It was Lella Lombardi’s birthday today, she would have been 78
She died of cancer in 1992, sadly, having wrestled it from the mid 80s onwards. But she was F1′s first and so far only woman to score points.
I didn’t know about her when I was little and wanted to be the “first” woman to drive in F1 (we didn’t have the internet then) and spoiler: that didn’t work out. But I wish I had known. I wish more people knew now.
There have been hundreds of men who’ve driven in Formula One. Hundreds equally haven’t scored points. Out of just five women, one did. In the old, only-the-top-six-score-points system. In a race where a tragic accident meant she only scored half of one point. In the modern system, she’d have 14.
She only got 17 opportunities total, across a disrupted five different teams. Less than a whole modern season - and she never even got a full mid-70s one. She delivered so much more than many men of her time.
She was also at least bisexual, although she never confirmed her sexuality - she was survived by a female partner. That bit rarely gets talked about.
This is my favourite photo of her, being feminine and hairy-armpitted and louche with a girlfriend while some parody-grade Old Dudes™ look Aghast
She was not rich. She was not well-sponsored. She loved the sport and was bloodyminded, in an era of playboys and extremely rich men treating F1 as a gentlemen’s club they could muck about in.
My favourite quote about her is this, from this excellent profile
“She would often speak of sacrifices. She wasn’t rich – her father was a butcher – and, with no sponsors to begin with, she slept in her truck to save money. She worked hard to get what she wanted. She had the strength of a man but a woman’s sensibility: she was kind and transmitted serenity. She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them.
“Lella only complained about the inequality of Formula 1 – because nobody had listened to her about changes for the car.”
All five women to compete in F1 weekends are trailblazers and there are many more around and behind them and coming forward in their wake. But Lella’s point (or half point) is the indelible mark in the F1 history book that cannot be swept aside or moved. It is the full stop at the end of “Women can compete with men.”
I wish I had known more about her younger. Buon compleanno e grazie, Lella.
Gonna go and do a bit of a cry and have a glass of wine now. (This post is paraphrased from tweets of mine, so if you follow me in both places and haven’t connected the dots then hello)
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