Divina Galica, born in Bushey Heath near Watford, Hertfordshire, is known for her dual careers in the Olympics and motorsports.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Born | Divina Mary Galica 13 August 1944 Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, England, UK |
She first competed in the Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 1964, participating in downhill skiing and the slalom. Galica also competed in the Grenoble 1968 and Sapporo 1972 Winter Olympics, serving twice as captain of the British Women’s Olympic Ski Team. She briefly held the downhill skiing speed record at 125 mph.
Galica’s motorsport career began with a surprising performance in a celebrity auto race at Oulton Park, leading her to pursue motorsport seriously. She raced in various categories including karts, sports cars, trucks, and Formula One. In 1976, she raced a Nick Whiting-run Surtees TS16 in the ShellSport F1 series. Notably, she reintroduced the number 13 to Grand Prix racing at the 1976 British Grand Prix that year, though she failed to qualify. The number 13 had been largely absent from the sport since 1926.
In 1977, Galica drove a TS19 for Nick Whiting, achieving several podium finishes. She entered two rounds of the World Championship in 1978 with the Hesketh team but once again failed to qualify for either the Argentine or Brazilian GPs. She then returned to the Aurora F1 championship with a TS19 before switching to a McLaren M23. Her racing career also included competing in Formula Renault, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, and Formula 2.
Galicia was honoured with the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to sports. She once held the lap record for an F1 car at Donington Park.
Divina Galica Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1976, 1978 |
|---|---|
| Teams | non-works Surtees, Hesketh |
| Entries | 3 (0 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1976 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | ShellSport Whiting | Surtees TS16 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | BRA | RSA | USW | ESP | BEL | MON | SWE | FRA | GBR DNQ | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | CAN | USA | JPN | NC | 0 |
| 1978 | Olympus Cameras with Hesketh | Hesketh 308E | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ARG DNQ | BRA DNQ | RSA | USW | MON | BEL | ESP | SWE | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | USA | CAN | NC | 0 |
Complete Formula One Non-Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | ShellSport Whiting | Surtees TS19 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ROC 12 |
| 1978 | Olympus Cameras with Hesketh | Hesketh 308E | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | INT Ret |
Sources: Wikipedia.com, and historicracing.com
