On International Women’s Day, Formula 1 highlighted 10 women who have shaped the sport across its history and present. Their contributions span driving, team leadership, and strategic roles, inspiring greater female participation in motorsport. Initiatives like F1 Academy continue to build on this legacy.
Formula 1 marked International Women’s Day by profiling 10 pioneering women whose achievements have advanced gender diversity in the sport.
Maria Teresa de Filippis became the first woman to compete in a Formula 1 championship race in 1958, qualifying 19th for the Belgian Grand Prix and finishing 10th in a Maserati 250F. She later entered the Portuguese and Italian Grands Prix but retired from both. De Filippis passed away in 2016 at age 89.
Lella Lombardi followed as the second woman to qualify for an F1 race, scoring half a point in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix with March. She finished seventh in the German Grand Prix that year despite a puncture. Lombardi competed in events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and founded Lella Lombardi Autosport before her death in 1992 at age 50.
Susie Wolff participated in free practice sessions at the 2014 British and German Grands Prix for Williams, the first woman to do so since 1992. She co-founded Dare to be Different in 2016 and became Managing Director of F1 Academy in 2023.
Monisha Kaltenborn served as the first female Team Principal for Sauber from 2012, after roles in legal and ownership. Drivers under her included Nico Hulkenberg and Marcus Ericsson. She left in 2017 and later said, “You have enough women out there who have the capabilities... but you need to be given the opportunity.”
Claire Williams acted as Deputy Team Principal at Williams from 2013, overseeing 15 podiums and third-place finishes in the 2014 and 2015 constructors’ championships. She now analyzes for Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
Marta Garcia won the inaugural F1 Academy title in 2023 with eight victories for PREMA Racing, earning a funded seat in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. She won in the 2025 Le Mans Cup with Iron Dames.
Hannah Schmitz, Head of Strategy at Red Bull, contributed to championships from 2021 to 2024, including a key call for Max Verstappen’s 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix win.
Abbi Pulling claimed the 2024 F1 Academy championship with nine wins, securing a funded GB3 seat for 2025, where she achieved the first women’s podium.
Laura Mueller became the first female Race Engineer in F1 at Haas for Esteban Ocon in 2025. Turn 6 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix will honor her and Schmitz.
Doriane Pin finished second in 2024 F1 Academy before winning the 2025 title with podiums in every race. She joins Mercedes as a development driver in 2026 and races in the European Le Mans Series.
F1 Academy enters its fourth year in 2026, starting in China, with programs like Discover Your Drive encouraging grassroots involvement.
