Desiré Wilson

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Desiré Wilson (Template:Nee), born 26 November 1953,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="wilsonmotorsport">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is a former racing driver from South Africa and one of only five women to have competed in Formula One.<ref name="lunchwith">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Pg Born in Brakpan,<ref name="wilsonmotorsport" /> she entered one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in Template:F1 with a non-works RAM Racing-prepared Williams FW07, but failed to qualify.<ref name="Small">Template:Cite book</ref> She also raced in the 1981 non-world championship South African Grand Prix in a one off deal with Tyrrell Racing. This race was not part of the 1981 World Championship due, in part, to the FISA–FOCA war.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She qualified 16th and, after the car stalled during the start of the race, she moved up through the field in wet conditions; as conditions dried, she fell back and damaged the car when it touched a wall while she was letting the race leader through.<ref name="f1 rejects">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

She became the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 Championship in 1980.<ref name="Small" /> As a result of this achievement, she has a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her.<ref name="f1 rejects" /> Following her attempts in Formula One, Wilson participated in other disciplines including CART<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and sports car racing.<ref name="f1 rejects" /> Wilson entered the Indianapolis 500 three times in 1982, 1983, and 1984, but failed to qualify for any.<ref name="f1 rejects" />

Career

To date, Wilson is the only woman to have been licensed to drive in both CART Indycars and FIA Formula One World Championship. In 1980, she won both the Monza 1000km and the Silverstone 6 Hours World Championship for Makes races, thereby becoming the first woman to have claimed outright victories in any FIA World Championship race.<ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1967, at the age of twelve, Wilson came second in the South African nationals, driving midget cars. By 1972, she had made her full racing debut and was fourth in her first season of the South African Formula Vee Championship. After two more seasons on the Formula Vee circuit, finishing 4th and 2nd respectively, Wilson decided to pursue the international acclaim associated with Formula One. She won the South African Formula Ford Championship in 1975 and defended the title the following season, as well as securing the "Driver to Europe" award. As a result, Wilson moved to Europe for the 1977 season, competing mainly in Formula Ford 2000 races, in the Benelux and British Championships, where she finished third and fourth respectively, winning races at Zandvoort and Colmar-Berg.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="speedqueens">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

She took another huge step forward in 1978, racing a Formula One March 751, updated to 761 specifications. After impressing many team bosses, she signed up to race in the Aurora AFX F1 Championship for Mario Deliotti Racing. Driving their Cosworth-powered Ensign N175, her best finish was a third place at the Thruxton Circuit. As her knowledge of the European tracks improved, so did her results. Whilst racing F1, she still drove a Lola T490 in the British Sports 2000 Championship, despite it being a minor national championship.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

In 1979, she became the first woman to lead an F1 race. She headed the field at Zolder for Melchester Racing, in their Tyrrell 008, although she spun in the wet on the penultimate lap, but fought back to finish third, whilst claiming the fastest lap of the race. In addition, Wilson took three more 3rd places at Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and Thruxton. She ended the season in 7th place. She continued to race in Sports 2000, finishing third in the championship with her Lola.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

1980 was to be her big year, although it started sponsor-less, racing Formula Pacific in New Zealand. Teddy Yip and his Theodore Racing team came to her rescue, giving her a Wolf WR4 for the Aurora series. Yip's faith was repaid by round two, when Wilson won the Evening News Trophy at Brands Hatch, beating Norman Dickson and Eliseo Salazar. In doing so, she became the first woman, and so far the only woman to win an F1 race. She recorded two more podium finishes, a fine 2nd place at Thruxton and a 3rd at Mallory Park, before her team ran out of money.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Her successes did not stop there in 1980, when she formed a partnership with Alain de Cadenet and shared the driving duties of his De Cadenet LM1. After an impressive outing where the pair took third in the Brands Hatch 1000km, the pair went on the win both the Monza 1000km and the Silverstone 6 Hours races.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Desiré's victories drew the attention of John Macdonald and his F1 RAM Racing team. During a private test at Brands Hatch, driving a year-old Williams FW07, things looked promising, where she was twelfth overall. However, by the weekend of the British Grand Prix, the car had been replaced with an inferior model, which she had been beaten in several times in the Aurora AFX series. The car lacked aerodynamics modifications, and her lack of experience at this level meant she did not qualify.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

This run of bad luck did not stop at Brands Hatch; after a practice accident for the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans, she and de Cadenet were not allowed to start in view of this earlier incident, despite setting eighth fastest lap in qualifying.<ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

She got the chance to redeem herself, when she accepted a drive with Tyrrell Racing for her home Grand Prix. However, the ongoing FISA–FOCA war within F1, led to the 1981 South African Grand Prix being a non-championship race, which nevertheless still attracted a strong field. Wilson qualified 16th, moved through the field to 6th before spinning out her Tyrrell 010, with gearbox troubles. But, she had managed to impress Ken Tyrrell, and was offered further drives. Due to lack of sponsorship and political situation, she was unable to take up Tyrrell's offer and the drive went to Ricardo Zunino, and then Michele Alboreto. The remainder of the season consisted of outing in Formula Atlantic and Sportscars.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="wilsonmotorsport"/><ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Sportscars now became her main focus, after finished 8th in the 1981 Brands Hatch 1000km. In 1982, she raced in the IMSA series, failing to finish any races. A trip to France, for the Le Mans 24 hours did not fare any better, with her Grid S1, lasting only 24 minutes before the engine expired. Her only result of 1982 came in the Brands Hatch 1000km, when she finished 4th with Jonathan Palmer aboard a works Ford C100.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Wilson's career in American single-seaters started in 1982. Back with Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing, she passed her Indianapolis 500 rookie test without a problem, and during qualifying set the fastest ever lap by a female racer (191.042 mph). However, she failed to qualify for the event due to repeated engine failures and the early ending of the qualifying session in which her team-mate, Gordon Smiley, was killed. She returned the following year, but failed to qualify again. Meanwhile, she did race eight other Indycar races, with a best finish of 10th in the Grand Prix of Cleveland. Her finishing record with Wysard Racing was poor, though not always due to driver error. She was an impressive novice, especially considering her rapid recovery from a broken leg suffered in a terrifying crash in an IMSA race at Brainerd International Raceway. During the race, her Momo Corse March 83G's front suspension broke. Three weeks later, she was back in an Indycar. A third attempt in qualifying for the Indy 500, in 1984 also resulted in a DNQ.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/><ref>[1]Template:Dead link</ref>

During this time, sportscars had definitely not been forgotten. She competed around the world in various series and cars, scoring some decent results in the process, but the highlight of 1983 was her 7th place at Le Mans, sharing an Obermaier Racing entered Porsche 956 with Axel Plankenhorn and Jürgen Lässig. With the help of these Germans, she finally broke her major-race duck with an excellent result. A return to Brands Hatch for the 1984 1000 km race, saw her take the Kremer Racing's Porsche 956 to 4th place, with the help of David Sutherland and fellow South African, George Fouché.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Although her international racing schedule started to thin out, her competitive spirit remained and in 1987, Wilson took a class win in the SCCA/Escort Endurance Challenge at Sears Point, sharing a Saleen Mustang with Lisa Cacares. While with Saleen Motorsport, she took a class win Sebring 6 hours alongside Scott Pruett, assisting Saleen to the constructors' title. After a few more outings in Porsche 962C's in Britain and Japan, she had one last shot at Le Mans in 1991 in a Spice SE90C. This all-female crew, with co-drivers Lyn St. James and Cathy Muller, lasted only 47 laps before crashing out.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="wilsonsaharamotorsports"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Although Wilson returned to race a Mazda Xedos in the North American Super Touring Car Championship in 1997, she now only occasionally races at the Goodwood Revival.<ref name="f1 rejects"/><ref name="speedqueens"/>

Personal life

Wilson is married to fellow South African and road course architect Alan Wilson.<ref name="lunchwith" />

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1973	South African Formula Vee Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	4th
1974	South African Formula Vee Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	2nd
1975	South African Formula Ford Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	1st
1976	South African Formula Ford Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	1st
1977	Benelux Formula Ford 2000 Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	3rd
	Dutch Formula Ford 2000 Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	3rd
	British Formula Ford 2000 Championship		?	?	?	?	?	?	3rd
1978	USAC Mini-Indy Series		1	0	0	0	0	2	69th
	Aurora AFX F1 Championship	Mario Deliotti Racing	5	0	0	0	1	34	10th
1979	Aurora AFX F1 Championship	Melchester Racing	15	0	0	1	4	28	7th
1980	Aurora AFX F1 Championship	Theodore Racing Hong Kong	6	1	0	2	3	21	6th
		Colin Bennett Racing	1	0	0	0	0
	World Challenge for Endurance Drivers	Alain de Cadenet	3	2	3	0	0	39	41st
	Formula One	Brands Hatch Racing	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	Macau Grand Prix	Susie Racing	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	6th
	Aurora AFX New Zealand International Formula Pacific Series		8	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1981	MCD British Formula Atlantic Championship	Goodwin Racing	1	0	0	0	0	3	15th
	World Championship for Drivers and Makes	T-Bird Swap Shop	1	0	0	0	0	14	187th
1982	FIA World Endurance Championship	Grid Racing	1	0	0	0	0	10	46th
		Ford Motor Company	1	0	0	0	0
1983	IMSA Camel GT Championship	Momo Corse	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	FIA World Endurance Championship	Obermaier Racing	1	0	0	0	0	4	63rd
	PPG Indy Car World Series	Wysard Motor Co	8	0	0	0	0	3	28th
1984	FIA World Endurance Championship	Kremer Racing	1	0	0	0	0	10	44th
1986	American Racing Series	ARS	1	0	0	0	0	8	24th
	PPG Indy Car World Series	Machinists Union Racing	3	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1989	All Japan Sports Prototype Car Endurance Championship	Team Davey	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	World Sports Prototype Championship		1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	British Formula 3000	GA Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	3	12th
1991	World Sports Car Championship	Euro Racing (A.O. Racing)	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	Firestone Indy Lights Championship	Leading Edge Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	1	24th
1993	IMSA Exxon Supreme GT Series - GTS-1	Tom Gloy Racing	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1997	North American Super Touring Championship	Schader Motorsports	3	0	0	0	0	18	15th
1999	Speedvision World Challenge - GT	Speedvision/Vortech	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
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Complete British Formula One Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1978	Mario Deliotti Racing	Ensign N175	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	OUL	BRH	SNE	MAL	ZAN	DON	THR	OUL Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	THR Template:Small	SNE Template:Small				10th	34
1979	Melchester Racing	Tyrrell 008	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ZOL Template:Small	OUL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	SNE Template:Small	THR Template:Small	ZAN Template:Small	DON Template:Small	OUL Template:Small	NOG Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	THR Template:Small	SNE Template:Small	SIL Template:Small	7th	28
1980	Theodore Racing Hong Kong	Wolf WR4	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	OUL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	SIL Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	THR Template:Small	MNZ										6th	21
		Wolf WR3								MAL Template:Small	SNE
	Colin Bennett Racing	Lotus 78										BRH Template:Small	THR	OUL	SIL
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Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1980	Brands Hatch Racing	Williams FW07	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR Template:Small	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA	NC	0
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Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3
1979	Melchester Racing	Tyrrell 008	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ROC Template:Small	GNM	DIN
1981	Tyrrell Racing Team	Tyrrell 010	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	RSA Template:Small
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Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1982	Template:Flagicon Grid Racing	Template:Flagicon Emilio de Villota Template:Flagicon Alain de Cadenet	Grid Plaza S1-Ford Cosworth	C	7	DNF	DNF
1983	Template:Flagicon Obermaier Racing	Template:Flagicon Axel Plankenhorn Template:Flagicon Jürgen Lässig	Porsche 956	C	347	7th	7th
1991	Template:Flagicon Euro Racing Template:Flagicon A.O. Racing	Template:Flagicon Lyn St. James Template:Flagicon Cathy Muller	Spice SE90C-Ford Cosworth	C1	47	DNF	DNF
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Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1982	Template:Flagicon Thunderbird Swap Shop	Template:Flagicon Preston Henn Template:Flagicon Marty Hinza	Porsche 935	GTP	229	DNF	DNF
1993	Template:Flagicon Tom Gloy Racing	Template:Flagicon Ron Fellows Template:Flagicon Tomiko Yoshikawa Template:Flagicon Pieter Baljet	Ford Mustang	GTS	189	DNF	DNF
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Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1982	Template:Flagicon North American Racing Team	Template:Flagicon Janet Guthrie Template:Flagicon Bonnie Henn	Ferrari 512 BB	GTP	163	DNF	DNF
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American open-wheel racing results

PPG Indy Car World Series

Year	Team	No.	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Template:Tooltip	Pts	Ref
1983	Wysard Motor Co	34	March 82C	Cosworth DFX V8t	ATL	INDY Template:Small	MIL															28th	3	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
			March 83C					CLE Template:Small	MCH	ROA Template:Small	POC Template:Small	RIV Template:Small	MOH Template:Small	MCH	CPL Template:Small	LAG Template:Small	PHX Template:Small
1984	Wysard Motor Co		March 83C	Cosworth DFX V8t	LBH Template:Small	PHX	INDY Template:Small	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	MOH	SAN	MCH	PHX	LAG	CPL		NC	0	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1986	Machinists Union Racing	55	March 86C	Cosworth DFX V8t	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MCH	POC	MOH Template:Small	SAN	MCH	ROA Template:Small	LAG Template:Small	PHX	MIA	38th	0	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Indianapolis 500

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish	Team
1982	Eagle 81	Cosworth	DNQ		Theodore Racing
1983	March 82C	Cosworth	DNQ		Wysard Motor Co
1984	March 83C	Cosworth	DNQ		Wysard Motor Co
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Indy Lights

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1986	ARS	March 86A	Buick 4.2 V6	PHX Template:Small	MIL	MEA	TOR	POC	MOH	ROA	LAG	PHX	MIA			24th	8
1991	Leading Edge Motorsport	March 86A	Buick 4.2 V6	LBH	PHX	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	DEN Template:Small	MOH	NAZ	LAG	24th	1
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North American Touring Car Championship

(key)

North American Touring Car Championship results
Year	Team	No.	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1997	Schader Motorsports	6	Mazda Xedos 6	LBH Template:Small	LBH Template:Small	SAV Template:Small	SAV Template:Small	DET	DET	PIR	PIR	CLE	CLE	TOR Template:Small	TOR Template:Small	MOH	MOH	VAN	VAN	LS	LS	15th	18
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See also

• List of female Formula One drivers

Further reading

• Alan Wilson. Driven by Desire: The Desiré Wilson story. Veloce Publishing. Template:ISBN.

External links

• F1 Rejects interview
• Racing Reference Profile
• Champcar Stats