Maria Teresa de Filippis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Maria Teresa de Filippis

de Filippis at the 1949 Aosta–Gran San Bernardo hillclimb
Born	(1926-11-11)11 November 1926 Naples, Campania, Italy
Died	8 January 2016(2016-01-08) (aged 89) Scanzorosciate, Lombardy, Italy
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Italian
Active years	1958–1959
Teams	Behra-Porsche Non-works Maserati
Entries	5 (3 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1958 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry	1959 Monaco Grand Prix

Maria Teresa de Filippis (born November 11, 1926 – died January 8, 2016) was a brave Italian racing driver. She made history as the first woman ever to compete in Formula One, the highest level of car racing. She took part in five big Formula One races, starting on May 18, 1958. Even though her Formula One career was short, she won many races in other types of car racing. She is remembered as a true pioneer in the world of motorsport.

About Maria Teresa de Filippis

Maria Teresa de Filippis was born on November 11, 1926, in Marigliano, Italy. She was the youngest of five children. Her father was an Italian Count, and her mother was a Spanish noblewoman. Maria Teresa grew up in a large, old palace in Naples. From a young age, she loved sports, especially horse riding and tennis.

Starting Her Racing Journey

De Filippis in her Fiat 500 at her first race in 1948

After World War II, Maria Teresa became very interested in car racing. Her brothers even dared her, saying she wouldn't be fast enough. This made her even more determined! At 22, she started her racing career.

She won her very first race, driving a small Fiat 500. The race was a 10-kilometer drive between Salerno and Cava de' Tirreni. This win gave her the confidence to compete in the Italian sports car championship. In 1954, she finished second overall in that series. The famous car company Maserati saw her talent and invited her to join their team as a professional driver.

In the years that followed, Maria Teresa competed in many different types of car races. These included hillclimbing (racing up hills) and endurance racing (long races). She even finished second in a sports car race that supported the 1956 Naples Grand Prix, driving a Maserati 200S.

Racing in Formula One

De Filippis driving her Maserati 250F at the 1958 Italian Grand Prix in Monza

In 1958, Maria Teresa de Filippis got the amazing chance to drive a Formula One car. Maserati was a very successful Formula One car maker in the 1950s. In 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won his fifth championship in a Maserati 250F. By 1958, Maserati had officially left Formula One, but many of their cars were still used by private teams.

On May 18, 1958, Maria Teresa entered the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. This was the second race of the 1958 Formula One season. She drove one of the Maserati 250F cars. Out of 31 drivers, only half were fast enough to qualify for the race. Maria Teresa did not qualify, and neither did another driver who would later become very famous: Bernie Ecclestone. They became good friends that day. Maria Teresa's lap time was 5.8 seconds slower than the fastest 16 drivers. Juan Manuel Fangio, the legendary driver, gave her lots of advice. She later remembered him telling her, "You go too fast, you take too many risks."

The 1958 Belgian Grand Prix was different. All drivers were allowed to race, even if their qualifying times were not the fastest. Maria Teresa started in 19th place. She finished the race in 10th place, even though she was two laps behind the winner. This was her only Formula One race finish.

At the next race, the 1958 French Grand Prix, Maria Teresa was not allowed to compete. She later said that the race director told her, "The only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser's." This shows how difficult it was for women in motorsport back then.

She also raced in the 1958 Portuguese Grand Prix and her home race, the 1958 Italian Grand Prix. In both races, her engine failed, and she had to stop early.

In 1959, Maria Teresa joined the Behra-Porsche team. She tried to qualify for the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix again but was not fast enough. This was her last attempt to race in a Grand Prix.

Life After Racing

Maria Teresa de Filippis decided to stop professional racing after a sad event. The leader of her Porsche team, Jean Behra, died in a racing accident in August 1959. She was very upset by this and left the sport.

Around 1960, Maria Teresa married Theodor Huschek, a chemist, and they started a family. She stayed away from racing for many years. In 1979, she joined the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers. She later became its Vice-President in 1997. In 2004, she helped start the Maserati Club and became its chairperson. Maria Teresa de Filippis passed away in January 2016, at 89 years old.

Her Amazing Legacy

Maria Teresa de Filippis was a true pioneer in motor racing. It was a sport mostly for men at the time. No other woman raced in Formula One for another 15 years after her. The next woman was fellow Italian Lella Lombardi, who raced between 1974 and 1976. Lombardi became the first and, so far, only female driver to score championship points in a Formula One race. Since then, three other women have tried to enter a Formula One race, but they did not qualify. Maria Teresa de Filippis opened the door for women in a sport that was not ready for them.

Maria Teresa de Filippis: Racing Results

Here are Maria Teresa de Filippis's results in Formula One World Championship races.

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Non-Championship Formula One Results

These are results from Formula One races that were not part of the official World Championship.

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See also

In Spanish: Maria Teresa de Filippis para niños