She'd signed a deal, backed by personal sponsor Lavazza, the leading Italian coffee provider double espressos for everyone! 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 was taking home swaths of victories in the lower tiers of racing, ready to make a name for herself. 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. Born in 1941 in Frugarolo, Italy, Lombardi first started driving as the delivery person for her family shop (they were butchers). ), She is commemorated by a bust in her birthplace Frugarolo, near Alessandria, and her eponymous team in Lombardy exists to this day. And they finished 11th at Le Mans, despite a long delay because of an electrical glitch that stranded Beckers without engine or headlights; her resourceful fix surprised the team. Lombardi was the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch and raced in sports cars. She called out the hostile climate towards women after the Grand Prix, which was a first for the sport. She stayed in Italy and flew to each race, yet never asked for expenses. 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. Lombardi practiced her skills behind an F1 car in several non-championship events. Well, I dont agree at all. As a trans woman, Cowell won the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb, one of the worlds oldest motorsports events. Facebook gives people the power. The following year, Lella joined Christine Dacremont in a Lancia Stratos and finished second in their class. [3] Lella Lombardi was also one of the first female racers in a same-sex relationship. She was not interested in music, reading, culture or anything else. 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. Lombardi succeeded at qualifying this time and would be in the field for the South African Grand Prix. Not only was she a novice in Formula One, but her car also suffered a broken gearbox in the vital Final Qualifying Session. 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. The next race, the German Grand Prix, was held at Nrburgring on the 14.189-mile Nordschleife not for the faint of heart. 0 She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. While trying to avoid Stommelen as he crossed the track, Carlos Pace crashed, and five spectators were killed by Stommelen's flying car. Lombardi raced a Lola-Chevrolet finishing unclassified in 14th. Maria Grazia Lombardi had spent 10 years climbing motor racings rungs, beginning with the Monza-based Formula 875. Qualifying was more problematic, but by the end of the season she was only two tenths shy of Mallory Park pole-sitter Ashley; the gap had been 4.6 seconds back in March. Highlights include: being crowned the Italian Formula Three runner up in 1968 and winning the Italian Formula 850 Series in 1970. 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. To optimise your browsing experience, please update your browser. 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. 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. Lella Lombardi is a name firmly etched into the motorsport history books. Her career is defined by a success halfway taken away from her, let down by lack of sponsors and unreliable cars. Petersons return from Lotus after the Brazilian GP also signalled the end of Lombardis time with March. Her next two entries at Le Mans were not quite as great. Painful. [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. She lived well and had little trouble getting sponsorship. She was in an unreliable car whose problems were only intensified by the fact that the mechanics didnt take Lombardi seriously when she reported complaints to do with the handling. 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. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. It wasnt a publicity stunt. Mar 2020 - Present2 years 11 months. 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. 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. 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. Juan Manuel Fangio started in 1950 and had last race in 1958. 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. Lella Lombardi. Pitting on lap seven because of flat spots, he would, amid the chaos, recover to finish a lapped fifth. PhotosCourtesy of and Copyright to Sutton Motorsport Images, Sign up for more restomod content to add horsepower to your inbox. In the pre-war days there were speedy heroines such as Elizabeth Junek, Kay Petre and Gwenda Hawkes, the latter duo starring on the daunting Brooklands concrete saucer. 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. 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. Certainly, she would have achieved better results. But its boss Charles James wanted to be involved lock, stock and barrel. Over her career, Lombardi started an impressive twelve F1 races, spanning the 1974-1976 seasons. Wed recognize Lella now like a typical modern racer: focused on nothing but driving, not speaking about her private life. 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. Wed just started the ShellSPORT Celebrity Series [for Escort Mexicos] and my wife Angela invited her to compete at Brands Hatch in July. 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 was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. In 1975 Lombardi took part in all F1 championship weekends apart from the first two races, Argentina and Brazil. 3 March 1992(1992-03-03) (aged50)Milan, Italy Podium Percentage : 23.96%. 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. Lella Lombardis racing career has influenced the perceptions of subsequent generations of females in racing. Now she impressed racings international set by finishing 12th in F3s most prestigious race. She had done F1 and so knew the business. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. [4] Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. 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. I am the president of a LLC who is looking to invest cash/assets in the self storage . Its perfect. 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. We were too busy building production racing cars. She also beat Maurizio Flamminis March to win a heat at Vallelunga. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. She worked hard to get what she wanted. Mike Beuttler was technically the first openly gay F1 driver ever. 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. And because its usually the woman of the house who makes the major interior design decisions, we decided to run an all-woman crew. More statistics by age for Lella Lombardi Career chart profile Seasons: nr of season from first GP until the last. Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, competing in Formula Monza. I went with her from Snetterton to Norwich once: 30mph all the way. 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. Initially we had wanted Inaltera as a sponsor, says team manager Vic Elford. She scraped together enough money to go racing and competed in any car she could get her hands on. Formula One World ChampionshipCareer Statistics Lombardi also competed numerous times at 24 Hours of Le Mans with her best result, a ninth place finish, coming in 1976. Lella voted to race, with Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Ronnie Peterson, Vittorio Brambilla, Tony Brise, Jacky Ickx and Bob Evans sharing the idea. 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. Lombardi then switched to racing an Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982 until the end of her career in '87. With Elfords help, Lombardi and Beckers had accepted an invitation to contest Daytonas Firecracker 400 on Independence Day, along with home star Janet Guthrie. In 1979, she won the 6 hours of Pergusa and the 6 hours of Vallelunga. She was a loner, really. Determined. This was despite the fact that she maintained a great relationship with team owner Robin Herd, who spoke only. Lombardis most successful season was 1979. She didnt care. [8] That winter, she met an Italian nobleman, Count Vittorio Zanon, who sponsored her entrance into F1. Stamina was no problem, either, because you couldnt drive flat out back then and expect to last the distance.. She was very professional and we enjoyed working with her. 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. Lombardi's next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, saw her make history. Tatiana Calderon follows in their wheeltracks this season. 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. Painful. She made it a mere 23 laps until she was forced to retire. [1] Her father was a butcher, who gave Lella her first job as a delivery driver for the family's shop. The Nov. 15 event runs from 6:30-10 p.m. Lombardi made history at the 1975 . We had a good relationship and we always agreed. That's how much I love racing. That certainly got their attention. Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. 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. Lombardi finished 31st. 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. Inaltera [a wallpaper manufacturer] was about to launch in America in 1977 and so we entered the Daytona 24 Hours, too. She worked hard to get what she wanted. 0.5 She had the strength of a man but a womans sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. I really think that there are too many women who perhaps feel that motor racing is essentially a masculine affair. Recognised by his signature yellow Brabham, Beuttler remained forever, a dash of colour in a grey field. 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. Lella only complained about the inequality of Formula 1 because nobody had listened to her about changes for the car. Frugarolo. Her best result was ninth at Riverside, but notably when James qualified 11th at Ontario, Lella was only two places behind the man who would be world champion in 1976. She wasnt a publicity seeker. Something, however, did get lost in translation. By then she was fighting the cancer that would eventually take her lifeMarch 1992 at the young age of 50. View the profiles of people named Lella Lombardi. Lombardi returned to F1 in 1976 for the British Grand Prix but failed to qualify the aging RAM Racing Brabham BT44 she was piloting. She also competed four times at the 24 hours of Le Mans, where she finished 20th in 1976 in a Lancia Stratos Turbo. At Catawiki, youll be surprised every week with the impressive selection of special objects we have on offer. She wasnt rich her father was a butcher and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. 26 March 1941(1941-03-26)Frugarolo, Italy 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 In her autobiography, Cowell describes motor racing as the be-all and nearly the end-all of my existence. She learned how to drive behind the wheel of the delivery van for her familys butcher shop. 1975 would prove to be an eventful season for the March Team, as Lombardi scored a Championship point in the Spanish Grand Prix. Lombardi had had experience of sports-prototypes in the 1975 World Championship for Makes, finishing sixth at Mugello and a class-winning fourth at Monza in Equipe Elf Switzerlands 2-litre Alpine A441, co-driven by Marie-Claude Beaumont. Janet Guthrie and Christine Beckers were competing alongside Lombardi, who finished in 31st. Complete European F5000 Championship results, Complete Formula One World Championship results, Complete Shellsport International Series results, Complete British Formula One Championship results, Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results, "Information about Lella Lombardi from historicracing.com", "Trailblazing racer Lella Lombardi remembered, 30 years on from her death", "Pitstop pioneers: the queer drivers who changed motorsports", "Trailblazing racer Lella Lombardi remembered, 30 years on from her death | Formula 1", "Lombardi, Lella (1942) | Encyclopedia.com", "Pioniere. She has also driven the highest number on a Formula One car - #208, which was used on her debut at the 1974 British Grand Prix, but did not qualify. Sign up to receive marketing communications. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the race. In 1974, Lombardi was the first female racing driver to qualify and compete at the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch. 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. Even her major success that year was tinged with tragedy. On her deathbed she asked us to continue the team to preserve what she had achieved. [14] Majendie argues this by citing Lombardis example as a racer, who despite her gender, successfully entered Formula One. Because it was a short race, Lombardi was only awarded a half of a point. 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. 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. In the 1975 event, she was once again able to qualify and compete with a March-Ford. Lombardi finished seventh in Augusts German GP, despite a puncture. 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. She was a racing driver first and foremost. Lella Lombardi was also one of the first female racers in a same-sex relationship. 0 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 was passionate about racing. 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. Philanthropic enthusiast Count Zanon agreed and offered March 50,000 to run Lombardi in F1 in 1975. But the Nrburgring was her best drive, says March co-founder/designer Robin Herd. She wasnt rich and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. With the race being stopped before three-fourths of the scheduled race distance was reached, only half points were awarded. We know who could win the F1 championship in 2023, but who will have the car to maximise their talent? Thats unusual for a racing driver. Starting in karting and moving to Formula Monza and Formula Three, Lombardi advanced through racing until she reached Formula One. She gave them a good going over before finishing third, only two seconds behind Bartlett and sharing fastest lap with Stewart. Date of birth. Where better to begin than with the most successful female F1 driver of all time: Lella Lombardi. 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.. 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. Her experience has shaped the involvement of women in racing and how people perceive females in the racing industry. She continued in sports cars until the beginning of the 80s, when she swapped over to the much less-publicized touring car racing. 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 boys ganged up and got horribly rough on the track filthy tricks, kart-style but she could look after herself. Podiums And much of the team that backed him in Formula 1 were wealthy gay men. 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. This was Lombardis breakthrough year. 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. 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. 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. Thats unusual for a racing driver. No entourage. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1526810873155-0');}). Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was, and still is, an inspiration to many women in motorsport. 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. 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. 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. Deceased On reflection, however, he was probably looking after himself.. Died 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. Proudly created with. We miss her passion, determination and modesty.. 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. The success of becoming the first women to score points in F1 was sadly rather overshadowed due to the death of five spectators during the race. The damaged monocoque was still in the workshop so we took it apart and discovered a crack in its cast-magnesium rear bulkhead. Poor Lella, shed had bad traction all along. Thankfully, things began to change, helped by these motoring queer pioneers. Last Race 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. Queer drivers are a case in point. I feel sorry for her and wonder about it even now.. Enjoying his most competitive spell of F1, and with time against him at 37, the oldest man in the field can perhaps be excused his lack of concern for a friend and future co-driver. 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. Thats something I dont have any problems sharing with my male colleagues. 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. First Race 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. She was very good and very quick, but though we were very different characters, we spent an evening early on discussing all that sort of thing.