Desiré Wilson
South African racing driver (born 1953) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Desiré Randall Wilson (born 26 November 1953)[1] is a former racing driver from South Africa and one of only five women to have competed in Formula One.[2] Born in Brakpan,[1] she entered one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in 1980 with a non-works RAM Racing-prepared Williams FW07, but failed to qualify.[3] She also raced in the 1981 non-world championship South African Grand Prix in a one off deal with Tyrrell Racing. This race was not part of the 1981 world championship due, in part, to the FISA–FOCA war.[4] She qualified 16th and, after a disastrous start where the car stalled, she moved up through the field in wet conditions; as conditions dried she fell back and damaged the car when it touched a wall while she was letting the race leader through.[5]
Born | (1953-11-26) 26 November 1953 (age 70) Brakpan, Transvaal, Union of South Africa |
---|---|
Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | South African citizenship |
Active years | 1980 |
Teams | non-works Williams |
Entries | 1 (0 starts) |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 0 |
Podiums | 0 |
Career points | 0 |
Pole positions | 0 |
Fastest laps | 0 |
First entry | 1980 British Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1980 British Grand Prix |
She became the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind when she won at Brands Hatch in the short-lived British Aurora F1 Championship in 1980.[3] As a result of this achievement, she has a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her.[5] Following her attempts in Formula One, Wilson participated in other disciplines including CART[6] and sports car racing.[5] In 1982, Wilson entered the Indianapolis 500, but failed to qualify. She did not qualify for 1983 and 1984 Indy 500s either.[5]
She is married to fellow South African and road course architect Alan Wilson.[2]