Women in Formula 1: Pride of the Past – Fear for the Future
Formula 1.
A sport well-known around the world.
A sport that takes place in the circuits of 21 countries every year.
A sport dominated by men since its establishment in 1950.
A sport in which many think that women have no place.
Despite the sport’s reputation as a male-dominated industry, many spectacular women have made their mark both as drivers and key figures behind the scenes.
One of these amazing women is Maria Teresa de Filippis. An Italian-born racing driver and the first woman to ever race in Formula 1. Her racing career began, outside of F1, with a 10km race between Salerno and Cava de’ Tirreni, which she won in a Fiat 500. This motivated her to compete in the Italian sports car championship in 1954. Maserati soon recognized her talent and brought her in as a works driver – a professional racer officially contracted and paid by the manufacturer like Ferrari or Mercedes, to race for their factory-backed team. She finished second in a Maserati 200S in a sports car race supporting the 1956 Naples Grand Prix.
Her official career in Formula 1 began in 1958 when de Filippis was first given the chance to drive a Formula 1 car. On May 18th of the same year, Maria Teresa de Filippis took the opportunity and entered the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, driving a Maserati 250F. Out of the 31 beginners, only 16 had a good enough time to qualify for the race. De Filippis was not one of the qualifying drivers, but her time of 1:50.8 was 5.8 seconds behind the times of the 16 qualifying drivers. Maria Teresa de Filippis had five entries into Formula 1: the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix, the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix, the 1958 Monza Grand Prix, which was also her home race, and the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix. The only race that was considered “good” was the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix, in which she qualified 19th with a Maserati 250F and finished 10th.
While de Filippis broke barriers by becoming the first woman to race in F1, it was her Italian coworker, Maria Grazia “Lella” Lombardi who made history by scoring the first-ever championship point for a female driver. She made her debut in Formula 1 in 1974. She made history at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix by being the first woman to ever score a point/half a point in a Formula 1 race. The race lasted only 23 laps, full loops around the track, before being halted due to multiple crashes. Lombardi had to retire early due to a fuel system problem but still secured sixth place. Because the race ended before 75% of the scheduled distance, drivers were only awarded half points, making Lombardi the first and only woman in history to score in F1.
Decades later, women continue to carve out their place in Formula 1, and not just on the track, but in leadership roles as well. One of the most well-known figures today is Susie Wolff- the current Managing Director of F1 Academy, a female-only, Formula 4-level single-seater racing championship, founded by the Formula One Group. She started her career as most drivers in the motorsport industry do – by karting. After that, she moved on to Formula Renault and then to Formula Three. In 2021, she signed with Williams in F1 to work as a development driver. She later made her debut by becoming the first woman to participate in an F1 practice race weekend in 22 years, by participating at the 2014 British Grand Prix in Silverstone. She last competed at the Race of Champions in 2015 before announcing her retirement. In 2023, Wolff became the director of the F1 Academy – a female-only, Formula-4 level single-seater racing championship founded by the Formula 1 Group.
Another spectacular woman in the current F1 world is Hannah Schmitz – the Principal Strategy Engineer at Red Bull. She is the mastermind behind a lot or almost all of the Red Bulls’ wins since 2021 and is responsible for often making significant and split-second strategic decisions. One of her defining moments came at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix when she made the bold call to pit Max Verstappen three times – despite the risk of losing time and falling behind Lewis Hamilton. Her bold strategy ultimately secured Verstappen’s victory, while cementing Schmitz’s reputation as a mastermind of race strategy despite just returning from maternity leave.
These four women are just a handful of all of the amazing and talented women working in Formula 1. Not just these four, but every woman, who has worked there or is currently working there, gives reason to the fans to be proud that women are taking up such big and important roles in a usually male-dominated sport and industry. But can this always be the case? Can women truly feel like they are a part of this sport? Of this industry?
There will always be obstacles for women in whatever industry they are in: being underestimated, having kids, taking care of their family and household, etc.
In a such male-dominated industry as motorsport, it is not uncommon for men in powerful positions to try and sometimes successfully take advantage of women working there.
One such example is the sex scandal that shook Formula 1 before the beginning of the 2024 season last year.
Just before the start of the 2024 season, Formula 1 was rocked by a major controversy, a sex scandal. Christian Horner, team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, was accused of “inappropriate, controlling behavior” by one of his female employees in February of 2024. A three-week investigation against Horner was launched by an external lawyer, during which Horner was interviewed for 9 hours. In the end, he was cleared of all allegations and deemed innocent. However, just the next day after a verdict, a series of WhatsApp screenshots of the text messages between Horner and the female employee were leaked to the public, causing further speculation amongst people in Formula 1.
Despite everything, the first public appearance of Red Bull’s team principal was at the Bahrain Grand Prix, alongside his wife Geri Horner, a former member of ‘The Spice Girls’. At the time Christian Horner said:
“I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way… I remain fully focused on the start of the season.”
However, not everyone was satisfied with the way Red Bull is handling the case. Joe Verstappen, father of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, openly criticized this situation by saying:
“There is a tension here while he remains in his position. The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode.”
The female employee, as was later found out, was suspended with full pay.
To end the whole situation, RedBull GmbH released an official statement affirming that Horner had been cleared following an appeal:
“Earlier this year a complaint raised against Christian Horner was investigated. That complaint was dealt with through the company’s grievance procedure by the appointment of an independent KC who dismissed the grievance.…. All stages of the appeal process have now been concluded, with the final outcome that the appeal is not upheld. Red Bull has accepted and adopted the KC’s conclusions. …The company respects the privacy of all its employees and will not be making further public comments on this matter at this time. Red Bull is committed to continuing to meet the highest workplace standards.”
The presence of women in male-dominated fields, including F1, is growing, but challenges remain. From classic and outdated stereotypes of not being capable to the pressure of balancing family life and sometimes even serious and traumatizing cases, this path is never easy. And in a sport where power and influence often lie in the hands of men, women continue to face obstacles, frequently in ways far beyond the race track. The shocking sex scandal that shook Formula 1 before the 2024 season is a stark reminder that progress is not always simple.
So the question remains: Is F1 truly evolving and including more women, or will women always be seen as outsiders in sports dominated by men?
Author: Desi Krasteva
Visual: Amelie Grace Hartadi