Lella Lombardi

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Lombardi's March 751 Formula One car in practice for the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort
Lombardi driving a March 751 Formula One car in practice for the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix
Lombardi at the 1975 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, driving a March 751
Lombardi at the 1975 Race of Champions driving a March 751
Lombardi's Lancia Stratos competing in the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans
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. 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 6 Hours of Pergusa, the 6 Hours of Vallelunga and the 6 hours of Mugello.

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 in Italy on 26 March 1941.[1][2][3] She the youngest child of three;[4] her father was a butcher, who gave Lella her first job as a delivery driver for the family's shop.[5] At first, Lombardi’s father found her passion for racing hard to accept but embraced it once she finished runner-up in a 1968 race.[6]

Career

Early career

After a brief experience with karting as a child, Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, racing in Formula Monza. She moved on to Formula Three in 1968,[7] and in 1970 won the Italian Formula 850 series.[8] In 1974, Lombardi was signed to drive the Shellsport-Luxembourg Lola in Formula 5000, and finished fourth.[5]

Formula One

Initially, Lombardi tried to qualify for Formula One with a privately entered Brabham supported by the Italian Automobile Club, but failed to qualify.[9] That winter, she met an Italian nobleman, Count Vittorio Zanon, who sponsored her entrance into F1.[5] 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.[5] 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.[10] Lombardi also successfully performed at other races, including the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, where she finished seventh.[11] At the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Lombardi had a one-off drive[12] for Williams.[13] However, she was prevented from starting[13] due to an ignition problem.[14]

In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck.[15] She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year,[16] and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson.[17] Then, Lombardi briefly moved to RAM Racing, her best result being 12th at the Austrian Grand Prix.[17]

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 and finished 14th.[17] In the 1975 event, she was once again able to qualify and compete with a March-Ford. She retired after 20 laps.[18]

Sports cars

Lombardi later raced in sports cars. In 1979, she won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga;[8] in 1981 she won the Template:Ill.[19] She competed four times at the 24 hours of Le Mans, where she finished 20th in 1976 in a Lancia Stratos Turbo.[8] She also finished with podium places in a number of other European endurance races: 3rd at Casale, 1974;[20] 3rd at the Imola 250 kilometers, 1977;[21] 2nd at Wunstorf, 1979;[22] 2nd at Ulm, 1979;[22] 2nd at the Monza 1,000 kilometers, 1981;[23] 2nd at the 6 Hours of Pergusa, 1981;[24] and 3rd at the Donington 500 kilometers, 1981.[25]

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.[26]

Lombardi retired from racing in 1988. In 1989, she founded her own racing team, Lombardi Autosport.[27]

Personal life, and death

Journalist Phil Pash reports that though Lombardi viewed racing as a masculine sport, she succeeded regardless because of her 'competitive spirit.'[28]

Lella Lombardi was one of the first female racers openly in a same-sex relationship.[29][30] Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on 3 March 1992.[6] 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.[31]

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.[32][33] Lombardi is considered an F1 trailblazer, after which women have increasingly joined Formula One in many capacities aside from race driving,[33] including as test drivers and development drivers, engineers and startegists.[34] Lombardi is considered one of the reference points for women in racing;[28] Lombardi and de Filippis are the only two women to have started in world championship Grand Prix races,[35] with Lombardi the only one to have achieved a point-scoring finish.[10]

There have been three subsequent female F1 drivers: Divina Galica (during 1976, Lombardi's third and final season in F1), Desiré Wilson (1980) and Giovanna Amati (1992).[36]

Film

In 2020, the film "Beyond Driven" was made by directors Riyaana Hartley and Vincent Tran, providing essentially a dramatised documentary biographical account of Lombardi's life.[37]

It features Patrizia Lombardi (Ella Lombardi's niece), Tatiana Calderon, Amna Al Qubaisi, Vicky Piria, Alice Powell, Giovanna Amati, Carmen Jorda, and Beitske Visser.[37]

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 <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />Pos.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pts
1974 ShellSPORT Luxembourg Lola T330 Chevrolet 5.0 V8 BRH
4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MAL
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		SIL
10Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		OUL
5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		BRH
8Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		ZOL
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		THR
9Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		ZAN
7Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MUG
6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MNZ
4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MAL
7Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MON
6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		THR
6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		BRH
10Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		OUL
4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		SNE
5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MAL
4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		BRH
DNSScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		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 <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />WDCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pts
1974 Allied Polymer Group Brabham Template:Ill Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR
DNQScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		GER AUT CAN ITA USA NC 0
1975 March Engineering March 741 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		21st 0.5
Lavazza March March 751 ESP
6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		MON
DNQScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		BEL
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		SWE
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		NED
14Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		FRA
18Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		GBR
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		GER
7Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		AUT
17Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		ITA
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Frank Williams Racing Cars Williams FW04 USA
DNSScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1976 Lavazza March March 761 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 BRA
14Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		RSA USW ESP BEL MON SWE FRA NC 0
RAM Racing with Lavazza Brabham BT44B GBR
DNQScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		GER
DNQScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		AUT
12Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		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
NCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		INT
13Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1975 Lavazza March March 751 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC
RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		INT
12Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		SUI

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />Pos.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />Class
Pos.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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
Source:[38]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

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 <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />Pos.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pts
1976 Team P R Reilly Shadow DN1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 MAL SNE OUL
NCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		BRH
9Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		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 <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />Pos.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pts
1979 Team Agostini Williams FW06 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ZOL OUL BRH MAL
14Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		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 <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />NWCCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pts
1977 Charles Dean 05 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY
31Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT N/A 0

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 <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" />Pos.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pts
1984 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 ZOL HOC AVU AVU MFA WUN NÜR NÜR NOR NÜR DIE HOC
10Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		HOC
6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		ZOL NÜR NC 0

See also

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Female Formula One drivers

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