Lella Lombardi

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }}

Lombardi driving a March 751 Formula One car in practice for the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix

Lombardi at the 1975 Race of Champions driving a March 751

Lombardi's Lancia Stratos competing in the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans

Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (26 March 1941 – 3 March 1992) was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix from 1974 to 1976. Lombardi was the second female driver to qualify for Formula One, after Maria Teresa de Filippis, and is the only female driver who scored points in Formula One, having won half a point in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Lombardi was also the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, and raced in sports cars. She won the 1979 6 Hours of Pergusa,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the 1979 6 Hours of Vallelunga<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the 1981 6 Hours of Mugello,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and finished 2nd in her class at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Lombardi's story has impacted generations of racers. Her experience has shaped the involvement of women in racing and how people perceive women in the racing industry.

Early life

Lombardi was born in Frugarolo, a small town in Piedmont Italy on 26 March 1941.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She was the youngest child of three;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> her father was a butcher, who gave Lella her first job as a delivery driver for the family's shop.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At first, Lombardi’s father initially found her passion for racing hard to accept, but he embraced it once she finished runner-up in a 1968 race.<ref name="remembered">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

Early career

After a brief experience with karting as a child, Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, which she raced in the Formula Monza series. She moved on to Formula Three in 1968,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and in 1970 won the Italian Formula 850 series.<ref name="FinM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1974, Lombardi was signed to drive the Shellsport-Luxembourg Lola in Formula 5000 and finished fourth.<ref name=":1" />

Formula One

In 1974 Lombardi tried, unsuccessfully, to qualify for Formula One with a privately entered Brabham racing car supported by the Automobile Club d'Italia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The car was sponsored by Radio Luxembourg broadcasting on 208 meters mediumwave, which inspired the selection of 208 as Lombardi's Formula One racing number.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That winter, she met an Italian nobleman, Count Vittorio Zanon, who sponsored her entrance into Formula One.<ref name=":1" /> In 1975, Lombardi was invited to join Vittorio Brambilla and Hans-Joachim Stuck on the March engineering team, racing the full season with Zanon's Lavazza Coffee Company’s sponsorship.<ref name=":1" />

At the opening race of the campaign in South Africa, Lombardi became the first woman since Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958 to successfully qualify for a Grand Prix. 1975 would prove to be an eventful season for the March Team, as Lombardi scored half a Championship point in the Spanish Grand Prix. This was because the race only lasted 23 laps until Lombardi was forced to retire with a fuel system problem, while the race suffered a major tragedy when the rear wing on Rolf Stommelen's Embassy Hill broke, sending him into the barrier. While trying to avoid Stommelen's car as it bounced back and crossed the track, Carlos Pace crashed. Four spectators were killed by Stommelen's flying car. The race continued for another four laps, resulting in Lombardi’s sixth-place finish and, with the race being stopped before three-fifths of the scheduled race distance was reached, all points were halved.<ref name="gp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lombardi also successfully performed at other races, including the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, where she finished seventh.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Lombardi had a one-off drive<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> for Williams.<ref name="WatkinsGlen">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, she was prevented from starting the race<ref name="WatkinsGlen"/> due to an ignition problem.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson.<ref name="gpr">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Then, Lombardi briefly moved to RAM Racing, her best result being 12th at the Austrian Grand Prix.<ref name="gpr"/>

Race of Champions

In 1974, Lombardi was the first female racing driver to qualify and compete at the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch. She raced a Lola-Chevrolet Grand Touring Prototype-class car and finished 14th.<ref name="gpr"/> In the 1975 event, she was once again able to qualify and compete with a March-Ford car. She retired after 20 laps.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sports cars

Lombardi later raced in sports cars. In 1979, she won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga;<ref name="FinM"/> in 1981 she won the Template:Ill.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She competed four times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where she finished 20th overall (and second in the GTP class)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in 1976 in a Lancia Stratos Turbo.<ref name="FinM"/> She also finished with podium places in a number of other European endurance races: 3rd at Casale, 1974;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 3rd at the Imola 250 kilometers, 1977;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2nd at Wunstorf, 1979;<ref name="interserie"/> 2nd at Ulm, 1979;<ref name="interserie">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2nd at the Monza 1,000 kilometers, 1981;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2nd at the 6 Hours of Pergusa, 1981;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 3rd at the Donington 500 kilometers, 1981.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Lombardi also raced in the Firecracker 400 NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway in 1977. There were two other female drivers in the field: American Janet Guthrie and Belgian Christine Beckers. Lombardi finished 31st.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Lombardi retired from racing in 1988. In 1989, she founded her own racing team, Lombardi Autosport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal life and death

Journalist Phil Pash reported that though Lombardi viewed racing as a masculine sport, she succeeded regardless because of her 'competitive spirit.'<ref name=":3" />

Lella Lombardi was one of the first female racers openly in a same-sex relationship.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on 3 March 1992.<ref name="remembered"/> She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Legacy

Lella Lombardi’s racing career has influenced the perceptions of subsequent generations of women in racing; she is credited with making Formula One accessible to women.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> Lombardi is considered an Formula One trailblazer, after which women have increasingly joined Formula One in many capacities aside from race driving,<ref name=":2" /> including as test drivers and development drivers, engineers and strategists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lombardi is considered one of the reference points for women in racing;<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news NYT Archived copy</ref> Lombardi and de Filippis are the only two women to have started in world championship Grands Prix races,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Lombardi the only one to have achieved a point-scoring finish.<ref name="gp"/>

There have been three subsequent female Formula One drivers: Divina Galica (during 1976, Lombardi's third and final season in Formula One), Desiré Wilson (1980) and Giovanna Amati (1992).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Film

In 2020, the film "Beyond Driven" was made by directors Riyaana Hartley and Vincent Tran, providing essentially a dramatised documentary-style biographical account of Lombardi's life.<ref name="Kermode">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

It features Patrizia Lombardi (Ella Lombardi's niece), Tatiana Calderon, Amna Al Qubaisi, Vicky Piria, Alice Powell, Giovanna Amati, Carmen Jorda, and Beitske Visser.<ref name="Kermode"/>

Racing record

Complete European F5000 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	16	17	18	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1974	ShellSPORT Luxembourg	Lola T330	Chevrolet 5.0 V8	BRH Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	SIL Template:Small	OUL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	ZOL Template:Small	THR Template:Small	ZAN Template:Small	MUG Template:Small	MNZ Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	MON Template:Small	THR Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	OUL Template:Small	SNE Template:Small	MAL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	5th	88

Complete Formula One World 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	16	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1974	Allied Polymer Group	Brabham Template:Ill	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR Template:Small	GER	AUT	CAN	ITA	USA		NC	0
1975	March Engineering	March 741	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ARG	BRA	RSA Template:Small														21st	0.5
	Lavazza March	March 751					ESP Template:Small	MON Template:Small	BEL Template:Small	SWE Template:Small	NED Template:Small	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	ITA Template:Small
	Frank Williams Racing Cars	Williams FW04															USA Template:Small
1976	Lavazza March	March 761	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	BRA Template:Small	RSA	USW	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	FRA									NC	0
	RAM Racing with Lavazza	Brabham BT44B										GBR Template:Small	GER Template:Small	AUT Template:Small	NED	ITA	CAN	USA	JPN

Formula One non-championship results

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

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3
1974	ShellSPORT Luxembourg	Lola T330	Chevrolet 5.0 V8	PRE	ROC Template:Small	INT Template:Small
1975	Lavazza March	March 751	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ROC Template:Small	INT Template:Small	SUI

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1975	Template:Flagicon Elf Switzerland	Template:Flagicon Marie-Claude Charmasson	Renault-Alpine A441	S 2.0	20	DNF	DNF
1976	Template:Flagicon Aseptogyl	Template:Flagicon Christine Dacremont	Lancia Stratos-Ferrari	GTP	265	20th	2nd
1977	Template:Flagicon Inaltera	Template:Flagicon Christine Beckers	Inaltera LM-Ford Cosworth	S +2.0	279	11th	4th
1980	Template:Flagicon Scuderia Torino Corse	Template:Flagicon Mark Thatcher	Osella PA8-BMW	S 2.0	157	DNF	DNF
Template:Small {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Complete Shellsport International Series 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	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1976	Team P R Reilly	Shadow DN1	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	MAL	SNE	OUL Template:Small	BRH Template:Small	THR	BRH	MAL	SNE	BRH	THR	OUL	BRH	BRH	42nd	2

Complete British Formula One Championship results

(key) (note: results shown in bold indicate pole position; results 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
1979	Team Agostini	Williams FW06	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	ZOL	OUL	BRH	MAL Template:Small	SNE	THR	ZAN	DON	OUL	NOG	MAL	BRH	THR	SNE	SIL	NC	0

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	Template:Tooltip	Pts	Ref
1977	Charles Dean	05	Chevy	RSD	DAY	RCH	CAR	ATL	NWS	DAR	BRI	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV	CLT	RSD	MCH	DAY Template:Small	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	ATL	ONT	N/A	0	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft results

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

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Template:Tooltip	Pts
1984		Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6	ZOL	HOC	AVU	AVU	MFA	WUN	NÜR	NÜR	NOR	NÜR	DIE	HOC Template:Small	HOC Template:Small	ZOL	NÜR	NC	0

See also

• List of female Formula One drivers

External links

• Template:DriverDB driver
• Template:Racing-Reference driver
• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}