in 31st. 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. Delightful. She was up against the cream of Australias macho heroes, notably eventual winner Max Stewart and Big Rev Kevin Bartlett in their Lolas. A former butcher's delivery driver turned F1 racer, she's still the only woman to ever rack up F1 World Championship points and was lovingly known by the press as 'Turin's Tiger'. 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. Because it was a short race, Lombardi was only awarded a half of a point. She finished, but she wasnt driving a particularly great car. Lombardi, in contrast, had nothing to lose and charmed the media by peeking over the language barrier. 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. Wins She was also a lesbian but Lombardis sexuality was never center stage. For a long time, motorsports was defined by its fraternal culturethe big, Cowell continued driving after her transition, winning the 1957, Bid on over 65,000 special objects every week, selected by 240+ experts, the first road trip ever conducted was pioneered by a woman.