Italian Maria Teresa De Filippis, the first woman driver in the history of Formula One, died this Saturday at the age of 89.
De Filippis made his debut in 1958 in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix and achieved a historic tenth place in the Spa Race (Belgium).
The Neapolitan, born in 1926, came to motor racing after a bet with her brothers about how fast she could have driven, which ended with a triumph in her debut with a Fiat 500. In her career, De Filippis played three races in the 1958 season. , achieving a historic tenth place in Belgium.
The pilot withdrew from racing after the death of French team owner Jean Behra in a dramatic accident in the 1959 German race. “Too many friends have died,” De Filippis told the English newspaper The Observer in 2006.
However, despite being the first woman driver in the history of F1, the Italian assured that she never suffered from people’s prejudices.
“A race boss said that the only helmet a woman had to wear was that of the hairdresser. Apart from that, I don’t think I was biased, just surprises for my success, “he declared in an old interview with The Observer. EFE
María Teresa De Filippis, first female F1 driver, dies
