We’re sure you’ve already gathered this from that amazing header image up there, but believe us when we say Maria Teresa de Filippis was cool.
How cool? Well, try ‘first female F1 driver’ cool. ‘Maserati team member’ cool. ‘Started racing just to prove her brothers wrong’ cool.
Yeah, she was that bloody cool. Sadly, after living a long and pioneering life, Formula 1 officially announced her death on Sunday.
F1’s first-ever female driver Maria Teresa de Filippis has died aged 89. Incredible woman #F1 pic.twitter.com/ewvjXqCH4y
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 9, 2016
In her 89 speed-loving years on this planet, the Italian finished a Grand Prix in 10th position in an otherwise male-dominated field, a full 50 years before drivers like Danica Patrick rose to prominence in top-tier motorsports.
Stunningly, Juan Miguel Fangio, arguably the greatest driver of all time, also told her she drove too fast.
“I wasn’t frightened of speed, you see, and that’s not always a good thing. He worried I might have an accident,” she said in 2006.
Any accidents she had weren’t enough to slow her down, ’cause she managed to speed all the way into 2016.
RIP Maria.
