8 March 2021

On occasion of International Women's Day, Alfa Romeo released a tribute video with historical pictures and information about female racers from the 1920s up to nowadays drivers of the brand's cars

The video starts with Baroness Maria Antonietta d'Avanzo (1889 - 1977, on view at the picture left) who is described at several sources as feminist and fighter for equal rights. Alfa Romeo writes at the tribute text that she "...proved her worth in many competitions as a formidable opponent for the best drivers of the time, including a young Enzo Ferrari."

The chronological order is continued by Anna Maria Peduzzi (1912 - 1979), nicknamed Marrochina (because of her darker complexion), who was a professional driver and the first female driver for the Scuderia Ferrari. She was married to driver Franco Comotti. In 1934, she won the 1500 Class at the Mille Miglia.
Hellé Nice (1900 - 1984) was a model, acrobat, dancer, and competed at races like the 1933 Italian Grand Prix in Monza or the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.

The history written by women goes up to nowadays with Odette Siko (1899 - 1984, won in the 2 liter class at the 24 Hours Le Mans in 1932), Ada Pace (pseudonym 'Sayonara', 1924 - 2016), Susanna 'Susy' Raganelli (born 1946) who won the 100 cc Kart World Championship in 1966, and drivers of the 1960ies like Christine Beckers (born 1943) or Liane Engeman (born 1944), followed by racers of the 1960s/70s/80s like Anna Cambiaghi (born 1951) or Maria Grazia 'Lella' Lombardi (1941 - 1992) who is payed homage by the City of Vienna with an own street, the Lella Lombardi Gasse for her achievements in the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Tamara Vidali (born 1966) won in 1992 the Italian Tourism Championship (Group N) in an Alfa Romeo 33 1.7 Quadrifoglio Verde. "Just as unforgettable is the fully yellow livery of the Alfa Romeo 155 that she drove in the Italian Superturismo Championship (CIS) in 1994," remembers Alfa Romeo.

Tatiana Calderón (at the image right) is the youngest of the drivers tribute. Alfa Romeo at the press release published at media.stellantis.com: "Born in 1993 in Bogotá, Colombia, Calderon took her first steps in motorsport in 2005, winning a National Championship in the Easy Kart Pre-Junior series. Just three years later, she would become the first woman to win the JICA class of the Stars of Karting Championship East Division in the United States. In 2017, Calderon became a development driver for the Sauber Formula One team. One year later, Sauber promoted her from F1 development driver to F1 test driver for Alfa Romeo Racing."