F1’s first female driver dies, 89

After she failed to qualify for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix – along with Bernie Ecclestone – de Filippi’s first start came in that year’s Belgian GP at Spa.

She remained the only woman to have competed in F1 until compatriot Lella Lombardi did the South African Grand Prix in 1975.

Naples-born De Filippis began racing after her brothers bet that she wouldn’t be fast enough, the result being that she won her first event in a Fiat 500.

When revealing that De Filippis had passed away on Saturday, a tweet from the official F1 account described her as an “incredible woman”.

Going on to participate in the Italian sports auto championship – finishing second in the 1954 season – Maria came to the attention of the legendary Maserati which signed her as a works driver.

Those words highlight just how hard it was―and still is―to be a female racing driver, and how big a role De Filippis played in the sport.

She later became the honorary president of F1’s retired drivers club.

She attempted to qualify for Monaco again the following year in a Behra-Porsche, before leaving the sport following the death of the team owner, Jean Behra, later in 1959 and retiring aged just 23.

All at Crash.net send our condolences to her family and friends.

It followed her disqualification from the 1950 Giro di Sicilia where she was presented with flowers for her performance in the 1080km race, only to be later disqualified for a dubious infringement on the start line.