Breaking the Grid: The Five Women Who Entered Formula 1

For more than 70 years, Formula 1 has been one of the most exclusive — and challenging — arenas in global sport. And while over 1,000 drivers have entered a Grand Prix, only five of them have been women.

But who were these women? How did they get to F1? And what barriers stood in their way? 

Join award-winning motorsport historian Elizabeth Blackstock for an exploration into the fascinating lives of F1’s fastest women. Among them are Olympians, kidnapping victims, and LGBTQ+ trailblazers who all had one goal in mind: racing on the world’s biggest stage.

This audio is a recording of a public talk given at the San Antonio Library System during March 2026 in honor of Women's History Month.

#womeninmotorsport #womeninhistory #womenracing #f1 #formula1 #lellalombardi #mariateresadefilippis #desirewilson #giovannaamati #divinagalica

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