26/11/1953
Record updated 26-Nov-18
Became the first woman to win an F1 race when she won a round of the Aurora F1 series at Brands Hatch in 1980. In 1981 she finished 6th in the non-championship South African GP.
Desiré Randall Wilson was born in Brakpan, South Africa, one of only five women to compete in Formula One. She entered one F1 World Championship Grand Prix in 1979 with a non-works Williams FW07 prepared by Brands Hatch Racing, but failed to qualify. She also finished an excellent sixth in the 1981 South African GP racing for Tyrrell. However the race was subsequently deprived of championship status.
She became the only woman to win a F1 race of any kind, when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 series, which mostly featured older F1 cars. Following her attempts in Formula One, Wilson participated in other disciplines including IndyCar and sports car racing. In 1983, Wilson passed her Rokkie Test for the Indianapolis 500, however she failed to qualify for the race.