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This is a list of femalemotor racing drivers who have taken part in theFormula One World Championship since the inception of theWorld Championship for Drivers in1950.
Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first woman to enter a Formula One race. As of 2024[update], four other female drivers have entered at least oneGrand Prix, although only two havequalified and started a race.Lella Lombardi has competed in the most Grands Prix of any female driver, with 17 entries and 12 starts.Desiré Wilson is the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind, finishing first in one round of the 1980British Aurora F1 Championship.
The involvement of women inFormula One was pioneered by ItalianMaria Teresa de Filippis, who entered five races between the1958 and1959 seasons in aMaserati 250F, starting three.[1] She was the first woman toqualify for a Grand Prix, and scored her best result of tenth place in the1958 Belgian Grand Prix.[2][3][4][5] She did not take part in the following race inFrance—the race director denied her involvement, stating that "the only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s."[6][1] Maria ended her career at theMonaco Grand Prix the following year.[7]
The only time I was prevented from racing was at the French Grand Prix. The race director said, "The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s." Apart from that, I don’t think I encountered any prejudice — only surprise at my success.
— Maria Teresa de Filippis
After fifteen years, another Italian driver,Lella Lombardi, competed in three seasons between1974 and1976. Lombardi entered seventeen races and started twelve, achieving her best career finish of sixth at the1975 Spanish Grand Prix. The race was stopped following a spectator accident, but because at least 29 of the scheduled 71 laps had been completed, the rules stipulated that, for the first time,half points were to be awarded.[8] Lombardi's sixth-place finish meant she became the first, and so far only, woman to score points in the World Championship.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
In1976, Britishprofessional skierDivina Galica attempted to qualify for three Grand Prix, including theBritish Grand Prix. This was notably the only Formula One Grand Prix in which multiple female drivers (Lombardi and Galica) entered. However, both failed to qualify.[12][13][15][16]
In1980, the South AfricanDesiré Wilson tried to qualify for theBritish Grand Prix, but did not succeed. In the same year, she won at Brands Hatch in theBritish Aurora F1 championship, becoming the first woman to win a Formula 1 race. As of 2024[update], she is only female driver to win a Formula One race of any kind. As a result of this achievement, Wilson has a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her.[17][18][19][20][21]
As of 2024[update], the last woman to have driven in a Formula One Grand Prix event was Italian formerFormula 3000 driverGiovanna Amati, who signed toBrabham at the beginning of the1992 season. She failed to qualify for three races in which she was entered. She was replaced byDamon Hill, who also failed to qualify the same car in 6 out of the 8 following races he entered. Brabham's lead driver that season wasEric van de Poele, who only managed to qualify once. After 11 races, the team folded.[22][23]
Drivers listed in this table are those who have entered a Grand Prix. Actual starts are stated in brackets.
| # | Name | Seasons | Teams | Entries (starts) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filippis Maria Teresa de Filippis | 1958,1959 | Maserati,Behra-Porsche | 05 (3) | 40 |
| 2 | LombardiLella Lombardi | 1974–1976 | March,RAM,Williams | 17 (12) | 50.5 |
| 3 | Galica Divina Galica | 1976,1978 | Surtees,Hesketh | 03 (0) | 2– |
| 4 | Wilson Desiré Wilson | 1980 | Williams | 01 (0) | 3– |
| 5 | AmatiGiovanna Amati | 1992 | Brabham | 03 (0) | 1– |
Some female drivers have participated in non-competition testing and evaluation sessions with Formula One teams.IndyCar driverSarah Fisher performed a demonstration run withMcLaren after first practice for the2002 United States Grand Prix.[24]Katherine Legge tested withMinardi at theVallelunga Circuit in 2005.[25]
Other female drivers have been contracted to Formula One teams in testing and development capacities. In 2012,Williams signedSusie Wolff as a development and test driver. Two years later, Wolff became the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years, when she participated in the first practice session at theBritish Grand Prix atSilverstone;[26] the previous time being in 1992, whenGiovanna Amati who was the official Brabham team driver alongside Eric van der Poele, made three unsuccessful Grand Prix qualification attempts. Van der Poele and later Damon Hill, Amati's replacement, only managed to qualify the uncompetitive Brabham 3 times out of 18 attempts and the team folded after 11 races.[27][28]María de Villota, the daughter of Spanish Formula One driverEmilio de Villota, was hired as a test driver forMarussia[29] until her crash in 2012 at theDuxford Aerodrome during a straightline test. De Villota died from a heart attack caused by neurological injuries sustained from the crash the following year.[30] In 2014,Sauber signedIndyCar Series driverSimona de Silvestro as an "affiliated driver", with the goal of having her compete in 2015.[31] In 2015Lotus F1 signedCarmen Jordá to a deal including a run in a car.[32]
Sauber signed Colombian driverTatiana Calderón as development driver for 2017.[33] Calderón was promoted from her development driver role to test driver for the 2018 season, and tested an F1 car for the first time with Sauber in Mexico in October 2018.[34][35]
In 2019,Williams Driver Academy signed leadingW Series contenderJamie Chadwick as a development driver for the Williams F1 team.[36] Chadwick later won the2019 W Series championship, the2021 W Series championship and the2022 W Series championship, and continued as a Williams development driver in 2022.[37]
In September 2023,Aston Martin driver ambassadorJessica Hawkins tested a 2021-spec F1 car at theHungaroring.[38]
In January 2026,Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team signed French driver andF1 Academy championDoriane Pin as a Development Driver for the 2026 season.
At first they thought I wouldn't be able to compete, but then I went all the way to Formula One. The only time I was prevented from racing was at the French Grand Prix. The race director said: 'The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser's.' Apart from that I don't think I encountered any prejudice - only surprise at my success.
McLaren'sJochen Mass, who just happened to be leading the few remaining runners at the stoppage, got his only grand prix victory, while Lella Lombardi became still the only female F1 points scorer (or, rather, half-a-point scorer due to the shortened race).
Finishing sixth, two laps behind McLaren winnerJochen Mass in a race stopped at one third distance with only half points awarded, was Italian Maria Grazia 'Lella' Lombardi in her March car.