Giovanna Amati, born on 20 July 1959, is a former Italian racing driver. She is the most recent female driver to have entered the Formula One World Championship. Raised in a wealthy family, Amati was famously kidnapped in 1978 and released after a ransom of 800 million lira was paid.
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
| Born | Giovanna Amati 20 July 1959 Rome, Italy |
Amati began her racing career in the Formula Abarth series, eventually moving up to Formula Three in 1985 to 1986. After limited success in Formula 3000 in 1987, she improved the following season before moving to Japan in 1989. After struggling in Japan, she returned to Europe in 1990 with better results and finally secured an opportunity in F1 for the 1992 season. Amati became the fifth and most recent female Formula One driver when she signed with Brabham.
Early Career
Amati developed her skills at a motor racing school with her friend Elio de Angelis. She started racing professionally in the Formula Abarth series in 1981, winning several races over the next four seasons and for 1985 and 1986, she moved up to Italian Formula Three, achieving some victories. In 1987, she graduated to Formula 3000, where she entered three races but only qualified once at Donington. In 1988, driving for Lola, she secured two 10th places at Monza and Jerez. In 1989, she competed briefly in Japan’s Super Formula Championship without success. Returning to Europe in 1990, she raced in International F3000 with several teams, including Roni Motorsports and Cobra Motorsports, despite a crash with British driver Phil Andrews.
In 1991, Amati joined GJ Motorsports and competed in the Reynard 91D Cosworth for the entire season. She qualified for six rounds, securing a few top-ten finishes, and tested a Formula One car for the first time with Benetton, completing 30 laps.
Formula One
In January 1992, Amati signed with Brabham to partner Eric van de Poele after the team couldn’t sign Japanese F3000 driver Akihiko Nakaya due to superlicence issues. Amati was the first female driver to enter a Formula One race since Desire Wilson in 1980. At the South African Grand Prix, she struggled, spinning six times in practice and failing to qualify. She also failed to qualify in Mexico and Brazil, leading Brabham to replace her with future 1996 World Champion Damon Hill. As of 2024, Amati remains the last female driver to attempt to qualify for a Formula One race.
Post-Formula One Career
In 1993, Amati competed in the Porsche SuperCup and won the Women’s European Championship. From 1994 to 1996, she raced in the Ferrari Challenge, taking a sabbatical in 1997 before returning in 1998 with a Ferrari 355. She also raced in the International Sports Racing Series and the 1998 Sebring 12 Hours, among other events. In 1999, she competed in the SportsRacing World Cup, finishing third in the SR2 class.
After retiring from motorsport, Amati worked as a sports commentator, writing columns for Italian motorsport publications and providing television commentary.
Giovanna Amati Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Brabham |
| Entries | 3 (0 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1992 South African Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Giovanna Amati Teammates
| 2 Teammates | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric van de Poele | 3 | 1992 | |
| Akihiko Nakaya | 1 | 1992 |
Formula One Record
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Brabham-Judd | Brabham | 0 | NC | Report |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd. | Brabham BT60B | Judd 3.5 L V10 | RSA DNQ | MEX DNQ | BRA DNQ | ESP | SMR | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | AUS | NC | 0 |
Sources: Wikipedia.com, fandom.com, and statsf1.com
