She is the only woman to date in Formula One history to score points when she finished 6th at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix and picked up half a point. Lombardi was the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch and raced in sports cars. [12] Lombardi is considered an F1 trailblazer, after which women increasingly joined Formula One in many capacities aside from driving. I wish we could know what Lombardis career could have been had she been listened to in F1, if shed been more adamant at being the center of attention now and again. Race stopped after 29/75 Laps. Create your free account today and explore our weekly auctions curated by our team of experts. Born Maria Grazia 'Lella' Lombardi in Frugarolo, Italy, and so far the only woman to have registered a top six finish in a World Championshop Grand Prix, she took half a point for finishing in 6th place in the prematurely terminated 1975 Spanish GP at Barcelona's Montjuich Park. Lombardi's place in motorsport history is firmly fixed. She would just say to me, Marie, I have to do Formula 1., READ MORE: 5 reasons F1 fans are still in awe of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. She was tough and had great duration.. Lombardis friends remember her fondly as someone humble who enjoyed her life but understood its difficulties. Having coped with her Chevrolets worsening transmission problem, Lombardi chose not to restart after a long stoppage for rain and was classified 31st. She learned how to drive behind the wheel of the delivery van for her familys butcher shop. Cowell continued driving after her transition, winning the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb. Had Lombardi not begun to get sicklater discovered to be breast cancershe likely would have continued in racing past the late 80s, when she was forced to retire. Look for the latest news stories and features, sent straight to your inbox! This was followed by the car being impounded at its next race in Germany, as the team had a dispute with a former driver. Nationality She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. In '74 the title was won by Bob Evans in a T332. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Starting in karting and moving to Formula Monza and Formula Three, Lombardi advanced through racing until she reached Formula One. However, this race only lasted 23 laps until Lombardi was forced to retire with a fuel system problem. Pete Lyons summed up the mess that FormulaOne stumbled into at this race: "The first 1975 GP in Europe was an unmitigated debacle. She raced a Lola-Chevrolet and finished fourteenth, but wasnt qualified. Her best result was ninth at Riverside, but notably when James qualified 11th at Ontario, Lella was only two places behind the man who would be world champion in 1976. Lella Lombardi remains the only woman on F1's score sheet, but her passion brought impressive racing achievements elsewhere, too Montjuich 1975: Lella Lombardi hustles her March to sixth place and the only GP point for a woman albeit halved by the shortened race DPPI Author Paul Fearnley 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Discover moreclassic cars| classic motorcycles and scooters, The story of the woman who invented the road trip, Attic stories: engines and ingenuity with Paola Lagnena, The customisable Mini Coopers that everyone wanted. She was also the only woman to score a point (in a fact half . Join Facebook to connect with Lella Lombardi and others you may know. In 1974, Lombardi became the first woman to race at the Race of Champions at Brand Hatch. She was third behind Keith Holland and champion-elect Bob Evans when a race at Snetterton was temporarily halted after six laps because of rain, then finished fifth after a collision with Holland while fighting for the lead on the restart. ), (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap), (key) (note: results shown in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap), (key) (Bold Pole position awarded by qualifying time. F1 Unlocked, F1 2023: Star drivers, standout teams and surprise stories Our writers give their predictions ahead of the new F1 season, What the teams said Friday practice in Bahrain, F2: Pourchaire takes impressive pole in Sakhir. With Elfords help, Lombardi and Beckers had accepted an invitation to contest Daytonas Firecracker 400 on Independence Day, along with home star Janet Guthrie. I don't know how you can positively spin that as earning it on merit. But she was a fighter and never gave up even through the operations. There was some consolation that year when Lombardi found herself qualified to enter the Race of Champions, becoming the first ever woman to do so. Lombardis involvement was short lived as she died of breast cancer on the 3rd March 1992 at the untimely age of fifty. [3] Lella Lombardi was also one of the first female racers in a same-sex relationship. Lombardis place in motorsport history is firmly fixed. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 0 Motorcycle clubs were once a sanctuary for gay men and the first road trip ever conducted was pioneered by a woman. It was something of a publicity stunt. That didnt mean it was a wholly unsuccessful year. Lella Lombardi Career Later that season, partnered by Giorgio Francia, she won the Vallelunga Six Hours; the pair would go on to win the 1981 Mugello Six Hours as well. We miss her passion, determination and modesty., Lombardi checked into Milans San Camillo Clinic in February 1992 and died on March 3, days short of her 51st birthday. Lella only complained about the inequality of Formula 1 because nobody had listened to her about changes for the car. Please update your cookie preferences, WATCH: F1 for beginners Everything you need to know about F1 ahead of the new season, Live Blog If shed been a bit more glamorous perhaps more people would have noticed.. She won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. Driving Line Accelerating Automotive Passion by providing a fresh angle of what fuels us. She remembered how foreign people appreciated her but at the same time she wanted to be known in Italy despite the difficulties of being accepted in a very male world.. On reflection, however, he was probably looking after himself.. She also competed four times at the 24 hours of Le Mans, where she finished 20th in 1976 in a Lancia Stratos Turbo. Her best results 4ths at Brands, Monza, Oulton Park and Mallory Park. Anyone seriously expecting the Italian girl to qualify for a place on the grid must show a lamentable knowledge of Grand Prix racing today, but this is no reflection on her efforts, which were very commendable.. But I dont think he ever did a flying lap in that car. While she remains one of the elite few women who've raced in Formula One, and the only of them to gain a score, motorsport continues to evolve, and in many ways, reflects the social progress seen elsewhere. In 1975, Lombardi joined the March team for a full seasonat that time alongside the macho Vittorio Brambilla (nicknamed the Monza Gorilla) and Hans-Joachim Stuck. Wed just started the ShellSPORT Celebrity Series [for Escort Mexicos] and my wife Angela invited her to compete at Brands Hatch in July. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. First Race 0 Held in Barcelona's Parc de Montjuc, later the site of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, the race passed into legend for other reasons. Wikipedia. For a long time, motorsports was defined by its fraternal culturethe big, Cowell continued driving after her transition, winning the 1957, Bid on over 65,000 special objects every week, selected by 240+ experts, the first road trip ever conducted was pioneered by a woman. But it seemed to be the most fruitful option for a woman looking to continue behind the wheel due to how many options were available for her. Leena Gade is one of a growing number of female engineers in the sport, with multiple Le Mans victories to her credit while working for AudiSport. Certainly, she would have achieved better results. Only when Ronnie Peterson described the same handling characteristic in 1976 did the penny begin to drop. When Lella Lombardi climbed out of her Matra after the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, she didnt believe shed done anything unique. She was passionate about racing. She was a racing driver first and foremost. She didnt care. View the profiles of people named Lella Lombardi. That includes both domestic and international flights. I first met her that year when she and Fiorenza asked my husband Bruno to help create a team, says Remondi. * Most laps led. As Angela Webb, one of the race promoters who knew Lella, says in a retrospective in Motorsport Magazine: She stayed in Italy and flew to each race, yet never asked for expenses. She had raced hard against some of the best drivers in the world, and she finished in sixth place. In 1975 Lombardi took part in all F1 championship weekends apart from the first two races, Argentina and Brazil. She finished 10th again in 1973, with a best of second place at Casale, in a Scuderia Italia Brabham BT41. Lombardi also competed numerous times at 24 Hours of Le Mans with her best result, a ninth place finish, coming in 1976. Still, shes always going to be known in history as one of the few women to take part in Formula Oneone of five women to enter a race, one of two women to start a race, and the only one who has ever scored points. She tried to blame her breast pain on a sailing injury, but her condition degenerated so rapidly that there was no way it could have been anything minor. With its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the first practice session of the new F1 season in Bahrain, WATCH: Ride onboard as Alonso sets the fastest lap in Friday practice in Bahrain, Hulkenberg points out area where Haas 'have a lot of work to do' despite taking P5 in FP2, 2003-2023 Formula One World Championship Limited. Many of the members of the March team expressed their regret at having been so resistant to her ideas, knowing that she could have become an open wheel success if only shed had a reliable car. She qualified. She told me shed been hit on her breast during a sailing trip and it hurt very much. Regardless of everything though, she still defined herself by her love of motorsports and is remembered by her words: I prefer to have an accident than to fall in love. Lombardis first F1 attempt was at the British Grand Prix in 1974 driving a Brabham supported by the Italian Automobile Club. The relationship between Lombardi and the team soured, ending her career with March. In 1979, she won the 6 hours of Pergusa and the 6 hours of Vallelunga. After a brief experience with karting as a child, Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, racing in Formula Monza. She never brought a girlfriend. Lella Lombardi (and every other woman to ever compete in F1 for that matter) is shit and didn't deserve to score anything. Finishing 14th at the season opener in Brazil, Lombardi then failed to qualify in Great Britain and Germany. Maria Grazia Lombardi was born in Piedmont, Italy, on March 26th 1941. PhotosCourtesy of and Copyright to Sutton Motorsport Images, Sign up for more restomod content to add horsepower to your inbox. At Catawiki, youll be surprised every week with the impressive selection of special objects we have on offer. As a greater number of females participate in entry-level racing from a young age, we will eventually see another one meet and surpass the groundbreaking achievements of Lella Lombardi. She was a loner, really. Her best result of the season would come at her last Grand Prix, 12th place in Austria. Born near Turin, Italy, neither of Lombardis parents knew how to drive. She qualified 7 seconds off pole in P24 and got half a point because there were 18 DNFs, 5 people died and the race was abandoned. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. Check here for latest versions. By the time she arrived at Monaco in early June she had scored half of the six victories that would help her become Italys Ford Escort Mexico Challenge champion. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. She was the first woman since Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958 to qualify in a championship F1 event. People were staring and peeping. It was in one of the formers nimble BMW-engined 2-litre prototypes that Lombardi became the first woman to win a round of an FIA-sanctioned world championship: the 1979 Enna Six Hours, co-driven by hillclimb specialist Enrico Grimaldi. She was in an unreliable car whose problems were only intensified by the fact that the mechanics didnt take Lombardi seriously when she reported complaints to do with the handling. Women began competing as grand-prix racing drivers as early as 1958, when Anna-Maria de Fillipis competed in three Formula One events. Others obsessed about her gender and sexuality, but Lella couldnt care less about any of that. Formula One World ChampionshipCareer Statistics We gave Ronnie a new chassis for Monaco after his misunderstanding with Carlos Reutemann in Belgium, says Herd. We invite you to get behind the wheel with us, it's certain to be an interesting drive. And they finished 11th at Le Mans, despite a long delay because of an electrical glitch that stranded Beckers without engine or headlights; her resourceful fix surprised the team. By creating your free Catawiki account, youll be able to bid on any of our 65,000 special objects up for auction every week. She remained an active racer until 1970 and her legacy lives on today. Motorsports have always been popular with all kinds of people. While failing to qualify, Pete Lyons, arguably the leading F1 journalist of that era, nevertheless described Lombardi'sintroduction to the world of Formula One like this: "Lella Lombardi drove her BT42 the same chassis with which Pace failed to qualify in France in a brisk enough, and clean enough, manner to impress people favourably.". Enjoying his most competitive spell of F1, and with time against him at 37, the oldest man in the field can perhaps be excused his lack of concern for a friend and future co-driver. Lella was far from being the first female female pioneer in racing. Sadly, after a breast injury in 1985 she started to suffer from the cancer that finally claimed her on March 3, 1992 in Milans San Camillo Clinic, days short of her 51st birthday. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Italian racing driver (1941-1992) Lombardi at 1975 Dutch Grand Prix. Or become a seller if you've got a car to sell. Lella was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. Michele Mouton came within a whisker of becoming the World Rally Champion, Lilian Bryner has won the Spa 24 Hours, and Sabine Schmitz has twice triumphed at the Nrburgring 24. There were two other female drivers in the field: American Janet Guthrie and Belgian Christine Beckers. Three years later, she was the runner up in Italys Formula Three and in 1970 she raced in the Italian Formula 850 series and won the entire thing (racking up an impressive four wins in the competition). [5] She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. Neither of her parents drove and Lella, as she became known, enjoyed her earliest experiences behind the wheel from driving the delivery truck for her father's salami factory. Frugarolo. People were staring and peeping. While she had some poor seasons behind the wheel of poor cars, she also could consistently log top ten finishes. Nine tenths shy of the grid, she had, in a better car admittedly, lapped as quickly as Tom Bels and faster than Vern Schuppan, John Nicholson, Howden Ganley, Wilds and Leo Kinnunen. Cowell had a family, she was a war veteran and an avid motoring enthusiast and racer. Yes, I would like to receive communications including news, special offers. We knew what shed done beforehand and clearly she was very capable.. Remondi told Motorsport Magazine: She would often speak of sacrifices. Lombardi was within 1.1 seconds of John Watsons sister car by Thursdays end and had improved by three tenths when a broken driveshaft denied her a final Friday push. The F1 cars of that time were no easy feat to manage worlds away from the control of today. Maria Grazia Lombardi "Lella" Lombardi was a talented and brave driver, racing in Formula One from1974 to 1976. Im not terribly conscious of there being a difference between male and female in this sort of thing. Lombardi finished 31st. The race only continued for four more laps before it was stopped. [8] That winter, she met an Italian nobleman, Count Vittorio Zanon, who sponsored her entrance into F1. Lombardi was a versatile racer and tried her hand at numerous disciplines throughout her career. Lella was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. And their respect. And post-war, we had Maria Teresa de Filippis a bold trailblazer herself French sportscar racer and rallyist Marie-Claude Beaumont, Desire Wilson, Deborah Gregg, Olympic skier Davina Galica, Lella herself and Giovanna Amati. Sidste udgave: Lella Lombardi, Williams-Ford, USAs Grand Prix 1975, Watkins Glen. Facebook gives people the power. It won't be long until we find out For a better experience, keep your browser up to date. 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. She and Fiorenza were a beautiful couple, reserved; the spotlight was never on them. She was sure of her illness by 1985. Showing Editorial results for lella lombardi. Mar 2020 - Present2 years 11 months. This perhaps shows us how much attention was paid to the lives of female racers at the time. Born The damaged monocoque was still in the workshop so we took it apart and discovered a crack in its cast-magnesium rear bulkhead. [10], Lombardi retired from racing in 1988. There were only two drivers per car back then, and we managed the two-and-a-bit-hour stints easily. Unfortunately, a major miscalculation in the Jean Sage-run team led to their retirement, when they ran out of fuel. The Daily Mail branded her the Tigress of Turin in the lead up to the race. She also beat Maurizio Flamminis March to win a heat at Vallelunga. This was back in 1936 and by 1939 shed competed in the Antwerp Grand Prix. Lombardi is commemorated by a sculpture in her birthplace, Frugarolo. Though Zanon, a huge fan of Petersons, smoothed matters by helping her find employment elsewhere, the transition was not without problem. Last Race In the 1970s, ROC was more of an all star race than the challenge runs in different cars that it is today. She was also a lesbian but Lombardis sexuality was never center stage. 26 March 1941(1941-03-26)Frugarolo, Italy Points Theres a lot of glamour surrounding the first girl to do Motor well in Formula One, but in some Sports ways the whole business is overrated. Maria Grazia Lombardi aka Lella Lombardi (1941-1992) was a female racing driver from Italy who recorded 17 participations (12 starts) in the Formula One World Championship between 1974 and 1976, setting the record as a woman who raced the most in Formula 1. Marie-Claude believes that she and Lella could have won Le Mans in 1975. Back then it was an endurance race rather than a sprint and we were quite competitive. She endeared herself to the media when she was asked how it felt to handle such big cars and replied: I dont have to carry it, I just have to drive it., WATCH: 10 iconic Williams moments as the team reach 750 GPs at Monaco. Born Maria Grazia Lombardi on the 26th March 1941, Lomardi grew up in Frugarolo in the Piedmont area of Italy, where her first job saw her drive the delivery van for her familys butcher shop. As a trans woman, Cowell won the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb, one of the worlds oldest motorsports events. Purtroppo, il 3 marzo del 1992, morta di cancro. On retirement from racing in 1988, Lombardi formed her own team Lombardi Autosport. Lella Lombardi races, wins and teams | Motorsport Database - Motor Sport Magazine Find out about British F1 driver, Lella Lombardi, their career, history and character information incl. She was not interested in music, reading, culture or anything else. The likes of Tony Brise, Brian Henton, Alan Jones, Larry Perkins and Danny Sullivan didnt even make Monacos final. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. 1974 British Grand Prix Her career is defined by a success halfway taken away from her, let down by lack of sponsors and unreliable cars. During the 1980s Lombardi raced touring cars but her form struggled due to ill health - initially chest pains, although the reality would turn out to be much worse. Herd: Max [Mosley], a much better engineer than people might think, asked me if he could borrow Vittorio for a few laps. Amazingly, Lombardi also raced in NASCAR driving in the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway in 1977. The rest of the races were plagued with DNFs or an average finish of 14th place. Now she impressed racings international set by finishing 12th in F3s most prestigious race. Lombardi was not actually from Turin but rather the same area of Italy. The thing I like is the feeling when you pass the checkered flag first. Date of birth. After her Formula 1 career, Lombardi had success in sports car racing. You can set your cookie preferences using the toggles below. Lombardi was born in Frugarolo, a small town in Piedmont in Italy. Juan Manuel Fangio started in 1950 and had last race in 1958. Lombardi kept her personal affairs particularly quiet to protect the identity of her lover, Fiorenza. Half points awarded, Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance), Non-classified finish (<90% race distance). Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. Lella Lombardi was also one of the first female racers in a same-sex relationship. Lella Lombardi Driver Information Born 26 March 1941 Frugarolo, Italy Died 3 March 1992 (aged 50) Milan, Italy Nationality ITA Formula One World Championship Career Statistics Status Deceased World Titles 0 Races 18 (12 starts) Poles 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Fastest Laps 0 Points 0.5 First Race 1974 British Grand Prix Last Race 1976 Austrian Grand Prix At that time, sixth place was the final points-scoring position in a race. Originally from Frugarolo in Piedmont district of Italy, Lombardi climbed through the junior Formulas, becoming the Ford Escort Mexico Champion and putting on a very assured performance in the Monaco F3 race, ahead of then future World Champion, Alan Jones. She finished fifth overall, with four fourth places, two fifths and three sixths. I feel its simply a competitive sport. Lella Lombardi is still the only woman ever to score F1 championship points. Lella voted to race, with Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Ronnie Peterson, Vittorio Brambilla, Tony Brise, Jacky Ickx and Bob Evans sharing the idea. By then she was fighting the cancer that would eventually take her lifeMarch 1992 at the young age of 50. It was a deep irony that when Maria Grazia Lella Lombardi became the only woman to score a World Championship point in only her second GP, in Spain in a works March 751 in 1975 it was actually only half a point. Stamina was no problem, either, because you couldnt drive flat out back then and expect to last the distance.. Painful. Lella Lombardi Photo: Love Entertainment "That is a correct assessment, yes," she laughs. But the Italian would outlast the American in the race. 0 She tried to to form her own touring car team in 1989 with the help of Guisy Remondi, but Lombardis condition degenerated to the point where she was unable to run it. As one might expect, Lombardi turned her hand to endurance racing in both sports and touring cars racing at Le Mans on four occasions, including her final appearance when she partnered with Mark Thatcher, son of the British Prime Minister. The Grand Prix cars of the '70s were not very reliable, particularly the further down the grid you traveled. [4] Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (26 March 1941 - 3 March 1992) was a racing driver from Italy. Montjuich 1975: Lella Lombardi hustles her March to sixth place and the only GP point for a woman albeit halved by the shortened race. Despite these early successes, Lombardis career was marred with obstacles. (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap. I liked Lella a lot, Marie-Claude says. He was very ambitious and so we signed big names Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Henri Pescarolo to show that we meant business. Lombardis uncanny knack of pulling fish from the sea became apparent when they stayed on NASCAR boss Bill Frances boat in the Bahamas. Here, Lombardi ran her best race of the year according to observers, finishing seventh, just missing out on acquiring a full point. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Brambilla, perhaps never really pushing that car whenever he was asked to try it, never mentioned the handling problem, but Ronnie Peterson quickly noted it in 1976. Just racing and fishing.. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. She was taking home swaths of victories in the lower tiers of racing, ready to make a name for herself. Later she would race in NASCAR, sharing a Chevrolet with Janet Guthrie in Daytonas Firecracker 400 in 1977 but being classified only 31st after transmission problems. Where better to begin than with the most successful female F1 driver of all time: Lella Lombardi. With the race being stopped before three-fourths of the scheduled race distance was reached, only half points were awarded. In 1976 Lombardi was confirmed at March alongside Brambilla and Stuck. But history will remember that day differentlyit was the only time in the history of Formula One that a woman has ever scored points in a championship event. But even today we associate motorsports with something overly fraternal. Driver Information Search instead in Creative? Because it was a short race, Lombardi was only awarded a half of a point. She had an image to keep: Im tough so dont mess with me. With assistance from her partner Fiorenza, sister and brother-in-law, the Lella cover was soon blown by newsworthy results and, by 1967, she was contesting Italian Formula 3 in a Branca-Ford. This, and other good results, attracted attention, with whichLombardi obtained backing to try and run in the 1974 British Grand Prix. History of Motorsport . This piece offers a snapshot into some of Lombardis most impressive racing achievements. The subsequent 75 V6 model was less successful and so Lombardi, though she had managed an eighth place in the 1986 Spa 24 Hours co-driven by Drovandi and Roberto Castagna, switched to a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth for 1987. In 1974, Lombardi became the first woman to race at the Race of Champions at Brand Hatch. But its boss Charles James wanted to be involved lock, stock and barrel. Recognised by his signature yellow Brabham, Beuttler remained forever, a dash of colour in a grey field. She was very good and very quick, but though we were very different characters, we spent an evening early on discussing all that sort of thing. Well, I dont agree at all. Lella Lombardi died in March 1992 She was one of the few women that have raced the 24 hours of LeMans, witha best result of 4th. Lella Lombardi: Remembering F1's Female Trailblazer FORMULA 1 8.55M subscribers 131K views 11 months ago #F1 On the 30th anniversary of her death, we look back on the life and career of the. Lombardi is the most successful out of all five women who have competed in Formula 1. F1 Unlocked, LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Feature We would never fight. Beuttler was an excellent amateur driver and dabbled semi-professionally in F1, competing in a number of races over the years. Explore our range of classic cars and spark your own racing career. Progress would require a backwards step first. 2023 by Bump & Beyond. [13] Journalist Phil Pash reports that though Lombardi viewed racing as a masculine sport, she succeeded regardless because of her competitive spirit. [13] Among others who comment on the effects of Lombardis legacy is Matt Majendie, who writes about Jamie Chadwick. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix but the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson, who became available after breaking away from Lotus. From that peak it was back down to earth with a bump; Lombardi failed to qualify next in Monaco. One place and one lap behind him was Lombardi: the first and to date only woman to score a point in a world championship GP, but in a half-points race. Queer drivers are a case in point.