Today, November 11 2026 we remember the late Maria-Teresa de Filippis our former President of the Grand Prix Drivers Club as it marks what would have been her 100th birthday.
Maria-Teresa was born into a Neapolitan noble family but when her brothers became involved in motor racing she too decided to race.
She had many successes with a variety of Italian sports cars before buying a Maserati A6GCS with which she competed in the Mille Miglia before ordering and buying a Maserati 250F formula 1 car with which she made her debut in practice for the 1958 Monao Grand Prix. At that time there were more entrants than grid places and she did not qualify for the race but she went on to finish an impressive 10th in the Belgian Grand Prix.
It was at the Italian Grand Prix I first met her though on that occasion she broke a con-rod and retired in a cloud of smoke on the 50th lap of the race. Ferrari factory driver Luigi Musso was assisting her and then French driver Jean Behra loaned her his Formula 2/1 Behra Porsche for the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix but it was too underpowered and again she retired from the race.
Maria-Teresa was always forthright in her views and she was respected as an equal and tough competitor by her peers. After retirement she married and her husband Theo Huschek became the long-time Secretary of the Club.
Graham Gauld