Maria Grazia Lombardi, known as Lella, was a determined and formidable driver who made history as the first and only woman to score points in Formula 1. This milestone occurred exactly 50 years ago during the Spanish Grand Prix at the Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona. Lella was not just "a woman who drives like a man," but a talented pilot in her own right, unmatched by any other woman in the sport.
Lella’s path to Formula 1 was not accidental. She earned her place through years of hard work, skill, courage, and perseverance in the face of prejudice and stereotypes. From a young age, Lella was drawn to cars, building toy cars with buttons at four and driving her father’s Fiat Topolino by nine. As a teenager, she excelled behind the wheel of a three-ton truck.
