[4] Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. This was despite the fact that she maintained a great relationship with team owner Robin Herd, who spoke only. ", "The rest of the drivers proceeded to put on a display of shunting never before seen. 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. Stamina was no problem, either, because you couldnt drive flat out back then and expect to last the distance.. With the exception of Monaco, she qualified to start all of the remaining races. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Lombardi enjoyed a successful association with Osella. On her deathbed she asked us to continue the team to preserve what she had achieved. [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 was much more concerned by the settings than I was, great with the mechanics and very speedy. Her best results 4ths at Brands, Monza, Oulton Park and Mallory Park. 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. 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. The Nov. 15 event runs from 6:30-10 p.m. Lombardi made history at the 1975 . Lella was far from being the first female female pioneer in racing. A former butcher's delivery driver turned F1 racer, she's still the only woman to ever rack up F1 World Championship points and was lovingly known by the press as 'Turin's Tiger'. She worked hard to get what she wanted. 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. Petersons return from Lotus after the Brazilian GP also signalled the end of Lombardis time with March. And in 1976 she shared a Lancia Stratos Turbo with Christine Dacremont at Le Mans and finished 20th one lap and one place ahead of the Cosworth DFV-powered Inaltera of Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, Jean Rondeau and Belgiums Christine Beckers. The relationship between Lombardi and the team soured, ending her career with March. Queer drivers are a case in point. The first race that season was in South Africa, and Lombardi made it in. She was taking home swaths of victories in the lower tiers of racing, ready to make a name for herself. During one of the most controversial weekends in F1 history, set amid a notoriously dangerous Barcelona street circuit . 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. She won [from the third row, beating Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds] and we became very friendly and kept in touch. Her father found her passion for racing difficult to understand, but was secretly proud of her achievement when, in 1968, she finished runner-up to Franco Bernabei. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. [12] According to The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, because of Lella Lombardi, there are more women involved in other aspects of Formula One, especially "traditionally female" jobs such as modeling. 115 Lella Lombardi Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 115 lella lombardi stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. She moved up through the ranks of local racing and built her reputation as the Tigress of Turinwhen she finished second in the 1968 Italian Formula Three championship. We miss her passion, determination and modesty.. La Lombardi non aveva ancora compiuto 51 anni ed stata sepolta nel cimitero di Frugarolo, nell'alessandrino, suo paese natale. Sometimes Lella told us that she could have been rich and famous if she had stayed in America, but her feeling for Italy triumphed, says Giusy Remondi of Lella Lombardi Autosport. READ MORE: 10 F1 cars we wish were as quick as they looked, She crashed in Monaco and didnt qualify, finished seventh in Germany, 14th in Holland, 17th in Austria and 18th in France, and non-started a Williams FW04 in America. [2] 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 Companys sponsorship. She was a racing driver first and foremost. Lombardi practiced her skills behind an F1 car in several non-championship events. Thats something I dont have any problems sharing with my male colleagues. Having survived being held as a prisoner of war, she returned to racing after WWII, founding her own motor racing team in 1946 and competing in a number of races across Europe. 0 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. 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 moved on to Formula Three in 1968. In situations where options are slim, you have to take every opportunity that comes your way. After driving the delivery van for her familys butchers shop, she raced karts briefly, before saving everything she could to buy her first car, which she drove in Formula Monza in 1965. Lombardis first F1 attempt was at the British Grand Prix in 1974 driving a Brabham supported by the Italian Automobile Club. Where better to begin than with the most successful female F1 driver of all time: Lella Lombardi. 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). And their respect. World Titles Motorsports have always been popular with all kinds of people. Quite what Lombardi made of all of this confusion and acrimony is anyone's guess, but it took a great deal of intestinal fortitude and determination to climb aboard and race to a sixth place and half a point and a place in history. She remained an active racer until 1970 and her legacy lives on today. In 1989 she founded her own racing team, Lombardi Autosport.[11]. I really think that there are too many women who perhaps feel that motor racing is essentially a masculine affair. As a trans woman, Cowell won the 1957 Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb, one of the worlds oldest motorsports events. While apremature end to a life and career that had not reachedits full potential, Lella Lombardi nevertheless made her point; no one can take that away from her. ), She is commemorated by a bust in her birthplace Frugarolo, near Alessandria, and her eponymous team in Lombardy exists to this day. Though officials erected barricades and bosses manned the barriers because the drivers were rightly unamused by Montjuchs laughable Acme Inc Armco, the latter would eventually kowtow and race with a collective madness bar world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who stayed true to his word and refused to start. Technically, because he was regarded by many as only semi-closeted as he often brought a girlfriend along to his races though friends and colleagues say most of them knew and werent bothered by it. (Shed knocked off a year or two to avoid another prejudice. On retirement from racing in 1988, Lombardi formed her own team Lombardi Autosport. In fact we got zero PR from it. For a long time, motorsports was defined by its fraternal culturethe big cars, big engines and even bigger egosa high-octane experience that wasn't particularly accessible to people who didnt fit into the straight male mould. 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. Certainly, she would have achieved better results. 0 Speaking in this month's. Growing up an all-around sportswoman, Lombardi had the opportunity to become anything she wanted, but she didnt fall in love with racing until she was in her twenties. Lombardi kept her personal affairs particularly quiet to protect the identity of her lover, Fiorenza. We know who could win the F1 championship in 2023, but who will have the car to maximise their talent? The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix was cut short while Lombardi was running in sixth place. [6]. A start in the 1976 Brazil Grand Prix with a 14th place finish would be the end of Lombardi's career with the March team; she was then replaced by the great Ronnie Peterson. Lombardi was born in Frugarolo, a small town in Piedmont in Italy. [2] Initially, Lombardi tried to qualify for Formula One with a privately entered Brabham supported by the Italian Automobile Club but failed to qualify. 0 This was followed by the car being impounded at its next race in Germany, as the team had a dispute with a former driver. Something, however, did get lost in translation. In 1979 she won both the 6 hours of Pergusa and 6 hours of Vallelunga races. Herd: Max [Mosley], a much better engineer than people might think, asked me if he could borrow Vittorio for a few laps. In Formula One, more than any other branch of the sport, if you are not in the right car at the right time, then you stand little chance of success. 1975 would prove to be an eventful season for the March Team, as Lombardi scored a Championship point in the Spanish Grand Prix. 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. These were supposedly real mans cars with their big 5.0-litre V8 motors, but she handled them adroitly. Lombardi won the Fiat-engined Formula 850 Championship of 1970 in a Biraghi, scoring four victories at Monza against future F1 DNQ-ers Alberto Colombo and Giorgio Francia. Born in 1941 in Frugarolo, Italy, Lombardi first started driving as the delivery person for her family shop (they were butchers). But the Italian would outlast the American in the race. Delightful. 2023 by Bump & Beyond. Later that same year, partnered by Giorgio Francia, she won the Vallelunga Six Hours; they would win the 1981 Mugello Six Hours, too. She died of breast cancer in 1992 at the age of 50, survived by her partner Fiorenza, who had been by her side for much of her career. She raced in Italian F3 for the next two years, finishing 10th in the championship both times and beating rated hotshoe Maurizio Flammini in a heat at Vallelunga. Last Race 0 But she was a fighter and never gave up even through the operations. 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. Lella Lombardi Photo: Love Entertainment "That is a correct assessment, yes," she laughs. Born in Frugarolo, Piedmont, she participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 20 July 1974. She also raced a Lola and an Eagle for Francisco Mirs team in the US F5000 series, as team mate to rising star James Hunt. Into 1974 Epstein signed Lella Lombardi, she had come through Italian racing and European F3 and immediately impressed with her handling of HU18. Lombardi also competed numerous times at 24 Hours of Le Mans with her best result, a ninth place finish, coming in 1976. 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. The thing I like is the feeling when you pass the checkered flag first. 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. [14] Chadwick argues that for women entering Formula One in 2022, financial support is a greater obstacle than gender. We had a good relationship and we always agreed. Deceased Some team mates will use up the car letting their ego get in the way trying to beat you, but she had no ego there. Lombardi later raced in sports cars. We invite you to get behind the wheel with us, it's certain to be an interesting drive. 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. Painful. Maria Grazia Lombardi "Lella" Lombardi was a talented and brave driver, racing in Formula One from1974 to 1976. Lombardis place in motorsport history is firmly fixed. Maria Grazia Lombardi was born in Piedmont, Italy, on March 26th 1941. That she got as far as she did is a testament to her character. Lombardi enjoyed a successful association with Osella. Lombardi's performances in 1975 were hampered by a cracked rear bulkhead Robin Herd freely admitted in an interview we did in 2009 that he and Max Mosley had "had her over" in 1975, and said that he was most impressed with her performance finishing seventh at the Nurburgring in a race of attrition as she was battling with a puncture. Join Facebook to connect with Lella Lombardi and others you may know. 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's next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, saw her make history. Please update your cookie preferences, WATCH: F1 for beginners Everything you need to know about F1 ahead of the new season, Live Blog But finally everyone bowed to the pressure of. She was judged purely as a racing driver. At Catawiki, youll be surprised every week with the impressive selection of special objects we have on offer. 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. The F1 cars of that time were no easy feat to manage worlds away from the control of today. After she had finished 12th in the prestigious Monaco F3 support race, an impressed John Webb of Brands Hatch fame put her in his Celebrity Escort Mexico series, where she beat Jacques Laffite and Mike Wilds. Only a last minute threat by the race organisers to have the entirety of the Formula One equipment impounded by the police induced the drivers to practise in the last session. In 1979, she won the 6 hours of Pergusa and the 6 hours of Vallelunga. 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. She was tough and had great duration.. After a difficult and unrewarding ETCC campaign she failed to start the final round at Nogaro due to illness. Lella Lombardi From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Lombardi died of breast cancer in Milan on March 3, 1992. Bar a disappointing appearance at a Mallory Park round of the 1979 Aurora AFX F1 Championship in Zanons FW06, it would be sports cars, GTs and saloons from here on. Remondi told Motorsport Magazine: She would often speak of sacrifices. I totally trusted him. Upload media. As her former Formula 5000 teammate Ian Ashley noted to Motorsport Magazine: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. 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. While trying to avoid Stommelen as he crossed the track, Carlos Pace crashed, and five spectators were killed by Stommelen's flying car. Then, Lombardi briefly moved to RAM Racing, her best result being 12th at the Austrian Grand Prix. 26 March 1941. She was retired after 20 laps. 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. [15] As an example of successful women produced by Formula One,[16] Lombardi is credited with making Formula One accessible to women. The world in general, and motor racing in particular, was a less enlightened place in the mid-'70s than present day. Her claim to fame is shes the only woman driver to score points in Formula 1, but even that was cut in half. That she was a woman was an irrelevancy to Lella. Tatiana Calderon follows in their wheeltracks this season. ITA She also beat Maurizio Flamminis March to win a heat at Vallelunga. 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. In 1975 Lombardi took part in all F1 championship weekends apart from the first two races, Argentina and Brazil. 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. She was survived by her partner, Fiorenza. They were better than her only championship event that year, just only just. Her success gave visibility to trans people and a narrative the public hadnt come into contact with that transitions werent smokescreens for the perceived undercurrent of male homosexuality. This perhaps shows us how much attention was paid to the lives of female racers at the time. By then she was fighting the cancer that would eventually take her lifeMarch 1992 at the young age of 50. Lombardi, Lella (1942) Internationally famous Italian racing-car driver, known as "the Tigress of Turin," who was the first woman to compete in the U.S. Grand Prix. I love motor racing and thats all I want to do. Janet Guthrie, Sarah Fisher, Lyn St James, Danica Patrick and Simona de Silvestro all raced in IndyCars, Danica winning a race at Motegi, and Simona showing a racers courage after a fiery inversion at Indianapolis. Mar 2020 - Present2 years 11 months. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. Her team-mate was established series front-runner Ian Ashley: She was the first woman racing driver to seriously impress me. Thankfully, things began to change, helped by these motoring queer pioneers. On reflection, however, he was probably looking after himself.. History of Motorsport . Explore our range of classic cars and spark your own racing career. . Podium Percentage : 23.96%. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Vittorio Brambilla was one of only two to set a time on Friday afternoon. From that peak it was back down to earth with a bump; Lombardi failed to qualify next in Monaco. By checking this box, you agree to Nitto Tires, 6 Racers That Broke Barriers Who Youve Probably Never Heard Of, 10 Great Ayrton Senna Quotes to Motivate You, Yes, I would like to receive emails from Nitto Tire and Driving Line. (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap. 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. She wasnt a publicity seeker. Over her career, Lombardi started an impressive twelve F1 races, spanning the 1974-1976 seasons. Lella Lombardi (and every other woman to ever compete in F1 for that matter) is shit and didn't deserve to score anything. In 1974, Lombardi became the first woman to race at the Race of Champions at Brand Hatch. She finished 10th again in 1973, with a best of second place at Casale, in a Scuderia Italia Brabham BT41. Determined. BBC News came to her first test with us at Goodwood and she wanted to know why. She won the race again in 1981 with Giorgio Francia, with whom she had also won the Vallelunga Six Hours. In 1976, Lombardi was confirmed at March Engineering alongside Brambilla and Stuck. It turned out to be her only sliver of a point that season. Search instead in Creative? Pitting on lap seven because of flat spots, he would, amid the chaos, recover to finish a lapped fifth. Perhaps its the legacy of cars being thought of as symbolic of straight men or the continual presence of concepts like the Grid Girls in F1, a tradition which was only recently discontinued. Most of the scheduled practice was boycotted by a majority of drivers, who were adamant that the circuit barriers as erected on the round-the-houses circuit were badly assembled. 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. The relationship between Lombardi and the team soured, ending her career with March. In 1974, Lombardi was the first female racing driver to qualify and compete at the Race of Champions in Brands Hatch. At the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Lombardi had a one-off drive for Williams. 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. If shed been a bit more glamorous perhaps more people would have noticed.. Or become a seller if you've got a car to sell. Lella Lombardi. The rest of the season played out and finished with Lombardi not being able to start the U.S.Grand Prix due to ignition failure on her way to the grid. The Grand Prix cars of the '70s were not very reliable, particularly the further down the grid you traveled. Lella voted to race, with Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Ronnie Peterson, Vittorio Brambilla, Tony Brise, Jacky Ickx and Bob Evans sharing the idea. Purtroppo, il 3 marzo del 1992, morta di cancro. That's how much I love racing. She spoke okay English by then, plus Id worked with so many Italian drivers that I could almost speak the language.. Frugarolo. A very distant 12th place at the next race, Austria, was Lombardis final GP. Lombardi is one of two female drivers to qualify for Formula One and is the only female who scored points in Formula One. She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. At the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, Lombardi scored half a point, making her the only woman to ever score any championship points in Formula 1. . Lombardi then switched to racing an Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982 until the end of her career in '87. 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 This approach works for an endless parade of nobody male drivers, and it got Lella close enough to just grasp at history, at least for a moment, before it all started to slip away from her. Yes, I would like to receive communications including news, special offers. 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. This was despite the fact that she maintained a great relationship with team owner Robin Herd, who spoke only praise of Lombardi: She wasnt a publicity seeker. The joyless Spanish Grand Prix of April 1975 ended in tragedy when the rear wing of Rolf Stommelens leading Hill failed with catastrophic result: dead bodies pinned beneath its wreck. Painful. Lomardi had a successful junior career in the lead up to her time in F1. [5] She was 50 years old and was buried in Frugarolo. But even today we associate motorsports with something overly fraternal. Driving Line Accelerating Automotive Passion by providing a fresh angle of what fuels us. Mike Beuttler was technically the first openly gay F1 driver ever. Lombardi and Beckers qualified fourth at Daytona, but crashed out after 78 laps when a slower Porsche suffered a blow-out as Beckers drew alongside. She impressed him not only with her driving but also by her mechanical knowledge and feel. Just her racing. Despite only driving in F1 across three seasons, Lombardi demonstrated her fearlessness nature and sheer dedication to motorsport. Lella Lombardis racing career has influenced the perceptions of subsequent generations of females in racing. She wasnt interested in fashion and usually wore trousers if she was in civvies. Such was her tenacity that she basically taught herselfand also worked for her parents to save the money to pay for her first car, which she bought at the age of 24. * Most laps led. I am the president of a LLC who is looking to invest cash/assets in the self storage . Lella Lombardi Where better to begin than with the most successful female F1 driver of all time: Lella Lombardi. Progress would require a backwards step first. The accident shortened the race but Lombardi still secured the only F1 championship points for a female ever and the first for somebody openly queer. Im not terribly conscious of there being a difference between male and female in this sort of thing. She was passionate about racing. Elford: When asked in a press conference how she was coping with such a hefty car, she replied, I dont have to carry it, I just have to drive it.. She won the 6 Hours of Pergusa and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. But its boss Charles James wanted to be involved lock, stock and barrel. Lombardi bought her first car in 1965, competing in Formula Monza. 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. Lombardi grew up in Italy and developed an interest in racing by driving a delivery van for her family. 3 March 1992(1992-03-03) (aged50)Milan, Italy Motorcycle clubs were once a sanctuary for gay men and the first road trip ever conducted was pioneered by a woman. It won't be long until we find out For a better experience, keep your browser up to date. 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.. 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.. Wed just started the ShellSPORT Celebrity Series [for Escort Mexicos] and my wife Angela invited her to compete at Brands Hatch in July. Delightful. Career Behind the wheel, female drivers compete at the highest levels. I feel its simply a competitive sport. [9] Lombardi also successfully performed at other races, including the German Grand Prix at the Nrburgring, where she finished seventh. The fact that Cowell had all the traditional trappings of male heterosexuality but was a trans woman helped combat predominant stigmas around trans people, gay men and motoring too. Lombardi raced a Lola-Chevrolet finishing unclassified in 14th. 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. Poles She was charming but stubborn and independent, and a tremendously careful road driver. 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. She didnt care. In the pre-war days there were speedy heroines such as Elizabeth Junek, Kay Petre and Gwenda Hawkes, the latter duo starring on the daunting Brooklands concrete saucer. There were 34 contestants for the 25 places on the grid, which made the prospect of the Italian getting into the race remote. Lombardi is the most successful out of all five women who have competed in Formula 1. Recognised by his signature yellow Brabham, Beuttler remained forever, a dash of colour in a grey field. Facebook gives people the power. "My directing partner Vincent Tran and I first became aware of Lella Lombardi in 2018. 18 (12 starts) Unfortunately, she failed to qualify for the race. Unfortunately, her iconic achievement has been curtailed by the . Robin Herd freely admitted in an interview we did in 2009 that he and Max Mosley had had her over in 1975, and said that he was most impressed with her performance finishing seventh at the Nurburgring in a race of attrition as she was battling with a puncture. The following year, in 1976, Lombardi only contested four F1 weekends. People were staring and peeping. She was the first woman since Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958 to qualify in a championship F1 event. She finished 14th at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year, and subsequently, the team decided to replace her with Ronnie Peterson.