Look back

A salute to the only woman ever to win an F1 race

Granted, it was a round of the short-lived British Aurora F1 Championship back in 1980, but Desiré Wilson, born on this day in 1953, is still the only woman to have won an F1 race of any kind.

Wilson achieved the feat at Brands Hatch, beating the boys to the chequered flag onboard her Theodore Racing Wolf WR4.

Born in South Africa, Desiré started competing in her home country at 12, racing midgets and later winning the South African Formula Ford Championship, which secured her a "Driver to Europe" award for the 1977 season that set her international career in motion.

Following her win in the Aurora series at Brands Hatch in 1980, she entered the British Grand Prix at the venue later that year with a Williams FW07, but failed to make the field.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.