In the column of History of Formula 1 we've already talked about one great pilot, Lella lombardi… But, for how many record import anti as a woman she has in Formula 1, she wasn't the first to run there. Therefore today we intend to remember the first woman who attempted the feat, the Neapolitan one Maria Theresa De Filippis.
Maria Teresa De Filippis, the origins
Maria Theresa De Filippis it was the last of the five sons of Count Franz, who was the owner of a huge electrical company. He distributed energy for irrigation throughout Campania. The count also nourished a great love for motoring. When Maria Teresa was 5 years old, he did it participate in his first race! And three years later he brought it to triumph, after a victory… This is even more surprising if we think that Maria Theresa of Filippis was born the11th November 1926!
Growing up, De Filippis daughter he became passionate in turn at the races to the point that, in his early twenties, started his career, to Targa Florio from 1948, the eighth Tour of Sicily. He participated with his brother Antonio in a Fiat 1100 S. But unfortunately, in Messina a mechanical failure caused the end anticipated theirs race, while they were among the top positions.
Before venturing into the Sports category, Maria Teresa trained with a Fiat Topolino, without no sports preparation. He won right away: it was first in the Salerno-Cava dei Tirreni climb, valid for “Silver steering wheel", is second to Sorrento-S. Agate. A Sala Consilina, in the wet, won again, trailing his closest pursuer by more than a minute. Let's start by pointing out that they were in few those who could afford to run, at the time. And even fewer were women, not only for an economic reason, but - it is superfluous to say - also social. The debut with the Sport it happened in June of the 1949, near Vesuvius, up Fiat-Camen spider: finished second of the class 750.
The unprecedented career
For her there 1950 season it began in April, with the X Giro di Sicilia, on the Urania-BMW spider. Other women also took part: Segafredo, Mezzanotte, Damonte, Vasaturo, Comirato, but only De Filippis received the epithet “phenomenal” from the press. On that occasion, in fact, Maria Teresa ran for eleven hours in the rain, finishing in 4th place. Something of never seen before. Only then was disqualified as at the start its auto he had to be pushed on. Upon arrival they gave her a large bouquet of fiori and they brought her in triumph.
It was in a second moment that the direction of the race announced the disqualification. Interesting fact was that this event caused indignation nothing less than Tazio nuvolari, present at the competition! He claimed that making her run for more than a thousand kilometres, in prohibitive weather conditions, and then disqualifying her, had been a madness. De Filippis, disappointed, commented on the senseless management of the match, as we would say today. “The absurd thing was that they made me do the whole race. They could have warned me [...]. Il suspected it was that the commissioners had not wanted to take away a point of interest from the race. "
The first triumphs of Maria Teresa De Filippis
From 1949 al 1952, Maria Teresa De Filippis participated in one thirty races in the category Sports up to 750 cc, its Giannini-Fiat, then Urania, Then Giaur-Giannini, taking home 4 wins, 11 second and 2 third places.
Maria Teresa soon acquired the best known of his nicknames: “Pilotino”. Nickname that referred to her being one petite woman andadmiration for a more than obvious natural talent for driving. Sometimes embarrassing for some opponents. De Filippis she was surprised and flattered of this nickname, but he tried irritation when, during some demonstration, he had to collect the cup reserved for women. Maybe with a lot of violin playing: "for the prettiest lady", "for the nicest" or "for the most regular". This was her unsolicited and affected courtesy to give them on nerves: law she just wanted to be judged for her driving as it was done for men.
The fifties
In fifties, on the Italian slopes it was possible to meet other female pilots, as Anna Maria Peduzzi, the “Moroccan” or the Milanese Alma Cacciandra Bordoni. Or even there Countess Paola Della Chiesa which, in 1952, on the Fiat 1100 ES, won the famous one Paris-St. Raphaël, competition dedicated to ladies. The Triestine Maria Piazza, behind the wheel of a Ferrari 2340, he took part, however, even if only sporadically, in circuit competitions. Like De Filippis, meeting often alongside the most famous champions of that era.
In the meantime, in 1953 Maria Teresa De Filippis he showed again what it was made of. He made his debut in the category 1100 in July 1953, on the Avellino Circuit. They delivered the car just in time to test drive it. He did a few laps and then took off. The veteran of the category Giuseppe Rossi remained in the wake of the first, who had to work hard to "keep the highly acclaimed and insidious" Maria Teresa at bay.
Unfortunately, however, either due to inexperience or enthusiasm, she went off the road and wasted time getting back on track. In the end, however, it turned out fifth overall and second in class. Gorgeous, however, was his result in the 12 hours of Pescara, paired with Get rid of it. Their Huesca kept the first place from start to finish, despite a problem to one of the rear tires towards the middle of the race. Alone, Maria Teresa, while it was driving, he managed to replace her and I arrive to the pits! They wanted us there a good ten minutes for the refueling and further repairs, while the audience cheered her on. Someone renamed it, once again: “the devil".
The victories with Osca and the debut in Formula 1
Between the 1953 and the 1954, De Filippis conquered with the Osca 8 victories, 4 second and 2 third places in 22 races, resulting third at the end of 1954 in a Italian Sports Championship Class 1100! These two seasons with Osca gave her the confidence and experience to compete with the big guns. That was it for the season 1955 obtained a Maserati A6 GCS, one two thousand! This car was a real racing car, which allowed her to obtain the absolute victory of very difficult Catania-Etna. This was particularly exciting, following aheated battle with Nicola Musumeci from Catania. In fact, Musumeci had been given as winner on the eve of the race, but Maria Teresa De Filippis triumphed again. At the end of the season, the ssecond place in the Italian Sports Championship Class of 2000 it was Maria Teresa's, who at that point was ready to debut in Formula 1.
In 1958, as sponsors did not exist at the time, the De Filippis personally purchased the Maserati 250 F belonged to Scarlatti. In those days Maserati was in receivership, forced to sell the cars of the team that, in 1957, had been world champions. This happened because the brand had officially withdrawn from racing and only assisted private individuals, buyers of the old formulas. Maria Teresa was, then, also a exceptional advertising vehicle for the House of the Trident: Fangio was “normal”. A beautiful ragazza was already a proven propaganda tool, let alone a racing champion. And it soon became aicon of great appeal is preferably used for Maserati.
1958 for Maria Teresa De Filippis
Il debut took place in April, Syracuse Grand Prix, not a world champion, as often happened at the time. It ended with a fifth place. Then, however, during that season he signed up to five Grands Prix valid for the world championship: did not qualify a Monte Carlo, I arrive decima in Belgiumand retired due to accident in Portugal and Monza, six laps from the end, For the engine failure while it was farm. As well as theonly Italian pilot remained in the race. L' registration for the French Grand PrixInstead, it was not accepted by race director, Raymond Roche. Because it was one womens ed she was dead recently Annie Bousquet at the 12 Hours of Reims, causing scandal. In any case, at the end of 1958, Italian car he bet about her like “pilot of the future"26.
1959 and retirement from racing
But unfortunately, the 1959 season was the last for Maria Teresa De Filippis. She he didn't die running, in fact, she died a few years ago, in 2016, virtually ninety year old! (Does this age remind you of any other drivers?). The question was another: Maria Teresa was tired of seeing her dearest friends die. And that's what happened in 1959 which pushed her to make the decision to abandon racing. At the end of 1958, he had sold his Maserati 250, so in the following season he would race cars that were not his. In Monaco he managed to qualify for the Grand Prix, but was unable to start because, according to the organizers, he had obtained the result after the time had expired.
That car is at center of the decision of the Neapolitan pilot. De Filippis had completed the Monaco qualifying with the Porsche Formula 2 experience tailored to your needs by Neri and Bonacini, in Modena, at the behest of his friend Jean Behra. With that itself car, De Filippis should have raced on the trackAvus, near Berlin. But August 1st at the wheel Behra was there. It was raining, the asphalt was slippery; the car, not particularly stable, the French driver went off the track and died. That death followed, as we said before, many others: Eugenio Castellotti, Alfonso De Portago, Luigi Musso and Peter Collins. This is how the career of a great female pilot ended.
