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Female Formula 1 Drivers.

Who said F1 was just a man's sport . There maybe just a handful of women but nevertheless they have done a lot when it comes to women in Motorsport. Here is a list of Female formula one drivers. 

1.Susie Wolff 
Playing the role of a test driver in Williams F1 team , Susie is one of the woman on the grid this F1 season. Wolff began karting at a very early age. She has been names British woman karting race driver of the year many number of times , she has also been named Top Female Kart Driver in the world.She has then raced in Formula Renualt , Formula 3 , DTM and then eventually moving to F1. In 2014 , Wolff was the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years at the British Grand Prix. ! This year she took part in the Friday practice in Spain and will participate in the practice session at Silvertsone . 
Susie is married to Toto wolff , Executive director and owner of Mercedes F1 team. 
 






 2.Carmen Jorda
Second female F1 driver this season is Carmen Jorda, development driver for Lotus F1 team. Daughter of former driver Juan Miguel Jorda , Carmen has been on the track since forever.Jorda has raced in the Spanish F3 , European F3 open , Le Mans series , Firestone Indy lights , GP3 series and now F1. She has joined Lotus for a year , working with their simulator program , as well as attending grand prix and tests. Like Wolff , who was promoted from a similar role to that of test driver earlier this year. Jorda will also have the chance to earn a drive in a F1 car.



3.Maria De Villota 
Daughter of former Formula One driver Emilio De Villota . She made her Formula One test debut with Lotus F1 team in 2011  at the Paul Ricard Circuit. Her management was said to be in talks to secure her a test driver seat in the future.But later in December she reiterate her desire to work with team. In March 2012 it was announced that Villota had joined Marussia F1 team as a test driver.On july 3rd Villota was involved in a testing accident with left her with one eye and threatening head injuries.She was never able to race again.On 11th October 2013 , Villota died after suffering from a cardiac arrest, with it being believed that the underlying cause may have been related to her 2012 accident.
 


4.Simona de Silvestro 
Nicknamed the "Iron Maiden" , Simona is a swiss race car driver, having raced in Formula renault 2.0 Italy , Atlantic Championship , IZOD IndyCar series ,F1 and currently they Verzion IndyCar series .In February 2014,Sauber F1 team announced that de Silvestro would join the team as an affiliated-driver and would undergo a year long training program with the team with the ultimate objective of racing in 2015 Silvestro began testing with team at the end of April and had her first drive for Sauber in 2012 completing 112 laps.However in October 2014 Sauber stated that the team had suspended Silvestro's driving chances due to contractual troubles.
 



5.Desiré Wilson
is a former racing driver from South Africa and is one of only five women to have competed in Formula One she entered one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in 1980 with a non-works RAM Racing prepared Williams FW07, but failed to qualify.She also raced in the 1981 non-world championship South African Grand Prix in a one off deal with Tyrrell Racing. This race was not part of the 1981 world championship due, in part, to the FISA–FOCA war She qualified 16th and, after a disastrous start where the car stalled, she moved up though the field in wet conditions, as conditions dried she fell back and damaged the car when it touched a wall while she was letting the race leader through.She is only woman to win any kind of Formula One race when she won at Brands-Hatch in the British Aurora F1 series. She is currently 61 years old.
 


6.Divina Galica
Actually a Skier haven taken part in four Winter Olympics as Captain of the British Women's Olympic Ski team , eventually taking up Motorsports as a second career she moved through the ranks up to F1. Participating in the 1976 British Grand prix she failed to qualify , in 1978 she was again given a chance by Hesketh but she failed to qualify for either of first two races of the 1978 season. She has also competed in the British Aurora F1 series like Desire Wilson and had scored 22 points.Currenlty 70 she is living in the UK.


7.Lella Lombardi
Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi is still the only woman ever to score points in a Formula one championship and is also the only female driver to finish in the top 6.After doing well in Formula 3 and Formula 5000 in the early 1970s, Lella entered F1 in 1974 with a privately acquired Brabham. .In 1975 she joined March and raced the full season. She then had a one-off driver with Williams and an unsuccessful partnership with RAM Racing.  She later raced in sport cars with some success. She won the 6 hours of Pergusa and 6 hours of Vallelunga . She competed 4 times in 24 hours of Le Mans , her best result being in 1976 when she finished 9th. Lella retired from racing in 1988 and died of cancer in 1992 aged 50.  



8.Giovanna Amati 
is a former professional racing driver from Italy. She started her racing career in Formula Abarth series before moving up into Formula Three for 1985–86. An entry into Formula 3000 in 1987 brought little success but the following year, Amati improved her performances. She moved to Japan for 1989 but still had no success. A move back to Europe in 1990 saw better performances that continued into 1991. In 1992, Amati became the fifth woman Formula One driver when she signed for Brabham.However Amati failed to qualify in any of the three races she participated in . She is currenlty 55 years of age.
 


9.Maria Teresa de Filippis 
is an Italian former racing driver noted as being the first woman to race in Formula One. She participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1958, but scored no championship points. Though largely unsuccessful in her Formula One racing career, she won races in other series and is remembered as a pioneer in the sport. Her only race finish was in the 1958 Belgian grand prix where she finished 10th.Her final grand prix qualification attempt was in 1959 at the Monaco Grand prix. De Filippis married in 1960 and started a family. She kept away from all forms of motor racing until 1979 when she joined the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers, going on to take the role of Vice-President in 1997. She was also a founding member of the Maserati Club in 2004 and would go on to become its chairman. She is 88 years old now.
 
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 As of now there are only 9 female f1 drivers , even fewer in terms of participation in a Grand Prix weekend. Nowadays there are more girls who are taking up Motorsport as a career and even succeeding in it. A driver to watch out for is 15 year old german Sophia Floersch. Currently racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship , she is at the moment leading the rookie championship and is 4th in overall championship standings .She has already double back-to-back wins , stood on the podium many number of times. Hopefully we will have a female F1 driver soon who is good enough to compete and defeat the men.


[pic courtesy : sophiafloersch.com]












[PICTURES ARE NOT MINE. pictures are copyrighted to the owner]






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