Maria Teresa de Filippis
Encyclopedia
Maria Teresa de Filippis (born 11 November 1926) is a former Italian racing driver noted as being the first woman to race in Formula One
. She participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1958, but scored no championship points. Though largely unsuccessful in her Formula One racing career she won races in other series and is remembered as a pioneer in the sport.
, Italy
. She was a keen horse rider in her teenage years.
on a 10 km drive between Salerno
and Cava de' Tirreni
. She went on to drive in the Italian sports car championship, finishing second in the 1954 season. Seeing her potential, Maserati
brought her in as the works driver.
De Filippis took part in various motor racing events, including hillclimbing
and endurance racing, before being given the chance to drive in Formula One.
Maserati were a successful Formula One chassis manufacturer in the 1950s, supplying several teams and winning numerous races. In Juan Manuel Fangio
won the drivers title in a Maserati 250F
, his fifth and final championship win. The team officially withdrew from the sport at the end of the year but many of the cars remained, being driven by privateers. On 18 May 1958 de Filippis was given the opportunity to enter the Monaco Grand Prix
, the second round of the 1958 Formula One season
, in one of the 250Fs. Of the 31 entrants only half set a time good enough to qualify, with de Filippis missing out alongside fellow debutant and future Formula One Management and Formula One Administration president Bernie Ecclestone
. De Filippis' time of 1'50.8 was 5.8 seconds behind the qualifying time of the fastest 16 which included future world champions Mike Hawthorn
, Jack Brabham
, and Graham Hill
in his first race. Fangio gave de Filippis plenty of advice during the season. In a 2006 interview she recalled that Fangio told her "You go too fast, you take too many risks".
The 1958 Belgian Grand Prix
allowed all drivers to compete with no cut-off for a qualifying time. De Filippis qualified in last place, nearly 44 seconds off Tony Brooks
' pole position time. Although she was lapped twice in the 24 lap race she managed to finish, albeit in 10th and last place after nine other cars failed to finish. This would prove to be her only race finish.
At the following race, the French Grand Prix
at Reims-Gueux
on 6 July 1958, de Fillipis was unable to compete. She claimed in her 2006 interview that the French race director said "The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser's" and that he prevented her from taking part.
De Filippis had a poor result at the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix
in August. She qualifying in last place more than 15 seconds slower than the car ahead of her and only lasted six laps before her engine failed. On 7 September 1958, she started her home Grand Prix
at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza
from last place. She completed 57 of the 70 laps before having to retire with engine problems. As the 14th and final retirement out of 21, she could be classified as finishing eighth.
De Filippis joined the Behra-Porsche
RSK
team for but again failed to qualify at the Monaco Grand Prix
. Her time of 1'47.8 was only 3 seconds off the lowest qualifying pace and a further 1 second behind team mate Wolfgang von Trips. It was her final attempt at Grand Prix qualification, though she was still active in motor racing.
died in a racing accident on 1 August 1959 while driving in the sports car support race for the 1959 German Grand Prix
at AVUS
. De Filippis was supposed to drive at that event and was devastated by deaths of several friends during her time in the sport and especially that of Behra. She left the circuit and turned her back on motor racing for 20 years.
De Filippis married in 1960 and started a family. She kept away from all forms of motor racing until 1979 when she joined the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers, going on to take the role of Vice-President in 1997. She was also a founding member of the Maserati Club in 2004 and would go on to become its chairman.
competed between 1974 and 1976 and remains the only female to have finished a Formula One race in a point-scoring position. Three other women competed in the sport, most recently Giovanna Amati
in 1992.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
. She participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1958, but scored no championship points. Though largely unsuccessful in her Formula One racing career she won races in other series and is remembered as a pioneer in the sport.
Biography
De Filippis was born on 11 November 1926 in NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. She was a keen horse rider in her teenage years.
Starting out in motor racing
At the age of 22, de Filippis began her racing career. Two of her brothers told her that she would not be able to go very fast, goading her and making a bet that she would be slow. She won her first race, driving a Fiat 500Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of the Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa....
on a 10 km drive between Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
and Cava de' Tirreni
Cava de' Tirreni
Cava de’ Tirreni is a city and comune in the region of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 10 km northwest of the town of Salerno...
. She went on to drive in the Italian sports car championship, finishing second in the 1954 season. Seeing her potential, Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
brought her in as the works driver.
De Filippis took part in various motor racing events, including hillclimbing
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
and endurance racing, before being given the chance to drive in Formula One.
Formula One career
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
won the drivers title in a Maserati 250F
Maserati 250F
The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.-Mechanical details:...
, his fifth and final championship win. The team officially withdrew from the sport at the end of the year but many of the cars remained, being driven by privateers. On 18 May 1958 de Filippis was given the opportunity to enter the Monaco Grand Prix
1958 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 18 May 1958 at Monaco. It was the second round of the 1958 Formula One season.- Race report :...
, the second round of the 1958 Formula One season
1958 Formula One season
The 1958 Formula One season was the ninth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1958 World Championship of Drivers which commenced on January 19, 1958, and ended on October 19 after eleven races...
, in one of the 250Fs. Of the 31 entrants only half set a time good enough to qualify, with de Filippis missing out alongside fellow debutant and future Formula One Management and Formula One Administration president Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
. De Filippis' time of 1'50.8 was 5.8 seconds behind the qualifying time of the fastest 16 which included future world champions Mike Hawthorn
Mike Hawthorn
John Michael Hawthorn was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.-Racing career:...
, Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....
, and Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
in his first race. Fangio gave de Filippis plenty of advice during the season. In a 2006 interview she recalled that Fangio told her "You go too fast, you take too many risks".
The 1958 Belgian Grand Prix
1958 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1958 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 15 June 1958 at Spa-Francorchamps. It was the 19th Belgian Grand Prix and it was held over 24 laps of the 14 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 339 kilometres....
allowed all drivers to compete with no cut-off for a qualifying time. De Filippis qualified in last place, nearly 44 seconds off Tony Brooks
Tony Brooks
Charles Anthony Standish Brooks is a British former racing driver from England also known as the "racing dentist"...
' pole position time. Although she was lapped twice in the 24 lap race she managed to finish, albeit in 10th and last place after nine other cars failed to finish. This would prove to be her only race finish.
At the following race, the French Grand Prix
1958 French Grand Prix
The 1958 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 6, 1958. The race was marred by Scuderia Ferrari driver Luigi Musso's fatal accident at the Muzione hairpin. His Ferrari hurtled off course and crashed into a ditch...
at Reims-Gueux
Reims-Gueux
Reims-Gueux was a triangular motor racing road course near Reims, France, which hosted 14 French Grands Prix.Reims-Gueux was first established in 1926 on the public roads between the small French villages of Thillois and Gueux. The circuit had two very long straights between the towns, and teams...
on 6 July 1958, de Fillipis was unable to compete. She claimed in her 2006 interview that the French race director said "The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser's" and that he prevented her from taking part.
De Filippis had a poor result at the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix
1958 Portuguese Grand Prix
The 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuito da Boavista, Oporto on 24 August 1958.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Stirling Moss - 2:34.21*Fastest Lap: Mike Hawthorn - 2:32.37-Standings after the race:...
in August. She qualifying in last place more than 15 seconds slower than the car ahead of her and only lasted six laps before her engine failed. On 7 September 1958, she started her home Grand Prix
1958 Italian Grand Prix
The 1958 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1958.- Classification :* No points awarded for shared drive- Notes :*Pole position: Stirling Moss - 1:40.5*Fastest Lap: Phil Hill - 1:42.9...
at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
from last place. She completed 57 of the 70 laps before having to retire with engine problems. As the 14th and final retirement out of 21, she could be classified as finishing eighth.
De Filippis joined the Behra-Porsche
Behra-Porsche
Behra-Porsche was a Formula One constructor competing briefly in 1960.The company was founded by Jean Behra, an established French racer. He had been driving a Ferrari D246 in 1959 but was dismissed from the team after the French GP...
RSK
Porsche 718
The Porsche 718 is an open-cockpit racing car build by Porsche between 1957 and 1962.The 718 was a development of the already successful 550A with improvements being made to the body work and suspension. The new front frame resembled the letter K if viewed from the front and this led to the car...
team for but again failed to qualify at the Monaco Grand Prix
1959 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1959 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 10, 1959. It was the opening round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 17th Monaco Grand Prix...
. Her time of 1'47.8 was only 3 seconds off the lowest qualifying pace and a further 1 second behind team mate Wolfgang von Trips. It was her final attempt at Grand Prix qualification, though she was still active in motor racing.
Racing retirement
1958 was a tragic year in Formula One with the death of several drivers. Porsche team leader Jean BehraJean Behra
Jean Marie Behra was a Formula One driver who raced for the Gordini, Maserati, BRM, Ferrari and Porsche teams.-Appearance and personality:...
died in a racing accident on 1 August 1959 while driving in the sports car support race for the 1959 German Grand Prix
1959 German Grand Prix
The 1959 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße in West Berlin on August 2, 1959. It was the 21st German Grand Prix and was only the second time the race was not held at the Nürburgring. AVUS had previously held the original German Grand...
at AVUS
AVUS
The Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße, better known as AVUS, is a public road that was also used as a motor racing circuit. It is located in the south-western districts of Berlin, Germany, between Charlottenburg and Nikolassee, and is nowadays an important part of the public highway system, as...
. De Filippis was supposed to drive at that event and was devastated by deaths of several friends during her time in the sport and especially that of Behra. She left the circuit and turned her back on motor racing for 20 years.
De Filippis married in 1960 and started a family. She kept away from all forms of motor racing until 1979 when she joined the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers, going on to take the role of Vice-President in 1997. She was also a founding member of the Maserati Club in 2004 and would go on to become its chairman.
Legacy
De Filippis was a pioneer in motor racing, a sport dominated by men, and no woman would race in Formula One for a further 15 years. Fellow Italian Lella LombardiLella Lombardi
Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was a racing driver from Italy.Born in Frugarolo, she participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 20, 1974...
competed between 1974 and 1976 and remains the only female to have finished a Formula One race in a point-scoring position. Three other women competed in the sport, most recently Giovanna Amati
Giovanna Amati
Giovanna Amati is a former professional race car driver from Italy. She is best known as the last female driver to have entered the Formula One World Championship.- Career :...
in 1992.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 1958 Formula One season The 1958 Formula One season was the ninth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1958 World Championship of Drivers which commenced on January 19, 1958, and ended on October 19 after eleven races... |
Maria Teresa de Filippis | Maserati Maserati in motorsport Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:... 250F Maserati 250F The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.-Mechanical details:... |
Maserati Maserati in motorsport Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:... Straight-6 Straight-6 The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase... |
ARG 1958 Argentine Grand Prix The 1958 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 19 January 1958 at Buenos Aires. It was the first round of the 1958 Formula One season.The race was won by Stirling Moss in Rob Walker's privately-entered Cooper T43... |
MON 1958 Monaco Grand Prix The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 18 May 1958 at Monaco. It was the second round of the 1958 Formula One season.- Race report :... DNQ |
NED 1958 Dutch Grand Prix The 1958 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 May 1958 at Zandvoort. It was the third round of the 1958 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Stuart Lewis-Evans - 1:37.1* Fastest Lap: Stirling Moss - 1:37.6... |
500 1958 Indianapolis 500 The 1958 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Friday, May 30, 1958 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the fourth round of the 1958 World Drivers' Championship.... |
BEL 1958 Belgian Grand Prix The 1958 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 15 June 1958 at Spa-Francorchamps. It was the 19th Belgian Grand Prix and it was held over 24 laps of the 14 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 339 kilometres.... 10 |
FRA 1958 French Grand Prix The 1958 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 6, 1958. The race was marred by Scuderia Ferrari driver Luigi Musso's fatal accident at the Muzione hairpin. His Ferrari hurtled off course and crashed into a ditch... |
GBR 1958 British Grand Prix The 1958 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 19 July 1958 at Silverstone.- Classification :* replacing Bernie Ecclestone - Notes :* Pole position: Stirling Moss - 1:39.4* Fastest Lap: Mike Hawthorn - 1:40.8... |
GER 1958 German Grand Prix The 1958 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 3 August 1958 at Nürburgring.To increase participation, the organizers opened the field to Formula 2 cars. Also, the race distance was shortened to 15 laps from 22 previously... |
ITA 1958 Italian Grand Prix The 1958 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1958.- Classification :* No points awarded for shared drive- Notes :*Pole position: Stirling Moss - 1:40.5*Fastest Lap: Phil Hill - 1:42.9... Ret |
MOR 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix The 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Ain-Diab Circuit, Casablanca on October 19, 1958.- Classification :- Notes :* Hawthorn and Moss came into this race with a chance for the championship.** Hawthorn needed 2nd.... |
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| Scuderia Centro Sud Scuderia Centro Sud Scuderia Centro Sud was a privateer racing team founded by Guglielmo "Mimmo" Dei that entered various Formula One and sports car between 1956 and 1965.... |
POR 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuito da Boavista, Oporto on 24 August 1958.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Stirling Moss - 2:34.21*Fastest Lap: Mike Hawthorn - 2:32.37-Standings after the race:... Ret |
|||||||||||||||
| 1959 1959 Formula One season The 1959 Formula One season included the 10th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 10, 1959, and ended on December 12 after nine races... |
Dr Ing F Porsche KG | Behra-Porsche Behra-Porsche Behra-Porsche was a Formula One constructor competing briefly in 1960.The company was founded by Jean Behra, an established French racer. He had been driving a Ferrari D246 in 1959 but was dismissed from the team after the French GP... RSK Porsche 718 The Porsche 718 is an open-cockpit racing car build by Porsche between 1957 and 1962.The 718 was a development of the already successful 550A with improvements being made to the body work and suspension. The new front frame resembled the letter K if viewed from the front and this led to the car... (F2) |
Porsche Flat-4 Flat-4 A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase... |
MON 1959 Monaco Grand Prix The 1959 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 10, 1959. It was the opening round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 17th Monaco Grand Prix... DNQ |
500 1959 Indianapolis 500 The 1959 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 30, 1959. The event was part of the 1959 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :*Fastest Lead Lap: Johnny Thomson - 1:01.89... |
NED 1959 Dutch Grand Prix The 1959 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on May 31, 1959. It was the ninth Dutch Grand Prix. The race was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 314 kilometres.... |
FRA 1959 French Grand Prix The 1959 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on July 5, 1959. It was the fourth round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 37th French Grand Prix and the twelfth to be held at the Reims-Gueux highway circuit and the fourth to be held on the longer and faster 8.348 km... |
GBR 1959 British Grand Prix The 1959 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Aintree Circuit on 18 July 1959. It was the fifth round of the 1959 Formula One season. It was the 14th British Grand Prix and the third to be held at the Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, a circuit mapped out in the grounds of the... |
GER 1959 German Grand Prix The 1959 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße in West Berlin on August 2, 1959. It was the 21st German Grand Prix and was only the second time the race was not held at the Nürburgring. AVUS had previously held the original German Grand... |
POR 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix The 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monsanto on August 23, 1959. It was the eighth Portuguese Grand Prix and the second to be held for the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. It was the third time the race was held at Monsanto and the first for Formula One... |
ITA 1959 Italian Grand Prix The 1959 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 13, 1959.- Race report :This race was won on the weight of the cars, with Stirling Moss and Rob Walker gambling on running the whole race without a tyre change in the little lightweight Cooper - although they... |
USA 1959 United States Grand Prix The 1959 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on December 12, 1959 at Sebring International Raceway.__FORCETOC__-Summary:Russian-born Alec Ulmann's dream of an American Grand Prix was realized in December, 1959 when 19 entries, including six American drivers, arrived in Florida for... |
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