Amid plenty of racing action getting underway in 2026 – including the start of the latest F1 ACADEMY season next weekend in China – a new generation of women and girls are making their way in the world of motorsport.
Now entering into its fourth year, F1 ACADEMY continues to champion the next generation of female talent, while initiatives such as F1 ACADEMY Discover Your Drive provide opportunities at a grassroots level to inspire young girls and women to explore possible paths in the motorsport field.
These developments mark the latest step in the increasing participation of women and girls in motorsport, a journey that first began with the impact made by many trailblazing women in both the past and present of Formula 1.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we reflect on the stories of 10 of those women who made their mark in F1 – and continue to do so – both on and off the track.
Maria Teresa de Filippis – First woman to race in F1
Born in Naples in 1926, Maria Teresa de Filippis enjoyed various sports during her teenage years before trying her hand at racing cars – in a bid to prove her two older brothers wrong after one bet the other that she couldn’t drive fast.
She made her competitive debut in 1948, finishing second in a local hill-climb at the wheel of a Fiat Topolino. Her mother’s advice was: “Go slow and win”. From there de Filippis’ ascent through motorsport saw her reach Formula 1, where she became the first female driver to compete in a championship race in 1958.
After initially failing to qualify in Monaco, she qualified in 19th place for the Belgian Grand Prix at the wheel of the Maserati 250F. De Filippis crossed the line in 10th. She went on to enter the Portuguese and Italian Grands Prix but retired in both events.
After eventually stepping away from racing following the deaths of other drivers, she returned to motorsport as part of the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers in 1979, where she was appointed vice-president in 1997. De Filippis passed away in 2016 aged 89.
Lella Lombardi – First woman to score a point in F1
Following de Filippis, four women have attempted to qualify for a World Championship race. Maria Grazia ‘Lella’ Lombardi was – alongside fellow Italian de Filippis – one of the two to succeed in qualifying.
Initially becoming interested in racing after driving the delivery van for her family’s butcher’s shop, Lombardi proceeded to compete in karts before progressing to Formula Monza in 1965 and then Italian F3.
After missing out on qualifying for the 1974 British Grand Prix, Lombardi went on to make her competitive F1 debut with March in 1975. She retired in her first event in South Africa due to fuel system issues, before then making history by scoring half a point in her second outing at the Spanish Grand Prix.
While her further appearances in Formula 1 did not yield the same success – despite narrowly missing out on points with an impressive seventh place finish in the 1975 German Grand Prix, a race in which she had been managing a puncture – she competed in other motorsport events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and founded her own racing team, Lella Lombardi Autosport. Lombardi passed away in 1992 aged 50 after battling breast cancer.
Susie Wolff – Managing Director of F1 ACADEMY
In 2014, Susie Wolff became the first woman to participate in a Formula 1 weekend since 1992, when Giovanna Amati had failed to qualify for three Grands Prix. Wolff took part in a free practice session at the British Grand Prix for Williams, which was followed up by another outing at the German Grand Prix weekend that year.
This marked the latest achievement in Wolff’s growing motorsport career, which had started when she began karting at the age of eight before climbing the ranks in single-seater racing. An enhanced test driver role for Williams in 2015 saw her make further practice appearances before she opted to retire from racing at the end of the year.
Wolff’s pioneering work in motorsport did not end there, however. She went on to co-found the non-profit Dare to be Different organisation in 2016, aiming to increase the participation of women in motorsport.
The Scot joined the Venturi Racing Formula E outfit as Team Principal in 2018, where she remained until 2022 before becoming Managing Director of F1 ACADEMY in 2023. Since then the category has continued to grow, with a range of exciting developments having taken place along the way as it enters into its fourth campaign.
Monisha Kaltenborn – First female Team Principal in F1
Wolff is not the only woman to make her mark as a Team Principal in motorsport. Monisha Kaltenborn made history when she was appointed CEO of the Sauber Formula 1 outfit in 2010, later becoming the sport’s first-ever female Team Principal in 2012.
Indian-born lawyer Kaltenborn had worked within the squad for many years as head of their legal department before taking over the role when eponymous team owner Peter Sauber retired. She had also become part owner in 2011 after buying shares.
Kaltenborn left her position in 2017 after overseeing the running of the outfit for several seasons, with drivers who raced for the team during her period in charge including Nico Hulkenberg and Marcus Ericsson.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the opportunity – I was fortunate to get that,” she told F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast in 2021. “You have enough women out there who have the capabilities, who have the right degrees, the experience, whatever it needs – but you need to be given the opportunity.”
Claire Williams – Former Deputy Team Principal at Williams
Only two women have led a Formula 1 team to date, with Claire Williams becoming the second to do so when she became Deputy Team Principal of the Williams outfit from 2013, a role that saw her take over the day-to-day running of the squad from her father, Sir Frank Williams.
Williams had worked her way up the ladder at the team, having started as a Communications Officer in 2002 before later progressing to Head of Communications and then Head of Investor Relations and subsequently Commercial Director.
During her time in the Deputy Team Principal role, the Williams team scored 15 podiums and finished P3 in the 2014 and 2015 Teams’ Championships, their best result since 2003. Williams also promoted diversity within the squad, giving the likes of Susie Wolff (as mentioned above) and Jamie Chadwick development driver opportunities.
Following the sale of the team in 2020, Williams left F1 but has since returned to the spotlight as an analyst on Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive series.
Marta Garcia – First F1 ACADEMY Champion
When F1 ACADEMY launched its inaugural season back in 2023, one driver who particularly caught the eye throughout the campaign was Marta Garcia.
The Spaniard – driving for PREMA Racing – made her mark by winning the first-ever race of the category in Spielberg before going on to score a further seven victories, five pole positions and a total of 12 podiums, a performance that saw her clinch the title at Race 1 of the season-closing weekend in Austin.
After being crowned the debut F1 ACADEMY Champion, Garcia was awarded a fully funded seat in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) for the following year as part of F1 ACADEMY’s mission to support its winner in progressing through the ranks.
She later went on to compete in the 2025 Le Mans Cup in the GT3 category for the Iron Dames squad, with the team emerging victorious at Silverstone.
Hannah Schmitz – Head of Strategy at Red Bull
Celebrations on the Red Bull pit wall following a victory became a regular sight during the team’s championship-winning run between 2021 and 2024, and one face regularly seen here is Hannah Schmitz, who holds the responsibility of making significant – and often split-second – strategic decisions.
After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2009, Schmitz initially worked for Red Bull as a Modelling and Simulation Engineer before switching over to strategy by 2011.
She went on to become Principal Strategy Engineer in 2021, the year in which Max Verstappen won the Drivers’ Championship for the first time.
From there, Schmitz – who is now Head of Strategy – has acted as a key component in Red Bull’s success, with some of her strategy calls being credited as critical in securing victories.
Amongst these was the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, where the last-minute decision to start Verstappen on the soft tyres from 10th on the grid ultimately enabled him to seal a surprise win.
Abbi Pulling – 2024 F1 ACADEMY Champion
After missing out on title success during the first season of F1 ACADEMY, Abbi Pulling returned to take another shot in 2024 – knowing that winning the championship would be the only way to keep her racing dream alive.
Having been forced to cut short her second British F4 campaign in 2021 due to budget difficulties, Pulling faced a pressured start to her sophomore F1 ACADEMY outing with the knowledge that even a P2 finish may not be enough to secure her future in motorsport.
With that, the driver from Lincolnshire, England put in a determined performance as she fought to secure the crown, scoring a record-breaking nine wins from a possible 14, as well as claiming 10 pole positions and never finishing off the podium.
Pulling consequently became the second F1 ACADEMY Champion by 121 points, earning a fully-funded GB3 Championship seat for 2025 where she has since become the first woman to finish on the podium. The Briton will continue on in the series during 2026.
Laura Mueller – First female Race Engineer in F1 at Haas
Ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Haas announced that Laura Mueller had been promoted to the role of Race Engineer for Esteban Ocon – making her the first woman to hold the position in the sport’s history.
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu felt that the “determined character” of Mueller – who had previously acted as Performance Engineer at the American outfit – would match well with Ocon, who he felt shared a similar personality trait.
Mueller quickly earned praise from Ocon as the pair started working together, the Frenchman commending his Race Engineer for her “very impressive” trajectory and “flat-out” approach to work.
It was announced ahead of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix that Mueller and Hannah Schmitz will become the first women to have a corner named after them, with Turn 6 to be dedicated to the pair as part of the In Her Corner initiative.
Doriane Pin – F1 ACADEMY Champion and Mercedes Development Driver
While Abbi Pulling emerged with the championship at the end of the 2024 F1 ACADEMY season, her nearest rival had also caught the eye. Doriane Pin had to settle for second in the title race but made an early impression in the category, taking victory on debut at Race 1 in Jeddah.
Pin added two further wins to her tally that year, but more was to come from the French driver during her second campaign in 2025, with her third win of the season earning her the championship lead during the Montreal weekend.
While there was tough competition along the way from the likes of Maya Weug and Chloe Chambers, another victory for Pin at the finale in Las Vegas was enough for her to become the third F1 ACADEMY Champion, completing a remarkable run that saw her finish on the podium at every race she participated in.
In 2026, Pin will act as a Development Driver for the Mercedes F1 team – graduating from the outfit’s Junior Programme – while she is also set to compete in the European Le Mans Series with the Duqueine team.
