Cover Italian trailblazer Lella Lombardi made history at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the first and only woman to score World Championship points in Formula One history. (Photo: Getty Images)
Italian trailblazer Lella Lombardi made history at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the first and only woman to score World Championship points in Formula One history. (Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 1
Women in Formula One have spent decades challenging the assumption that F1’s roles belong to men, reshaping one of the world’s most demanding sports
Women make up around 30 per cent of personnel in the motorsport industry, occupying influential roles across engineering, strategy, leadership and driver development. Their growing presence across Formula One today is the result of decades of incremental change instigated by female pioneers within the sport.
Claire Williams, Susie Wolff, Laura Müller, Hannah Schmitz, Bernie Collins and Monisha Kaltenborn are among those who have challenged the long-held assumption that F1’s most influential roles belong to men. They have shown how participation in F1 should not be defined by gender or physical strength but by passion and a uniting love for racing and all that surrounds it. Giving a new generation of drivers, such as Bianaca Bustamante and Abbi Pulling, an opportunity to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
Read more: Elite luxury brand collaborations in sports, from F1 to Wimbledon
Maria Teresa de Filippis
Above In 1958, Italian trailblazer Maria Teresa de Filippis made history as the first woman to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, piloting Maserati’s iconic 250F. (Photo: Getty Images)
Above Defying the harsh skeptics of her era, De Filippis proved that women belonged at the highest level of motorsport, opening doors for future generations of female racers. (Photo: Getty Images)
In 1958, Italian trailblazer Maria Teresa de Filippis made history as the first woman to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, piloting Maserati’s iconic 250F. (Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 2
This road towards greater female representation really began in 1958, when Italian driver Maria Teresa de Filippis became the first woman to compete in a F1 championship Grand Prix. At the time, F1 was viewed as an exclusive, male-dominated world. People believed driving at the highest level required qualities which women lacked. Indeed, the race director of the 1958 French Grand Prix, Raymond Roche, made his views clear, saying: ‘The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s.’ However, rather than discouraging de Filippis, these views incentivised her.
De Filippis’ determination defined her career from the beginning. Born in Naples, the Italian entered her first race after accepting a bet from her brothers who mocked her driving skills and didn’t think she could drive competitively. Determined to prove them wrong, she entered her first race in 1948 in a Fiat 500—and won. Soon, her talent was recognised and she was invited to join the prestigious Maserati Formula One team in 1958, driving the same Maserati 250F which had taken Juan Manuel Fangio to a world title the previous year.
Although she only started in three Grand Prix, De Filippis gained the respect of her male peers by consistently showing guts and competence in a sport where many thought women didn’t belong. Her career was short-lived, lasting only one season following her decision to step back from racing in 1959, but she fundamentally changed what was considered possible.
Her legacy as a pioneer for women in motorsport saw her become the vice president of the Grand Prix Drivers Club in 1997. De Filippis’s daring proved that women could compete in the sport and shut down those who said they were not physically or mentally capable. Her participation opened the door for other women.
Lella Lombardi
Above Beyond her historic point-scoring finish, Lombardi started 16 Grands Prix and later launched her own racing team, establishing a vital benchmark for women in motorsport. (Photo: Getty Images)
Beyond her historic point-scoring finish, Lombardi started 16 Grands Prix and later launched her own racing team, establishing a vital benchmark for women in motorsport. (Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 1
Sixteen years on from De Filippis’ first Grand Prix, fellow countrywoman Lella Lombardi demonstrated that women could do more than simply compete—they could score points. In 1975, Lombardi made her F1 debut with March Engineering, a team with which she went on to enter a total of 16 races, finishing nine. It only took until her second outing to make history. In April 1975, at the Spanish GP, she became the first and so far only woman to score World Championship points, following her sixth-place finish.
This achievement challenged assumptions about women’s ability to perform at the sport’s highest level and proved that with talent, passion, and courage, gender was not a barrier. Although she never repeated that result, it was discovered later that she had sustained damage to her car which impacted its performance.
Lombardi founded her own team, Lella Lombardi Autosport, in 1988. Lombardi’s achievements established a benchmark and became a catalyst for modern pathways and programmes designed to help women today.
Lombardi’s legacy of trailblazing extends far beyond the steering wheel. More recently, women have taken roles in team management, race strategy and aerodynamic design that have reshaped the sport’s entire engineering and leadership landscape.
Read more: Formula 1 Exhibition to make Asian debut at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay
Susie Wolff
Susie Wolff became the eighth woman to drive in F1; signed as a Williams development driver from 2012 to 2015, she took part in four free practice sessions, impressing in all of them. While she never secured a Formula 1 race seat, her roles out of the driver’s seat have had an even greater influence.
Having experienced first-hand the struggles facing female drivers, she shifted her focus from competing to changing the opportunities available for the women who would come after her. In 2016 she launched Dare To Be Different, an initiative designed to inspire and increase female participation across all levels of motorsport. The programme demonstrated that the issue was not a lack of talent but a lack of opportunity. The public reaction was highly positive, gaining massive praise from young women, parents and educators, and the programme paved the way for larger structural changes in racing.
Above Susie Wolff reflects on the intense preparation and hype surrounding her historic drive at the 2014 British Grand Prix, where she became the first woman to drive during a Formula 1 race weekend in over 22 years
Wolff has since used this momentum to help build F1 Academy, of which she is managing director. Created by the Formula One Group in 2023, F1 Academy is an all-female racing series developed to help young women drivers transition from go-karts to single-seater race cars, training future female racing stars. Rather than looking to create a series simply to increase visibility, Wolff has consistently argued that change requires development. Wolff has used her past experience as an F1 test driver and Formula E team principal to attract investment and global support for women in the sport. Under her leadership, F1 Academy has secured backing from every Formula 1 team, with all 10 teams directly sponsoring one driver and her livery on the grid, as well as fully integrating the drivers into their junior development programmes. This support has allowed F1 Academy to expand its calendar to run alongside Grand Prix weekends. Young female drivers are provided with greater access to professional coaching, sponsorship opportunities and media exposure.
The impact of F1 Academy was almost immediately noticeable. The programme’s 2024 champion, Doriane Pin, completed her maiden F1 test in April 2026 with Mercedes, becoming the first woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car. However, Wolff has made it clear that “F1 Academy doesn’t exist just to get a woman into Formula One.” The racing aspect is integrated with off-track work to support young women who are looking to pursue a career in the industry, “opening up the whole ecosystem”.
Laura Müller
Ahead of the 2025 season, American-owned F1 team Haas appointed Laura Müller as its race engineer for French driver Esteban Ocon, making her the first full-time female race engineer in F1 history. A race engineer is the driver’s only contact with the pit wall during the race, making them vital to communicating with the driver, interpreting data and developing race strategy. It is one of the most demanding and high-pressure roles in the paddock.
Müller earned the position after years of engineering experience. Having joined Haas in 2022 as a performance engineer after previous roles in junior categories elsewhere, she developed a reputation for calm communication, analytical thinking and technical precision. While Müller's appointment made headlines because of her gender, the greater significance lies in the fact that Haas selected her because she was the best engineer for the job, normalising the idea that one of F1’s most technically demanding roles should be determined purely by talent.
Hannah Schmitz
Similarly, Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull’s head of race strategy, worked her way up from an engineering intern to become one of the most respected strategic minds in the paddock. Working on the pit wall, Schmitz analyses huge amounts of live data; she determines when the drivers should pit, which tyres to select and how to respond to changing weather or last-minute safety cars. Split second decisions like these can determine the outcome of a Grand Prix. Her decision-making has played a defining role in Red Bull’s recent dominance, helping to contribute to Max Verstappen’s four world championship wins and Red Bull’s two Constructors championships.
Schmitz has frequently spoken about being one of very few women working in engineering during the early stages of her career. Now, her visibility on the pit wall and on the podium has become increasingly influential in inspiring future generations of girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM.
Above Netflix series ‘F1: The Academy’ captures the intense pressure and determination as 15 elite female drivers fight to prove they have what it takes to succeed in motorsport.
Maria Teresa de Filippis entered Formula One at a time when few believed women belonged in motorsport at all. Nearly 70 years later, women make up around a third of those working in the industry. The barriers have not disappeared completely but the attitude and conversation have changed. Today’s leaders are taking inspiration from past pioneers, ensuring this progress continues, proving that there is a vital, permanent place for women in Formula One.
Topics
