List of female 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
![A middle-aged woman talking to the press at a motor show](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Mich%C3%A8le_Mouton_in_2011.jpg/170px-Mich%C3%A8le_Mouton_in_2011.jpg)
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans) is an annual 24-hour automobile endurance race organised by the automotive group Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and held on the Circuit de la Sarthe race track close to the city of Le Mans, the capital of the French department of Sarthe.[1][2] It was first staged as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency in 1923,[3] after the automotive journalist Charles Faroux, the ACO general secretary Georges Durand and the industrialist Emile Coquile agreed to hold the race for car manufacturers to test vehicle durability, equipment and reliability.[1] From the first event in 1923, the ACO advocated sexual equality by permitting women to participate at Le Mans, ranking them equally with men under its performance standards.[4] After the fatal accident of Annie Bousquet at the 1956 12 Hours of Reims, the ACO barred women from entry.[a][6] as well as spectator deaths in the 1955 Le Mans disaster and the 1957 Mille Miglia.[7] The restriction was lifted in 1971, possibly due to the women's liberation movement reaching French motorsport.[8]
As of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans,[update] there have been 66 female drivers representing 15 countries who have started the race a total of 158 times and have finished on 88 occasions.[b][10] Anne-Charlotte Verney of France holds the record for the most starts in the race with ten.[11] Belgian Vanina Ickx and Rahel Frey are second with seven starts each and Marie-Claude Beaumont of France and Switzerland's Rahel Frey are third with six starts each. The first two female drivers to compete at the event were Marguerite Mareuse and Odette Siko in 1930. France is the most represented country, having produced 23 female participants, followed by the United Kingdom with 16 female drivers and Belgium with five female racers. Colombia and the Netherlands became the latest countries to be represented when Tatiana Calderón and Beitske Visser made their debuts in 2020. The most recent woman to make her Le Mans debut was Doriane Pin in 2023.[10]
Since the first race in 1923, there have been 30 all-female squads, consisting of either two or three drivers. There have been two all-female teams who have won their class.[10] The first all-female crew to win their category was the "Christine" – Ecurie Seiko team of Christine Beckers, Yvette Fontaine and Marie Laurent in the 1974 edition and the second was the Société Esso trio of Christine Dacremont, Marianne Hoepfner and Michèle Mouton in the 1975 race.[12][13] The race to feature the highest number of all-female squads was the 1935 event featuring four teams.[10] The highest overall finish by an individual woman at Le Mans was achieved by Siko, who came fourth in the 1932 edition. The best performing all-female team was the seventh-placed Mme Mareuse duo of Maruese and Siko in the 1930 edition.[11]
Drivers
By name
1 | Number in the best finish column denotes a driver's highest finish |
---|---|
DNF | Did not finish |
NC | Not classified |
![A black and white photograph of a woman in racing overalls typical of the 1930s](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Odette_Siko_en_1934.jpg/170px-Odette_Siko_en_1934.jpg)
![A black and white portrait photograph of a female racing driver in overalls](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Joan_Richmond_c1930.png/170px-Joan_Richmond_c1930.png)
![A woman in racing overalls is holding paper in both her hands and reading the material printed on it](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Lella-Garage-Reading-04.jpg/170px-Lella-Garage-Reading-04.jpg)
![A woman in her mid-30s wearing green clothing with sponsors logos and smiling at the camera](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Vanina_Ickx_Le_Mans_2011.jpg/170px-Vanina_Ickx_Le_Mans_2011.jpg)
![A woman in her late teens looking at the camera is wearing a T-shirt emoblened with "SOPHIA" in capital letters](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Let_me_introduce_my_simulator_%28Floersch_on_YouTube%29_02_%28cropped%29.jpg/170px-Let_me_introduce_my_simulator_%28Floersch_on_YouTube%29_02_%28cropped%29.jpg)
![A woman in her late twenties wearing black racing overalls with sponsors logo smiling to her right and wearing black sunglasses](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Sarah_Bovy.jpg/170px-Sarah_Bovy.jpg)
By country
Country | First | Drivers | Starts | Top 10 | Class Win |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1930 | 23 | 55 | 4 | 10 |
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1931 | 16 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
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1954 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 1 |
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1993 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
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1984 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
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1975 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
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1992 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
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2016 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
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1997 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
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1934 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
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1982 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
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1935 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
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2020 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
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2020 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
![]() |
2001 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
All-women teams
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![A light blue and red 1970s closed-cockit racing car on display out of doors in a car show](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Moynet_LM_75.jpg/220px-Moynet_LM_75.jpg)
![A side view of a multi-coloured Ferrari 488 GTE with the number 83 inside an orange square next to its left-front wheel](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Kessel_Racing%27s_Ferrari_488_GTE_%28Frey%2C_Gostner%2C_Gatting%29_at_Le_Mans_2019.jpeg/220px-Kessel_Racing%27s_Ferrari_488_GTE_%28Frey%2C_Gostner%2C_Gatting%29_at_Le_Mans_2019.jpeg)
See also
- List of female Formula One drivers
- List of female Indianapolis 500 drivers
- List of female NASCAR drivers
- List of female racing drivers
Notes
- ^ The ACO also cited Bousquet's driving style as a reason for banning women from racing at Le Mans until 1971.[5]
- ^ Gilberte Thirion was barred from competing for Equipe Gordini in the 1954 race because of her gender. Her place was taken by her father Max Thirion.[9]
- ^ Chetwynd entered under the name "The Honorable Mrs. Chetwynd" because she was married to Viscount Chetwynd.[16]
- ^ Beckers competed using only her forename.[16]
- ^ Visser replaced Katherine Legge, who sustained multiple injuries in a July 2020 European Le Mans Series pre-season test session accident at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France.[79]
References
- ^ a b O'Kane 2012, pp. 14, 95–106
- ^ Vergeer 2009, pp. 10–13
- ^ Thompson, Eric (19 June 2013). "Ultimate test of man and machine". The New Zealand Herald. p. E17. ProQuest 1368729391. Retrieved 6 September 2020 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Women play a part in the history of Le Mans". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ "Only a broken leg. Yours, Annie". Porsche. 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ Spurring 2011a, p. 280
Spurring 2011b, p. 75 - ^ McCarthy 2007, p. 127
- ^ "Women's lib at Le Mans". Montreal Gazette. United Press International. 12 April 1971. p. 20. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ Spurring 2011a, p. 192
- ^ a b c d e f g "History". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ a b Jeffries, Tom (18 September 2020). "How many women have raced in Le Mans before and have they won?". Autosport. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ a b Spurring 2011b, p. 2
- ^ a b Pacary, Catherine (12 June 2015). "Michèle Mouton, une femme au volant" [Michèle Mouton, a woman at the wheel]. Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Odette Siko". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Marguerite Mareuse". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ a b "2018 24 Hours of Le Mans – Press Information" (PDF). Automobile Club de l'Ouest. June 2018. p. 130. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ "Joan Chetwynd". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "H H Stisted". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Elsie Wisdom". Motor Sport. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Marie Desprez". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Dorothy Champney". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Kay Petre 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Anne-Rose Itier". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Williams, Jean (30 May 2013). "Stewart [née Glubb; other married names Janson; Hawkes], Gwenda Mary". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/92722. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Gordon Simpson". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Joan Richmond". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Doreen Evans". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Barbara Skinner". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Colleen Eaton". Motor Sport. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Margaret Allan". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Dorothy Stanley-Turner". Motor Sport. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Joan Riddell". Motor Sport. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Marjorie Eccles". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Fernande Roux". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Suzanne Largeot". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Marjorie Fawcett". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Germaine Rouault". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Viviane Elder". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Régine Gordine". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Yvonne Simon". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Betty Haig". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Christine Beckers 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Anny Charlotte Verney". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Yvette Fontaine". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Marie Laurent". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Martine Renier". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Corinne Tarnaud". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Christine Dacremont". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Marianne Hoepfner 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Lella Lombardi 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Anna Cambiaghi". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Juliette Slaughter Results 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Désiré Wilson". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Margie Smith-Haas Results 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Lyn St. James 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Cathy Muller". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Tomiko Yoshikawa 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Lilian Bryner 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Claudia Hürtgen 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Vanina Ickx". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Milka Duno". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Liz Halliday 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Hamilton, George (17 June 2008). "Le Mans hopes end in crash". The Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Natacha Gachnang 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Cydnie Allemann 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Rahel Frey 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Andrea Robertson 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Keiko Ihara 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Christina Nielsen". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ Griffon, Isabelle (19 June 2016). "Inès Taittinger, seule pilote Française aux 24 Heures du Mans" [Inès Taittinger, the only French driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans] (in French). France 3. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Michelle Gatting 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Manuela Gostner 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Tatiana Calderon". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Sophia Flörsch". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Beitske Visser". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Sarah Bovy 24 Hours of Le Mans". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "Lilou Wadoux Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Doriane Pin Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ Parkes, Ian (17 September 2020). "A Female Team at Le Mans Jumps to a New Level". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
Bibliography
- McCarthy, Todd (2007). Fast Women: The Legendary Ladies of Racing. New York City, United States: Hyperion Miramax Books. ISBN 978-1-4013-5202-8 – via Open Library.
- Vergeer, Koen (2009). Le Mans: geïllustreerde editie [Le Mans: illustrated edition] (in Dutch). Amsterdam, Netherlands: AmstelSport. ISBN 978-90-482-0026-9 – via Open Library.
- Spurring, Quentin (2011a). Le Mans 1949–59: The Official History of the World's Greatest Motor Race. Sherborne, Dorset: Evro Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84425-537-5.
- Spurring, Quentin (2011b). Le Mans: The Official History of the World's Greatest Motor Race 1970–79. Yeovil, Somerset: Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84425-539-9.
- O'Kane, Philip (2012). "A History of the 'Triple Crown' of Motor Racing: The Indianapolis 500, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix". In Hassan, David (ed.). The History of Motor Sport: A Case Study Analysis. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-67788-2 – via Open Library.