What sporting distinction is held by Maria Teresa de Filippis?

Maria Teresa de Filippis (11 November 1926 - 8 January 2016) was an Italian racing driver, and the first woman to race in Formula One. She participated in five World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1958, but scored no championship points. Though her Formula One racing career was brief, she won races in other series and is remembered as a pioneer in the sport.

De Filippis was a pioneer in motor racing, a sport traditionally dominated by men. No woman would race in Formula One again for a further 15 years until fellow Italian Lella Lombardi competed between 1974 and 1976. Lombardi went on to become the first and as of 2023 only female driver to have finished a World Championship Formula One race in a point-scoring position. Three other women have since then tried to enter a Formula One race, albeit unsuccessfully – Giovanna Amati, Divina Galica and Desiré Wilson.