Why Lella Lombardi was much more than F1’s half-point heroine
It’s 50 years since the Italian became the first – and so far only – woman to take a points-scoring finish in a grand prix, but she should be remembered for more
Born in 1941 in the tiny village of Frugarolo, close to Alessandria, Lombardi was the youngest of three children. Her father was a butcher and Lella became the first person in her family to hold a driving licence, learning at the wheel of the delivery van.
She gained a taste for competition by racing her Lambretta against the village boys – in whom she had no other interest – which resulted in a visit from the local priest, asking her to tame her wild ways. The request fell on deaf ears…
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