Woman F1 Pioneer Dies

Maria Teresa de Filippis, Formula One's first female driver, died earlier this month at the age of 89.

One of only two women to compete in an F1 event, de Filippis started five grand prix races in 1958 and 1959. Fellow Italian Lella Lombardi also raced briefly on the F1 circuit in the 1970s.

De Filippis’ racing career started at the age of 21 in 1948 when she finished second in her class at a hill climb near her home in Naples. She also took second place in the 1956 Naples Grand Prix, a non-championship event. Her first F1 start was in the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix, which she finished in 10th place in a Maserati 250F.

De Filippis retired from racing in 1959 following the death of fellow driver and friend Jean Behra at a race in Germany. In the 1970s she became active in the management of the Club Internationale des Anciens Pilotes de Grand Prix F1, and later served as the organization’s honorary president.