Her Stem Space

To answer these questions, we have to go back to the first Formula 1 World Championship, held on May 13th, 1950 in Silverstone, England. Archival black-and-white film captures a new postwar sport: unconventional cars lined up on the grid, drivers donning large leather goggles, and crowds of fans wrapped around the track in excitement to watch. Many of the legendary drivers that we now associate with Formula 1’s origins, such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Guiseppe “Nino” Farina, and Luigi Fagioli, were there in the opening of Formula 1, setting the stage for generations of racers to come. 

But just a few years later, the narrative of Formula 1 began to shift when Italy’s Maria Teresa de Filippis transformed her love of motorsport into a competitive career. After finishing second in the national sports car championship, she signed with Maserati as a works driver in 1954. Four years later, she became the first woman to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, entering the 1958 Monaco race as one of 31 participants. Although she failed to qualify, De Filippis refused to let this setback define her. Later that season, she placed 10th in the Belgian Grand Prix, an achievement that paved the way for future women in motorsport and began challenging the sport’s gender barriers.

Her legacy continued into the 1970s with Lella Lombardi, still the only woman to have scored points in a Formula 1 World Championship race. Competing in 17 Grands Prix between 1974 and 1976, Lombardi’s sixth-place finish at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix remains a historic milestone, proving that women could compete -and succeed- at the highest level. Yet despite these achievements, opportunities for women remained scarce, and the sport entered decades where female participation was largely absent from the driver’s seat.

In the present day, women are re-shaping Formula 1 not just on the track, but in the technical, strategic, and leadership roles that make championships possible. Ruth Buscombe, known for her strategic brilliance at Ferrari, Haas, and Alfa Romeo, has been credited with race-winning calls that have changed team fortunes. Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing’s Principal Strategy Engineer, orchestrated the bold tyre decisions that helped Max Verstappen secure key victories, including a climb from 10th to 1st at the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix. In 2025, Laura Müller became the first female race engineer in Formula 1 history, guiding Haas driver Esteban Ocon through an entire race weekend, a landmark moment for representation in high-pressure engineering roles.

Leadership has also seen trailblazers like Claire Williams, who, as Deputy Team Principal, steered the Williams team through one of its most challenging eras, and Susie Wolff, a former development driver for Williams who now leads the F1 Academy, a series dedicated to developing female driving talent. Even in the paddock and garages, figures like Cleo Collins, a Williams test team mechanic, are redefining what the next generation of motorsport professionals can look like.

From the courage of Maria Teresa de Filippis and Lella Lombardi to the mastery of Ruth Buscombe and Hannah Schmitz, women have been essential to the growth and evolution of Formula 1. Their influence answers the questions posed at the start: they have always been here, shaping outcomes and pushing boundaries, most often without the recognition they deserve. The barriers that have persisted since the 1950s are slowly being dismantled, not by chance, but through the persistence and leadership of women who refuse to be left in the background. The recognition they long lacked is beginning to take shape, proving that women have not just been present in Formula 1 history- they have been driving it all along.