Desiré Wilson

Desiré Wilson (born 26 November 1953): Born Desiré Randall in Brakpan, a gold and uranium mining town in South Africa, Desiré Wilson is one of only five women to have competed in Formula One and holds the unique distinction of being the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind. As the daughter of a national motorbike champion, Wilson was immersed in motorsport from childhood, beginning her racing career at the remarkable age of five in micro-midgets, competing against much older boys. At age 12, she nearly captured the South African Micro-Midget Championship, losing by inches in a tie-decider match race. Wilson's breakthrough came in the Aurora F1 Championship, a British series using Formula One cars.

In 1979, she became the first woman to lead an F1 race at Zolder while driving for Melchester Racing in their Tyrrell 008. Despite spinning in wet conditions on the penultimate lap, she fought back to finish third while also claiming the fastest lap. Her crowning achievement came on Easter Monday, 7 April 1980, at Brands Hatch in the Evening News Trophy, the second round of the Aurora AFX F1 Championship. Driving a Theodore Racing with Hi-Line Wolf WR4, Wilson dominated the race from start to finish, extending her advantage to over 15 seconds by the checkered flag.

This historic victory led to a grandstand at Brands Hatch being named in her honor. Wilson attempted to break into the Formula One World Championship in 1980, entering the British Grand Prix with a non-works RAM Racing-prepared Williams FW07, though she failed to qualify. She also competed in the 1981 non-championship South African Grand Prix in a one-off deal with Tyrrell Racing. Beyond single-seaters, Wilson found success in sports car racing, particularly in 1980 when she partnered with Alain de Cadenet.

After an impressive third-place finish at the Brands Hatch 1000km, the pair went on to win both the Monza 1000km and Silverstone 6 Hours races. Wilson's achievements as a trailblazing female driver in the male-dominated world of Formula One racing continue to inspire generations of women in motorsport, and her 1980 Brands Hatch victory remains an unmatched achievement in Formula One history for female competitors.