Who was the first female driver to score points in Formula 1?

Lella Lombardi was the first female driver to score points in Formula 1.

The Italian racer achieved the milestone at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, held on the dangerous Montjuïc street circuit in Barcelona. The race was stopped after 29 of its scheduled 75 laps following a serious crash involving Rolf Stommelen’s car. Because less than 60 percent of the planned distance had been completed, half points were awarded, giving Lombardi 0.5 points.

That result made Lombardi the first woman to score in a Formula 1 World Championship race, and she remains the only woman to have finished in the points. She competed in 17 championship Grands Prix between 1974 and 1976, driving for teams including March, RAM, Williams, and Brabham.

Maria Teresa de Filippis is often confused with Lombardi because she was the first woman to start a World Championship Grand Prix, racing in the 1950s. Divina Galica and Giovanna Amati also entered Formula 1 events, but neither scored championship points. Lombardi’s half-point therefore has unusual historical importance.