The last woman to race an F1 car was Lella Lombardi back in 1976.

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"I used to ride my bicycle round it when I was a kid, " Lella, who is 39, told me as she served me tea.

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The best finish achieved by a woman in F1 was in 1975 when De Filippis' compatriot Lella Lombardi scored half a point for placing sixth in a shortened Spanish Grand Prix.

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