Maria Teresa de Filippis: The First Woman to Race for Formula 1

Throughout the history of Formula 1, only two women have competed in a Grand Prix. The first of those two women was Maria Teresa de Filippis.

Maria was introduced to motorsport when her three brothers challenged her ability to race. Wanting to prove her brothers wrong, Maria went on to compete in her first race when she was only 22 years old, the 10 km Salerno-Cava de ‘Tirreni. Maria won this race, successfully beating her fellow male competitors. For several years after, Maria continued her motorsport career and went on to win numerous other races, and in 1958 Maria made her debut in Formula 1 at the Belgian Grand Prix.  Unsurprisingly, Maria was subject to gender discrimination during her time in Formula 1. In 1958, Maria was barred from racing at the French Grand Prix because she was a woman. The race director reportedly told Maria that “the only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdressers.” However, Maria did not let this deter her from racing.

Maria’s career with Formula 1 was brief, having only qualified for a handful of races, and retiring the year following her debut after the death of her fellow racing friend Jean Behra. Despite this, Maria’s perseverance in the face of adversity, and success in an exclusively male industry, have led to Maria being regarded as one of the most influential figures in Formula 1. Maria is regarded as a pioneer for women in motorsport and continues to be an inspiration today to women both on and off the track.