Lella Lombardi will be remembered for her achievements in motorsport, her Formula 1 record and being one of only three openly LGBTQ+ F1 drivers. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi(26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. No trouble. Create your free account today and explore our weekly auctions curated by our team of experts. 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. Now she impressed racings international set by finishing 12th in F3s most prestigious race. 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. However, Lombardi had an eventful driving career, aside from Formula One. The world in general, and motor racing in particular, was a less enlightened place in the mid-'70s than present day. By 1974 she was ready to make her Formula One debut behind the wheel of a privately entered Brabham in which, unfortunately, she didnt qualify. This, and other good results, attracted attention, with whichLombardi obtained backing to try and run in the 1974 British Grand Prix. Med Cadillac (General Motors) som partner synes teamet at have konomien p plads, og en ny, moderne fabrik med Formel 1-poteantiale og -teknik er under opfrelse i Indianapolis. 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. That didnt mean it was a wholly unsuccessful year. She was a racing driver first and foremost. 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%. Lombardi grew up in Italy and developed an interest in racing by . 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. (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap. Beuttler was known for his canary-yellow racing look. When Lella Lombardi climbed out of her Matra after the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, she didnt believe shed done anything unique. Lella was my recommendation. Lombardis place in motorsport history is firmly fixed. She had the strength of a man but a womans sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. She was, like many female drivers, not particularly conscious of her genderit was all about the racing. Born Maria Grazia Lombardi on the 26th March 1941, Lomardi grew up in Frugarolo in the Piedmont area of Italy, where her first job saw her drive the delivery van for her familys butcher shop. Thats unusual for a racing driver. Amazingly, Lombardi also raced in NASCAR driving in the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway in 1977. 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. 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. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Lombardi was a versatile racer and tried her hand at numerous disciplines throughout her career. 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. This perhaps shows us how much attention was paid to the lives of female racers at the time. 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. She was also the only woman to score a point (in a fact half . Lombardi succeeded at qualifying this time and would be in the field for the South African Grand Prix. Despite these early successes, Lombardis career was marred with obstacles. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. People were staring and peeping. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. 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. No trouble.. Not only was she a novice in Formula One, but her car also suffered a broken gearbox in the vital Final Qualifying Session. 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. Two of his fellows, his brother Wilson and Arturo Merzario, retired after completingone token lap. She didnt care. 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. The latest news, updates and more straight to your inbox. Lella was the perfect co-driver, says Beckers. [12] Lombardi is also used as one of the reference points for females in racing. Born Maria Grazia 'Lella' Lombardi in Frugarolo, Italy, and so far the only woman to have registered a top six finish in a World Championshop Grand Prix, she took half a point for finishing in 6th place in the prematurely terminated 1975 Spanish GP at Barcelona's Montjuich Park. 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. Delightful. 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. Even her major success that year was tinged with tragedy. 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. [13] Journalist Phil Pash reports that though Lombardi viewed racing as a masculine sport, she succeeded regardless because of her competitive spirit. [13] Among others who comment on the effects of Lombardis legacy is Matt Majendie, who writes about Jamie Chadwick. Races 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. Yes, I would like to receive communications including news, special offers. Lombardi's next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, saw her make history. 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. History of Motorsport . The following year, in 1976, Lombardi only contested four F1 weekends. And in 1976 she shared a Lancia Stratos Turbo with Christine Dacremont at Le Mans and finished 20th one lap and one place ahead of the Cosworth DFV-powered Inaltera of Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, Jean Rondeau and Belgiums Christine Beckers. But she wanted me to be just as fast and was always giving me tips and help. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. Soon she broke through worldwide, winning the Formula Ford Mexico series and made her Formula One debut in 1974. In 1979, she won the 6 hours of Pergusa and the 6 hours of Vallelunga. I first met her that year when she and Fiorenza asked my husband Bruno to help create a team, says Remondi. Only a last minute threat by the race organisers to have the entirety of the Formula One equipment impounded by the police induced the drivers to practise in the last session. 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. In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck. The following year, Lombardi would compete again this time driving a March-Ford but was unfortunately forced to retire after twenty laps. 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. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was, and still is, an inspiration to many women in motorsport. I feel its simply a competitive sport. Wed just started the ShellSPORT Celebrity Series [for Escort Mexicos] and my wife Angela invited her to compete at Brands Hatch in July. Fourth at Brands Hatch at the first time of asking, Lombardi matched that result at Monza, Oulton Park and Mallory Park during a consistent campaign: she finished all bar the last of 18 rounds to be fifth in the points. Lella Lombardi is a name firmly etched into the motorsport history books. Delightful. The Indy 500's gender segregation had just been nullified, which meant NASCAR had to step up to the plate. At present, women hold two team principal positions in F1: Claire Williams and Monica Kaltenborn with Williams Grand Prix and Sauber, respectively. In fact we got zero PR from it. With the exception of Monaco, she qualified to start all of the remaining races. But it seemed to be the most fruitful option for a woman looking to continue behind the wheel due to how many options were available for her. She continued in sports cars until the beginning of the 80s, when she swapped over to the much less-publicized touring car racing. She continued to impress, and ran the series in 1974. For Lombardi to gain the respect of such men as the legendary Arturo Merzario (seen above with teammateVittorio Brambilla) was a clear indication of herabilities and bravery. Instead, it was her achievements that did the talking for her. That's how much I love racing. But her 1975 season, too, was a pretty unfortunate year. Status Poles She performed exceptionally well. 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. Because it was a short race, Lombardi was only awarded a half of a point. 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. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1526810873155-0');}). Or become a seller if you've got a car to sell. [1] Her father was a butcher, who gave Lella her first job as a delivery driver for the family's shop. Wins Driving Line Accelerating Automotive Passion by providing a fresh angle of what fuels us. Lombardi grew up in Italy and developed an interest in racing by driving a delivery van for her family. ", "The rest of the drivers proceeded to put on a display of shunting never before seen. 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. On reflection, however, he was probably looking after himself.. 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. Jackie Epstein was running a Formula 5000 team out of Brands and we persuaded him to give Lella a try that winter. Siddiq Saunderson Moved to L.A. and Immediately Bought a Prius, Millennials and Zillennials Can't Get Enough of Manual Transmissions, Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus (Lifetime Subscription), Tesla Investor Day 2023 Was Pretty Great if You Ignored Elon. Racing was her passion, and she was focused on it wholly. Driver Information Career Starting in karting and moving to Formula Monza and Formula Three, Lombardi advanced through racing until she reached Formula One. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. It was easily one of the most consistently successful eras of her career. (Shed already been farmed out to Williams at Watkins Glen the previous October, when her FW04 conked on the warm-up lap.) People were staring and peeping. She was, however, ahead of fellow non-qualifiers Vern Schuppan, Howden Ganley, Mike Wilds and Leo Kinnunen. From that peak it was back down to earth with a bump; Lombardi failed to qualify next in Monaco. 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. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. Thats unusual for a racing driver. Explore our range of classic cars and spark your own racing career. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo. Premier Investment Group, LLC. Looking back on her points-scoring race, Lombardi told the New York Times: I dont think it dawned on me that I was the very first woman to collect championship points. It was too much too soon. 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. Painful. 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. 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. She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. In 1989 she founded her own racing team, Lombardi Autosport.[11]. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. Showing Editorial results for lella lombardi. Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. 0 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. The 5000 we spent renting a car from Bernie Ecclestone was our only investment in Lella, says Angela Webb. Lombardi later raced in sports cars. We would never fight. 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. There were 34 contestants for the 25 places on the grid, which made the prospect of the Italian getting into the race remote. Lombardi kept her personal affairs particularly quiet to protect the identity of her lover, Fiorenza. Podiums This was followed by the car being impounded at its next race in Germany, as the team had a dispute with a former driver. She scraped together enough money to go racing and competed in any car she could get her hands on. 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 made it a mere 23 laps until she was forced to retire. There was some consolation that year when Lombardi found herself qualified to enter the Race of Champions, becoming the first ever woman to do so. While she had some poor seasons behind the wheel of poor cars, she also could consistently log top ten finishes. She told me shed been hit on her breast during a sailing trip and it hurt very much. She did her own thing. 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. READ MORE: 'Finding a new challenge is my motivation' Jamie Chadwick on whats next after clinching her second W Series title. 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. Into 1974 Epstein signed Lella Lombardi, she had come through Italian racing and European F3 and immediately impressed with her handling of HU18. 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. Others obsessed about her gender and sexuality, but Lella couldnt care less about any of that. She was tough and had great duration.. 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. 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. As her former Formula 5000 teammate Ian Ashley noted to Motorsport Magazine: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. 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. A successful placing in the 1965 Formula Monza, however, gave Lombardi away, when her parents read about her in the papers. Wed been a disaster in terms of sponsorship since bursting into F1 in 1970, says Herd. 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. Only when Ronnie Peterson described the same handling characteristic in 1976 did the penny begin to drop. She wasnt rich her father was a butcher and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. [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. Lombardi died of breast cancer three weeks before her 51st birthday. The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix was cut short while Lombardi was running in sixth place. It wasnt a publicity stunt. 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. The Daily Mail branded her the Tigress of Turin in the lead up to the race. 26 March 1941. Thats the one I remember. Something, however, did get lost in translation. He was very ambitious and so we signed big names Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo to show that we meant business. Tatiana Calderon follows in their wheeltracks this season. If shed been a bit more glamorous perhaps more people would have noticed.. In 1974, Lombardi became the first woman to race at the Race of Champions at Brand Hatch. On her deathbed she asked us to continue the team to preserve what she had achieved. The Grand Prix cars of the '70s were not very reliable, particularly the further down the grid you traveled. Sincethe 20th century, women have risen from being second-class citizens in previous eras, to now running countries, corporations and, in truth, men. Proudly created with. 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 By creating your free Catawiki account, youll be able to bid on any of our 65,000 special objects up for auction every week. Three years later, she was the runner up in Italys Formula Three and in 1970 she raced in the Italian Formula 850 series and won the entire thing (racking up an impressive four wins in the competition). I feel sorry for her and wonder about it even now.. And much of the team that backed him in Formula 1 were wealthy gay men. [7] In 1974, Lombardi was signed to drive the Shellsport-Luxembourg Lola in F5000 and finished fourth. Janet Guthrie and Christine Beckers were competing alongside Lombardi, who finished in 31st. Mar 2020 - Present2 years 11 months. Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the race. She was very professional and we enjoyed working with her. Lombardis most successful season was 1979. In 1977, she competed in NASCAR at the Firecracker 400 that took place at Daytona. These were supposedly real mans cars with their big 5.0-litre V8 motors, but she handled them adroitly. She wasnt there to make up the numbers. Retirements in Belgium and Sweden were followed by a 14th place in Holland, 18th in France and another retirement in Great Britain. By checking this box, you agree to Nitto Tires, 6 Racers That Broke Barriers Who Youve Probably Never Heard Of, 10 Great Ayrton Senna Quotes to Motivate You, Yes, I would like to receive emails from Nitto Tire and Driving Line. She worked hard to get what she wanted. World Titles 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.. Im just as competitive as any male in my mind. . Its difficult to celebrate a points-scoring position in those circumstances. Lombardi enjoyed a successful association with Osella. Lombardi then switched to racing an Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982 until the end of her career in '87. 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. 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 tried to to form her own touring car team in 1989 with the help of Guisy Remondi, but Lombardis condition degenerated to the point where she was unable to run it. Maria Grazia Lombardi "Lella" Lombardi was a talented and brave driver, racing in Formula One from1974 to 1976. 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. We know who could win the F1 championship in 2023, but who will have the car to maximise their talent? Motorsports have always been popular with all kinds of people. Nel 1988 Lella si ritirata e ha aperto la scuderia Lombardi Autosport, dove diventata team manager. Her next two entries at Le Mans were not quite as great. She was a loner, really. 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. We may earn a commission from links on this page. But Lombardi was tenacious. The rest of the races were plagued with DNFs or an average finish of 14th place. She worked hard to get what she wanted. 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. She is the only woman to date in Formula One history to score points when she finished 6th at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix and picked up half a point. 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. In the 1975 event, she was once again able to qualify and compete with a March-Ford. She never brought a girlfriend. The race continued for another four laps, resulting in Lombardis sixth-place finish. asks Mark Hughes. She spoke okay English by then, plus Id worked with so many Italian drivers that I could almost speak the language..