About Lella Lombardi
Maria Grazia "Lella" Lombardi (26 March 1941 – 3 March 1992) was an Italian racing driver who participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix from 1974 to 1976. Lombardi was the second female driver to qualify for Formula One, after Maria Teresa de Filippis, and is the only female driver who finished within the points in Formula One, having scored half a point in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Lombardi was also the first woman to qualify and compete in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, and raced in sports cars. She won the 1979 6 Hours of Pergusa, the 1979 6 Hours of Vallelunga and the 1981 6 Hours of Mugello, and finished 2nd in her class at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lombardi's story has impacted generations of racers. Her experience has shaped the involvement of women in racing and how people perceive women in the racing industry. At first, Lombardi’s father initially found her passion for racing hard to accept, but he embraced it once she finished runner-up in a 1968 race.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.