"Les Autres", 1980 - present day

Anne Baverey

During the revival of Speedqueens, I came across a number of drivers who did not fit well into the categories I had chosen for the site. Some of them had competed in several different disciplines, making it hard to place them in one. Others raced in slightly obscure disciplines, or in those I had decided not to cover fully.

In time, some of these entries may be moved to "better homes". Below is a list of jills-of-all-trades, non-US stockcar racers, speed eventers and entrants in events like the Tour de France, where it was unclear what their normal category was.

This page has been divided from its former location. “Les Autres” from between 1950 and 1980 can be found on the original page, here. For drivers competing in Africa, go here. Indian drivers, here. Truck racers now have their own post. Amanda Hennessy's profile can now be found here, Sarah Bovy, here, Francesca Linossi here, Lucile Cypriano here, Abbie Eaton here, Sarah Moore here, Jessica Hawkins here, Amna al-Qubaisi here, Marie Baus-Coppens here, Kattlyn Magno here and Naomi Schiff also has her own post. 

Tina Annemüller – raced in the Opel Astra OPC Cup section of the VLN in 2015. She was thirteenth in class, alongside her team-mates, Tatjana Hanser and Thomas Rehlinger. She also took part in the RCN series, in the same car. Tina is more usually involved with rallying, mostly as a successful co-driver. It was in this way that she got into motorsport in 2010, after working for a number of rally teams in the catering department. She has also driven herself a few times, driving a Renault Twingo in the ADAC Rallye Wartburg in 2012, and a Citroen DS3 in the Wartburg and Sachsen rallies in 2013. In 2016, she switched to the co-driver's seat and sat alongside German and Austrian drivers, including Michael Kogler. 

Monika Arvidsson - Swedish driver who races small sportscars in Europe. She began racing a Mallock Clubman car in 2016, when she was only fifteen years old. Her first season ended in a second place in the SPVM Clubman championship. In 2017, she went one better and won the championship outright. A season in the Swedish Radical Cup followed, although she did not take part in all the rounds. Her best result was a third at Kinnekulle and she was usually in the top five. In 2018, she raced the Radical and the Clubman again, and travelled to the UK to race in the BARC Clubman championship in May. A double-headed attack on the British and Swedish Clubman championships in 2019 was derailed by a lack of funding, but she was still fifth in the Swedish series with one second and one third place. She has since bought a Formula Ford 2000 car which she has raced in Sweden, with the intention of doing a full season in 2022.

Florencia Barboza – Uruguayan driver who competes in both touring cars and single-seaters in her home country. She first made her mark on the scene in 2011, racing in both the Turismo Libre series, in a VW Gol, and Formula Vee. She was twelfth in Formula Vee, with one podium finish. 2012 continued in the same vein, with Florencia doing quite well in Formula Vee, scoring a third place at El Pinar and a sixth place overall. She also raced the Gol in Turismo Libre. In 2013, she concentrated on saloon racing, taking part in the Chevrolet Sonic Racing Cup, in which she managed two top-five positions. She returned to the Sonic Cup in 2014, and was part of its “Copa Damas”, which had its own dedicated all-female final race. After a long break, she reappeared in 2019, racing a VW Beetle in the SuperEscarabejos series in Uruguay. She was 22nd in this one-make championship. 

Lyssia Baudet - karter and racer from Belgium. Her first entry in a car appears to be the Fun Cup 25 Hour race in 2019, which she finished in 66th place with her three team-mates. In 2022, she tried different disciplines, including rallying.  She was selected as a supported female driver by the Belgian motorsport association earlier in the year and this helped her get a seat in a Renault Clio Rally5 for two Belgian events, the Condroz-Huy and Hautes-Fagnes rallies. She was 54th in the latter. She also entered the Auto Slalom competition at the FIA Motorsport Games in October, finishing 15th with Dylan Czaplicki. She won the Belgian Rally Championship's Lady Cup in 2023 and was fourth in the Clio Trophy. Her best result was a fourteenth place in the Ardennes Rally.

Anne Baverey - Frenchwoman who tried her hand at various disciplines between the late 1970s and early 1990s. She rallied, raced in Formula Three and F3000, and attempted to qualify an Argo for Le Mans in 1990. The attempt, assisted by Ian Khan and Michael Dow and using a works JM19C, was unsuccessful. In the 1980s, Anne took up hillclimbing and soon became competitive. In 1985, she took part in historic hillclimbing and came eleventh in the championship. Using a BMW-engined Duqueine F3 car, she did very well in French climbs in 1986. She is still known in some French motorsport circles as “Le reine de la Montagne”.

Lilit Belovska – rally and circuit driver from Bulgaria. In 2010, she took part in the Bulgarian rally championship in an Opel Corsa, but sadly, did not finish any of her rallies. The same year, she entered some rounds of the Bulgarian touring car championship, with a best finish of ninth in class, at Drakon. In 2011, she raced in the Bulgarian circuit championships, in the Corsa. Her best finish was eleventh, at Veliko Tarnovo.

Ilona Bertapelle – began her racing career in 2014, in the Peugeot 208 Cup. Although her early performances were praised, she was not among the front-runners. Later in the year, she signed up for the Andros Trophy Trophée Féminin, which ran through until 2015. Her best result in her Camotos sprint-car was fifth, at Isola 2000. She was tenth in the championship. During the 2015 summer season, she raced in the Peugeot 208 Cup in France. She took part in the 208 Cup again in 2016, for No Limit Racing. In 2018, she returned to racing a Peugeot in 208 Racing Cup. Her mother is Patricia Bertapelle; the two competed in the 2019 Rallye des Princesses in an Austin Healey Mk1.

Marion Beule - winner of the 1986 Ford Fiesta Ladies Cup. She was second in 1985 and third in 1984, after using the series to get started in senior motorsport, in 1983. After that, she raced in the VLN, and then moved into single-seaters, spending two seasons competing in Formula Opel Lotus in 1988 and 1989. She was unplaced both times. In 1990, she and her brother Achim, who had previously driven together in karting and Formula Opel Lotus, entered the Ford Fiesta Mixed Cup together. They won a few races, and Marion was fourth in the Ladies’ standings. She retired in 1991.

Carolyn Boniface - American driver who competed in France in the 1980s. Her first season of rallycross was in 1987, driving a BMW 325i. She was competitive straight away and finished seventh in the French championship, with the Ladies’ title as a consolation. Her best overall finish was second at Pau. She also became the first US driver to compete in the European Rallycross Championship when she did the French round that year. Before and after that, she competed in rallies in France, usually driving a Ford Escort or Sierra. Her best rally finish between 1985 and 1990 was eleventh in the 1989 Rallye Alsace-Vosges. She did one WRC rally: the 1989 Sanremo event. Her job at Ford France led to her competition career being in Europe.

Leticia Bufoni - Brazilian former Olympic and professional skateboarder who switched to motorsport in 2023. She began in the 2023-24 Nitrocross rallycross championship in the USA, driving a Can-Am Maverick SxS vehicle. Her best finish was fifth, at Utah, and she was fifth in the SxS championship. At the beginning of 2024, she announced that she would be competing in the Porsche Cup Brazil. At the time of writing, her best result has been a sixth place in class.

Diana Carter (Polivka) - Canadian driver active between 1960 and 1967. She won the very first race she entered, driving a Volvo.  She often raced Volvo cars, and used a 122 to win the CRDA 2500cc+ Touring Class Championship in 1963, a first for a female driver. She also used a Sunbeam Alpine in Canadian Production races in 1964, sometimes sponsored by  Canadian Track & Traffic Magazine, for which she worked. As well as saloons, she sometimes raced a Formula Vee, and she apparently won a Ladies’ race at Nassau, although the results are not forthcoming. Alongside her circuit racing, she was also a rally driver, supported by the Volvo factory and the media for which she wrote. She entered the Canadian Shell 4000 Rally four times, between 1963 and 1966, and won the Coupe des Dames in the first three. After 1967, she concentrated on motorsport administration and her work in the motoring press.

Sonia Cha – winner of the Copa Corsa womens’ championship in Argentina, in 1999. She began her career in the Argentine ladies’ championships in the 1990s, before moving into the Tursimo Carretera (TC) series after her Copa Corsa win. From 1999 onwards, she shared a Chevrolet with Rene Zannatta in the TC series. In 2001, she did one race in the Kia Cup, before switching to rallying in 2002. That season’s car was a SEAT Ibiza, which she used in the Argentine Championship.

Jacqueline Dantec - successful driver in French hillclimbs in the 1970s and 1980s, usually in saloon cars, including an Opel Commodore. She also sometimes competed in circuit races, and did some rounds of the French Touring Car Championship. In 1978, she drove in the first two rounds, with a best of eleventh at Montlhéry. Her car was a 3500cc BMW 530. She may well have raced in the FTCC between 1979 and 1981, but the records are not readily available. However, she did reappear in 1982, in a BMW 528i. She completed just over half of the championship, with a best result of tenth, again at Montlhéry. She was 22nd in the championship.

Florence Duez (L’Huillier) - mainly raced sports and GT cars in France and Europe, and was most active in 1998/99. She has driven Lotus Elises, Ferrari 355s and BMW Z3s. She drove the Elise in the 1998 Zolder 24 Hours, although she did not finish. Her best finish was probably fourth, with a class win, in the 1996 Spa 24 Hours. She was driving a BMW in an all-female team consisting of her, Yolanda Surer and Kathe Rafanelli. It was her second attempt at the Belgian classic. She performed well as part of another womens’ team in 1999, winning two class awards at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and finishing seventh. The car was a Carlsson BMW M3 and her team-mates were Ellen Lohr, Jutta Kleinschmidt and Claudia Hürtgen. She also did a few rallies, some of them in a SEAT Ibiza kit car, with her husband, Marc Duez, as her team-mate. Previously, she was a rally driver in the 1980s, driving a Citroen Visa.

Glory (Glorymar) Fernandez - Puerto Rican racer who competed in the 2013 Lotus Ladies’ Cup. She was ninth overall, with a best finish of second, at the Hungaroring. She began her motorsport career in autotest-type events in the USA, and has been active in club racing in the USA and the Dominican Republic since then. Her car is usually a Honda Civic. Between 2006 and 2009, she scored several good class positions in US and Dominican national and regional race series, in the Civic. Detailed information about the exact series and classes is proving hard to pin down. In 2014, she returned to the shortened Ladies' Cup. Although she managed one podium, a third at the Red Bull Ring, her two DNFs, and one subsequent non-start, dropped her to ninth in the championship. In 2017, she went to the USA and drove in three rounds of the Pirelli World Challenge, in a Honda Civic. Her best finish was tenth, at Virginia. She competed successfully in autocross and Autosolo in 2019.

Jasmin Fiedler - races a GP2 car in the BOSS Series. Her first outings in the car were at Brno in 2020. That year, she also won Division 2 of the SCC sportscar championship, driving a Honda-engined PRC. She won two of her four races. This was her second year in the series and she was runner-up in 2019. She races alongside her husband Andreas Fiedler for their Fiedler Racing team. They both took part in the Carbonia Cup in 2021, with Jasmin winning at least one race.

Sarah Franklin - active in British motorsport since 2004. She was originally set to make her debut in Formula Woman, but dropped out, in order to start her career on her own terms. She first raced in Formula Ford in 2004, as well as some sportscar racing, in a Ginetta G20. The Ginetta was her car of choice for some years after that. In 2007 and 2008, she did part-seasons in the Ginetta Championshipand the Club Ginetta series, as well as a couple of guest spots in the Porsche Carrera Cup. 2009 saw her try saloon racing, in Britcar, with an MG ZR. She carried on this path in 2010, in the Zing Trofeo Abarth, where she really started to show some results. Her best finish was fifth, and she was tenth in the championship. She kept it small the following year, in the Smart ForTwo Cup. This year, she won her first race, driving a Brabus Smart. In 2012, she went one better, and won her first championship, the B class of the Production Touring Car Trophy, in a Fiat 500 Abarth. She won 17 races that year. 2013 was very quiet, but she came back in 2014, and took part in the Clio Cup Road Series. She was third in the championship, with three third places. In 2016, she was third in the Clio Cup again, with one win. She moved into the Race Car class of the Clio Cup in 2017, and was sixth. Sarah is not a professional driver, and works as a solicitor. She had to sit out the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to a wrist injury, but remained involved through the BWRDC.

Noélie Gerus - has driven in French hillclimbs and rallies since 2002, winning her class on many occasions and the "Challenge Espoir" championship in 2004. She was also French ladies’ champion that year. Her cars include a Tatuus Formula Renault, Dallara F3 and a Peugeot 106.

Vivienne Geuzebroek – Dutch driver who competes in rallies and circuit racing. She started on the circuits in 2010, after getting her licence in 2009. Her first car was a BMW E30, which she used in the DNRT championship, as well as a BMW E36 318. In 2011 and 2012, she raced in the B18 category of the DNRT, and was third overall in 2012, a result she repeated in 2013. She returned to the championship in 2014, but was not quite as successful. She was third in the 2015 championship. Her rally career developed at the same time as her circuit activities. At first, she co-drove in rallysprints, before taking the wheel herself in 2014. She has driven the BMW and a Nissan Micra in the RallyPro Circuit Shortrally.  She carried on in rallies in 2016, in the Micra. Her best finish was eleventh, in the Zeebodem Short Rally. She was third in the 2017 Dutch Ladies' Rally Championship, in the Micra. In 2018, she continued to rally the Micra in shorter stage events, earning a best finish of twelfth in the  Zeebodem Short Rally. Driving a BMW 125, she won the Dutch ladies' rally championship in 2019, with a best finish of twelfth in the JUMBO Short Rally. She did one rally in 2020, the Vechtdal Rally, finishing 51st in the BMW. In 2021, she returned to circuit racing in the DNRT endurance championship, as part of an all-female team, although she did make further rally appearances in the BMW in rallies. The endurance racing continued in 2022 and 2023, and the team was eighth in the Assen 24 Hours in 2023.

Ernesta Globyte – Lithuanian driver active across the Baltic region. She made her first appearance in the Baltic Touring Car Championship in 2009, driving a BMW M3 in the Open class. She was instantly competitive, coming third in her first race, and winning the Open class championship. In 2010, she raced a BMW 318, and was not as effective, with a seventh at Pärnu as her best result. She was sixth in the Open class. In 2011, she switched over to sportscars, racing a Radical in the Radical Nevada championship, before making a part-time return to touring cars in 2012, driving a BMW GSR in some rounds of the Lithuanian championship, without much success. The situation was similar in 2013. The following year, she acquired a Ginetta G50, and was competitive once more, in the Baltic Open championship. Her best overall result was second, at Pärnu. She was also part of an all-female team for the Palanga 1000km, with Indrė Senkutė and Agnė Vičkačkaitė-Lauciuvienė. They drove a Renault Clio as the Sostena Renault team, but did not finish. As well as an all-female driving squad, their service crew were also all female. In 2015, she drove a Ginetta G50 in the Baltic Touring Car Championship, winning one race at Biekerniki, in Latvia. She was third in the 2016 Baltic championship, in the Ginetta, after a series of seconds and thirds. She also drove a BMW in the 4-Hour enduro at Parnu, and was seventeenth with the Samsonasracing.com team. In 2017, she raced a Radical on the circuits, and helped Mantas Jurgaitis to a rally win as his co-driver. She returned to Baltic Touring Cars in 2018, driving a TCR-spec VW Golf and winning the TCR class. She also co-drove a BMW in two Lithuanian rallies for Rokas Stepanovicius. As well as more co-driving, she raced a Golf and an Audi RS3 in the 24H TCE Series, driving at Spa and Catalunya for GSR Motorsport. She drove the Golf in the Baltic championship. In 2020, she was fourth in the two-round Baltic championship, with one second place at Parnu. She raced a Golf in the Hockenheim rounds of the 24H TCE Series, which were both twelve-hour events. She and her team-mates were fourth and third in the TCR class. In 2022, she returned to the Golf and the 24H series, finishing third in the TCR class at Spa. She raced in the Barcelona 24 Hours in 2023, but did not finish due to 

Laurene Godey - mainly a rally co-driver, although she has done both circuit racing and ice racing. She won two races in the Invitation class of the 2019-20 Andros Trophy, driving an electric Andros car. Since then, she has made more appearances in the Invitation series. She also did two races in the 2019 French GT championship, driving a Porsche 718 Cayman with Sebastien Loeb. They were 16th and 13th at Paul Ricard. Laurene is in a romantic relationship with Sebastien. She has co-driven in some rallies for him since 2019 and they won two events together in 2023.

Leslie González – Mexican driver who has competed in several different disciplines. She began as a single-seater racer, and took part in the Mexican Formula 3 championship from at least 1997, until 2001. During her final season in F3, she was ninth overall. In 2003, she moved into saloon-based competition, and spent several seasons racing on and off in the Mexican Clio Cup. 2004 was her best year, and she was ninth. In 2005, she also tried out the Mexican NASCAR series. After a break from competition, Leslie returned to the track in 2015, racing a truck in the Freightliner Campeonato Tractocamiones (Truck Championship). She was ninth overall, and second female driver after Gisela Ponce. 

Cindy Gudet - usually competes in hillclimbs in France, but has made appearances in rallies and in ice racing. She has been successful in hillclimbing since 2017, winning six national titles in production sportscars. In 2023, she signed up for the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, a single-make rally championship in Germany, running as an official FFSA Academy entry with Cecile Marie as co-driver. She was tenth in the Opel class in her second event, the Rally Sulingen. As well as the ADAC series, she has done French regional rallies in a Peugeot 106 and a 208 R2. In 2022, she was also invited to contest the Andros Stars ice racing series. She was eighth in the e-Rally Cup in 2023, regularly finishign in the top ten around Europe. She also rallied a Peugeot 208 and 106 in France.

Jade Handi - took part in the 2011 Dubai 24 Hours, driving a Renault Clio for Springbox. Alongside Amandine Foulard, Corentine Quiniou and Cyndie Allemann, she was tenth in class A2. As well as the Dubai endurance event, she has driven an Isuzu in the French 24-Hour All-Terrain rally, and other rally raids, in France, since 2010. In 2009, she competed in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, as co-driver to Syndiely Wade. Before that, she raced trials bikes and quads. She is better-known in France as a television presenter.

Helga Heinrich (Steudel) - German driver, originally from East Germany. She started out in motorcycle racing in 1960, and became the first female rider to win a major race, in 1965, at the Sachsenring. She switched to cars in 1970, using a DDR-made Melkus RS 1000 sports racer to begin with. Being an Eastern Bloc sportsperson, she competed within the Communist countries almost exclusively. Schleiz, in East Germany, was her commonest haunt. She achieved many top-ten finishes throughout the 1970s, in the RS 1000, and later, a Melkus Spyder and a single-seater. As well as races, she competed frequently in hillclimbs. She first retired in 1984, only making one more appearance in 1992. However, in 2007, she came out of retirement again, initially for historic events, but more recently, in modern single-seaters. In 2013, she raced a Formula Renault in the ESET Eastern European championship, at the age of 75. Prior to this, she had won a hillclimb championship in 2010. Although she does not appear to have raced in 2014, she still remains Germany’s oldest female racing driver.

Jackie Heinricher – American driver who raced in the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship in 2015, in the Lites class. She drove the Hyundai Veloster Lites car for Rhys Millen’s team. Her best result was a seventh place, at Daytona. 2015 is her first year of rallycross. In 2014, she raced in the Ferrari Challenge USA, finishing 19^th overall. Her GRC drive in 2015 was combined with another run in the Ferrari Challenge, in a Ferrari 458, although she did not manage to finish at Daytona. She has also raced a Lola Formula 3 car at club level. In 2016, she did a part-season in the Blancpain Lamborghini Super Trofeo. She raced a Lamborghini again in 2017, coming seventh in the American Super Trofeo. One of her team-mates was Pippa Mann. Injury kept her from competing for much of 2018 and precluded a planned comeback in an all-female team for the 2019 Daytona 24 Hours, driving an Acura NSX. She is now the team's manager instead, although it lost its sponsorship and ran in 2020 as a mixed or male team.

Gwendolyn Hertzberger - Dutch driver who has raced single-seaters and touring cars. She began in 2004, in Holland, in saloon racing, before testing for several Formula Renault teams. She moved to Italy to further her career in 2005, and took part in a few Formula Ford races, as well as attending race training. She moved straight up to Northern European Formula Renault in 2006 and struggled, ending the year in 20th. She was 28th in 2007, and changed series in 2008. She took part in a couple of Formula Master races in Italy, scoring one pole position, then went back to the Low Countries to race a Marcos Mantis in the Belgian GT championship and Dutch Supercars. She was fourth in class in the Zolder 24 Hours. In 2009, she returned to karting. Since then, she has done some test driving, and motor journalism. 

Yasmeen Koloc - Czech driver who races in Formula 4 and the Eset Cup in Eastern Europe. 2020 was her first season; she had previously played tennis competitively but had to retire due to a wrist injury. She started the year in Formula 4 but had quite a bad crash at Grobnik in her first race, despite being fast in testing. She swappd the Eset Formula championship for Endurance championship, driving a Renault Clio. Her best finish was fourth, at Slovakiaring. Her twin sister is truck racer Aliyyah Koloc and both are members of the Buggyra Academy with an eye on the Dakar. She entered the Dakar for Buggyra in 2022, but had to pull out due to not recovering from an injury sustained in the French GT championship, where she raced a Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Martina Kwan - US-based driver from Hong Kong who usually drives Porsches in club championships. She won two of the Porsche Owners’ Club’s titles in 2017, driving a 997 which she calls “Firehorse”. As well as circuit racing, she has won awards for time trials. In 2019, she started competing in the Saleen Cup with Hanna Zellers, beginning at Portland. The Cup is a one-make series for Saleen S1 sportscars. She did not take up racing until she was 50.

Catherine Liegeois – has raced in Belgium since at least 2000, when she drove a Honda Integra in the Spa 24 Hours, with Alexandre Leens and Michel Wilders. They did not finish. In more recent years, she has been a regular in the Fun Cup 25 Hours, also held at Spa, driving a VW Beetle. In 2002, she was part of a team including the Belgian Education and Employment minister, Marie Arena. In 2014, she was part of the “Allur Girls” team put together by Frederic Bouvy, with Caroline Leens, Charlotte Martens and Marie Michiels. They were 60^th overall. 

Rossina Longardi - raced in touring cars and single-seaters in Uruguay between 2011 and 2016. Her first races in 2011 were alongside her boyfriend Marcelo Pessina, and his family provided the Volkswagen Gol she used in 2012. She teamed up with Maria Stephanie Devoto for at least one race in the Turismo Libre series, and finished 15th at AUVO. She used the same car in the Supertouring A1 Championship at El Pinar, but did not finish. In 2014 and 2016, she entered the Uruguay Formula 4 championship, doing a couple of races each time. She was in her mid-thirties, but competing against teenagers. Her best results were a tenth and eleventh place in 2016, at El Pinar.

Emelie Mattsson – raced in the Renault Junior Cup in Sweden, in a Clio, between 2010 and 2012, following several seasons of karting. Her best overall finish was sixth, in 2011. Although she managed more top-five positions in 2012, her finishing record dropped her to seventh place. After apparently not competing during 2013, she returned in 2014 as a rally driver. She drove a MkII Volkswagen Golf in Swedish regional and national rallies. Her best finish was 19^th, in the Härjedalsbrickan event. She also won her class. She was also 20^th in the Offerdalingen rally, another snow event. In 2015, she won a club rally championship outright, in the Golf. She was fifth in a regional or club championship in 2016, in the same car. 

Marzia Mezzanotte - raced single-seaters and sportscars in Italy, in the early 2000s. In 2001, she did two rounds of the Italian Formula Renault 2.0 championship, at Monza. This came after some races in Formula Campus, and some testing in the Netherlands. In 2002, she moved into sportscar racing. Driving a Lucchini-Alfa Romeo, she was sixth at Monza, and qualified third at Magione before pulling out, in the Italian Prototype championship. The same year, she drove in the Vallelunga 6 Hours with Angelo Lancelotti and Fabio Spatafora. They were 20th, in a Chevrolet Corvette. Later, she was linked to a drive in the Maserati Trofeo, which she does not appear to have been able to take up.

Nicoletta Misto - took part in one-make racing in Italy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Normally, this was the Renault 5 Cup, in which she was twelfth in 1981. Previously, she was 22nd in the 1979 championship. She may also have raced in 1980. Much later, she also finished third in an all-female rally in 1999, the Racing Show Alpi del Mare, driving a Mazda MX-5.

Erika Monforte - Italian driver who entered her first races in 2006, driving a Citroen Saxo. That year, she won Italy's Formula Driver ladies' championship. Later, in 2009, she drove in the Fiat 500 Abarth Trofeo, and was eighth overall. In between, she took extensive training in rallying, and participated in the 2008 San Marino Rally. Her car was an Opel Astra, and she was 81st. In 2011, she returned to Fiats, and was ninth in the final standings. In 2012, she took part in some GTSprint events in a Porsche 997 GT3. She and Simone Monforte (her brother) were fourteenth and fifteenth at Mugello. After a break, she raced in the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries in 2014, in a Chevrolet Camaro. It took her a while to learn the car, but by the end of the season, her results began to improve. She managed two seventh places, at Magione and Le Mans, and was tenth overall. Her second Whelen Series season was cut short in 2015, after only six races, three of which she did not start. The best of these was a fifteenth place at Valencia. In 2016, she returned to the Whelen Series for another part-season, in the Elite 2 class. Her best finish was thirteenth, at Adria. 

Danuza Moura - first made her mark on the Brazilian motorsport scene in 1999, by winning the Women’s Corsa Championship. In 2000, she took part in the Corsa Metrocar championship, and won the ladies’ award, as well as one of the races. In 2001, she drove in both the Stock Car championship, and the Brazilian Women’s Ford Fiesta Championship. She was a front-runner in the Fiesta series, with race wins. Her car for Stock Car was a Vauxhall Omega, and she was 28th in the championship. For a few races, she also drove a Vauxhall Vectra in the Light category, but did not score points. After a break, she entered Formula Truck in 2004, for at least some rounds. She was not on the pace and did not score points. She does not appear to have raced after that.

Agnese Piazzalunga – raced in the Trofeo Maserati Europe in 2010 and 2011, in a Maserati GranTurismo. In 2011, she was thirteenth in one race at Monza. She has also raced motorcycles in endurance events in Italy. Her Maserati appearances were a comeback of sorts; she began racing as  a youngster, in Formula Junior at Monza, in 1983. She has also competed in Formula 3 and Formula 2000, in which she participated in 1984. As well as modern machinery, she has raced historic cars, and won the Giulietta Trophy at Monza in 2011. She also races motorcycles.

Klaudia Podkalicka - Polish driver who competes in rallying, rally raids and circuit racing. Her earliest motorsport experiences were rallies; she was involved in rallying from the age of 16, when she was part of the winning team in a regional championship in 2002 (co-driving). In 2004 and 2005, she navigated in local Polish club events, with some top-five finishes. She started her circuit career in one-make series, chiefly the Kia Picanto Cup in Poland. In 2006 and 2007, she was the series’ leading female driver, although she was only fifteenth and 17th overall. In 2007, she also raced in the Dacia Logan endurance cup in Germany, and was second, with her two team-mates. In 2008, she had put together a deal to enter the Dakar Rally, but it was cancelled. Between then and 2013, she competed in rally raids in and around Poland, scoring good class positions in the Baja Poland, and winning the prologue of the 2012 Rally Rabakoz Cup. She returned to circuit racing in 2013, for the Volkswagen Castrol Cup, in which she was 19th overall, with best finishes of eleventh at Poznan. Stage rallying had not been forgotten either: she has driven in three editions of the Rally Barbórka, in 2006, 2012 and 2013, in a Kia Picanto, Porsche Cayenne and Subaru Impreza, respectively. In 2014, she concentrated on rally raids. She was second in class T2 in the Baja Poland, in a Mitsubishi Pajero. At the start of the year, she was part of the service crew for Team Poland in the Dakar. She continued to compete in cross-country rallies in 2015, in Poland and Eastern Europe. Her results included a class win in the Baja Poland, and she was second in the T2 Central Europe Rally Raid Championship. She rallied a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII in 2016 and 2017, with a best finish of 21st, in the Rally Barbórka. 

Edita Praskova – Czech driver who raced sportscars and single-seaters in the 2000s. In 2004, she was sixth in the Czech Prototype Cup, in a Skoda-engined Baghera. In 2008, she raced in Austrian Formula 3, for some rounds, although the results are not forthcoming. Between 2006 and 2011, she raced a Dallara F301 F3 car in hillclimbs in Europe. She won one event, at Orlicko, in 2007.

Simona Premrl - Slovenian driver who races in various parts of Europe. She began in 2012, after a relatively long career in equestrianism, from an early age. She won her first competitive event, a rallycross meeting in Slovenia, driving a Yugo. She continued to do rallycross in the Yugo in 2013, and figured quite strongly in the Slovenian national championship. As well as rallycross, she entered two rounds of the Central European Touring Car Championship, possibly in a Mini. She was 20th and 14th at the Slovakiaring. She does not appear to have raced in 2014. 

Mélina Priam – has raced on and off in France, and Europe, since 1995, when she took part in the French Formula Renault Championship. She did not complete the season, and was unplaced. For a long time, she concentrated on her main career as an automotive journalist and PR professional, returning to the track in 2008, in the French Porsche Carrera Cup. She did two guest races. In 2009, she tried her hand at rallying in a Suzuki Swift, and entered the Rallye Mont-Blanc-Morzine. In 2010, she drove a 1923 Ford Montier T in the Le Mans Classic, and she did some more classic motorsport in 2011, navigating in a Renault Dauphine in the Monte Carlo Classic.

Courtney Prince - Australian driver who races sportscars and single-seaters. She was one of her country’s youngest-ever single-seater drivers when she entered a few rounds of the Australian Formula Ford championship in 2016, aged 14. Between then and 2019, she competed extensively in the national, Victoria and New South Wales championships, with a best finish of eighth overall in the 2019 Australian series. She was a regular upper-midfield finisher with a best race finish of fourth. In 2020 she started racing Porsches, scoring three third places at Sandown in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge. She continued to be competitive and was fourth in the 2022 championship, before moving up to the Carrera Cup in 2023. This proved harder and she was 17th overall, managing a couple of top tens. She did better in the Bathurst 6 Hours, finishing third in her class with Karlie Buccini and Ellexandra Best. Their car was a BMW. Racing against Karlie Buccini this time, she drove a BMW in the Aussie Production Cars rounds at Hidden Valley. In 2021 and 2022, she also competed in Aussie Racing Cars. 

Adeline Prudent - French driver who has raced on and off in the French Clio Cup since 2017. She did complete seasons in 2017 and 2018 and was slightly quicker in her first season, picking up a best finish of twelfth at Pau. In 2018, she was 26th in the championship, with a best finish of 18th, again at Pau. Earlier, in 2014, she took part in a couple of rounds of the Peugeot RCZ Racing Cup. Since then, she has switched to single-seaters and races in the Formula Cup of the Trophee Tourisme Endurance. She has earned at least two top-ten finishes.

Ivanna Richards - Mexican driver who began her car racing career in 2023. She entered the NACAM F4 championship for the Amozoc Puebla rounds and scored a podium position on her first race, finishing third. Her other results were a seventh and a DNF. Apart from a test in Spain with the Campos team, this was the first time she had been in an F4 car competitively. After that, she took part in a Mexican Grand Prix support race, driving a Mercedes in a round of the Mexican GT Championship. She was part of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars karting assessments in 2021, aged 13.

Mathilde Riehl - French driver who has recently become known for her eco-friendly racing. In 2013, she drove an electric Renault Twizy car in the Andros Trophy, and in some French rallies. These included the Alsace Rallye de France, albeit as a course car. In the Andros ice-racing series, she was 17th, after one appearance at the St-Dié round. 2012 was her first year of major competition, at the age of 16 and without a full driving license. She competed in two different Peugeot one-make series for 207 models, one sprint and one endurance. As well as this, she drove in some rounds of the 2012 and 2013 French Clio Cups. She was 24th in the 2013 edition. After this, she returned to the Andros Trophy, in an electric car. During the 2014 summer season, she seems to have done some racing in a Ferrari, as well as some autocross, and a run in the six-hour Anneau de Rhin race, in the TTE. Later, she returned to the Andros Trophy, racing a buggy in the revived Trophée Féminin. A second Andros Trophy season followed at the end of 2015, again in the "Ice Girls" sprintcar championship. In 2016, she concentrated on working as a racing instructor, including work at her own women's driving school. Since then, she has made occasional appearances in the French Twingo Rallycross Cup. Prior to this, she was involved in motorsport from an early age, alongside her family, as a marshal. 

Isabella Robusto - American driver who was a member of the NASCAR Drive For Diversity scheme from the age of 12. She made her debut in GT cars in 2023, racing a Toyota Supra in the Sonoma round of the GT4 America series. She was 16th and 20th in her two races, finishing well in the Am class. After a long career in the junior stock car formulae, she signed a deal to race in ARCA in 2023 with Venturini Motorsports, but this was delayed due to her receiving a concussion during a Late Model race.

Victoria Schneider - Austrian driver who has been racing in touring cars in recent years. She began her career in 1999, in Formula König in Germany, finishing 21st in the championship. Later, she seems to have been associated with Suzuki, competing strongly in their one-make Swift Cup in Austria, and winning it in 2008. In 2010, she was one of the front-runners in the circuit Suzuki Cup, and also in its rallying equivalent. She won her class in the Bruckneudorf Rallysprint. More recently, she has been racing a Mitsubishi Colt in central Europe, as part of a one-make series. She won this championship in Austria in 2012. In 2013, she raced the Colt in mixed-grid touring car races in central Europe, and managed some top-ten finishes. 

Catherine Sinopoli - Swiss driver known for her participation in French hillclimbs, sometimes driving a sports prototype. She has also competed in rallies. Her first major rally was the 1988 Rallye du Valais, driving a Fiat Uno. She later rallied a Lancia Delta Integrale. Her best result was an 18th place in the 1991 Rallye de Sainte-Cergue, driving the Delta.

Iveta Slaboševičiūté - Lithuanian driver active in racing and rallying. She has competed in the Palanga 1000km race every year since 2005, usually in a Volkswagen Polo. Her best finish was fifth, in 2007, in the Polo, co-driven by Raimundas and Marius Slaboševičiūs. Her other cars have included a Vauxhall Calibra, and a BMW 120d in 2013. She also acts as a rally co-driver in Lithuania, navigating for Raimundas Slaboševičiūs and others. In 2012, she announced that she would be driving herself, but no results are forthcoming. She began her motorsport career in slalom competitions, in a Peugeot 206, in 2002.

Heather Spurle - finished 5th in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hours, driving a Rollcentre Mosler MT9000R. Her co-drivers were Martin Short, Patrick Pearce and Charles Lamb. Previously, she drove in endurance races in Europe, and at Bathurst itself in 1990. She failed to finish the 1995 Nürburgring 24 Hours in an Opel Astra, and gremlins interfered again during the 1996 Spa 24 Hours. The British-born New Zealander has raced a number of touring and single-seater cars, as well as setting speed records on land and water. She was a regular competitor in the New Zealand junior formulae in the early 1980s and drove for the factory Peugeot team in New Zealand Touring Cars in the early 1990s. After a long lay-off and serious illness, she raced at Bathurst again in 2009, driving a Subaru Impreza. She and her team-mates were second in class G.

Rosário Sottomayor – Portuguese driver recently active in the Portuguese Ladies’ Rally Championship, after a long career in motorsport. Her car was a Skoda Fabia, and she scored two second places in the Ladies’ series, in mixed rallysprints, as well as four further class wins. she was third in the Ladies' series. In 2016, she drove a Citroen Saxo in the Azores Ladies' Rally Trophy, and was fourth in the championship, with two second places. Previously, she raced on circuits, and won her national Formula Ford 1600 title in 1993. She has also raced a Ford Fiesta at some point, and taken part in hillclimbs in saloon cars. Her latest track action seems to have been the Sport Prototype series, in a Radical, which appears to have been a return from some time away from the sport.

Kamila Stara – Czech driver who raced a “Formula Easter” historic single-seater between 2007 and 2009, in Eastern Europe. Previously, in 2001, she was very successful in hillclimbs, driving an 850cc Saab 96. She won a series of events around Europe. In 2004, she also took part in the Czech Protoype Cup, driving an Opel-engined PRC. She was sixth in the championship.

Clare Surtees - raced in the 2017 Ginetta Racing Drivers Club Plus series in the UK, in a Ginetta G40. This is her first time on track since 2013. Previously, she raced historics, including an MGB and a 1934 Singer Le Mans, which she used in races and hillclimbs as far afield as Australia. She has been active since at least 2008.

Hanna Tolstrup – former karter who raced in the Renault Junior Cup between 2010 and 2012. Her first two seasons were steady, but unspectacular, and she was thirteenth, then eleventh in the championship. In 2012, she became a regular visitor to the top five, and was rewarded with fifth overall. The same year, she did some junior rallying in Sweden, in a VW Golf. This carried on in 2013, although she also drove a Clio. Her mother, Susanne Tolstrup, was her navigator. In 2014, she carried on rallying, in club and regional events. Her car was still a Renault Clio. Her biggest result seems to have been a 48^th place in the Eriknäsbosprinten rally.

Laetitia Tortelier – most recently seen racing in the Girl’s Twin Cup in 2015. The Twin Cup is an all-female French motorsport initiative, based on the Renault Twingo. Prior to this, she had been active in French motorsport for some years, including a run in the Peugeot 206 Sprint Cup in 2006. She has also raced internationally in endurance events. In 2012, she drove a Porsche 997 in the 24 Hours of Barcelona, and finished second in class, with three other French drivers. Their overall position was tenth. The following year, Laetitia, with the same car and team-mates, tackled the Dubai 24 Hours. They were 23^rd overall, and fourth in class. She seems to have suffered some personal difficulty in 2016, and did not race. In 2017, she was back in the 24-Hour Series in a TCR-spec Peugeot 308. 

Anneli Vigh - raced in Swedish Formula Ford in 1989. She was fifth in the opening round, at Kinnekulle. Previously, she raced in the Lancia Lady Cup for at least one season, in 1986. She was fourth overall. Unusually, she was racing against her mother, Ulla-Britt Vigh, a founding member of the Swedish Lady Racing Club.

Magdalena Wilk - competes in both races and rallies in Poland. Between 2006 and 2009, she was a regular in the Kia Lotos one-make racing series, driving in the Picanto Cup. She gradually improved during her four seasons, and by 2009, she was eighth in the championship, with her first podium finish. After that, she moved into rallying, first as a co-driver, then as a driver. As a driver, she used a Kia Picanto to begin with, in 2011. That year, she was 59th in the Rajd Babórka, in the 1100cc Picanto. In 2012, she got herself some more power, first with a Renault Clio, then a Citroen C2. Her co-driver was Jolanta Zuk, and her best finish was 33rd, in the Rajd Czechowicki. After that, she returned to the navigator’s seat, in historic competition with Arkadiusz Kula. After a break, she resumed driving duties in 2015, in a BMW 318. Her best result was a 46th place in the Ziemi Bochenskiej Rally. 

(Picture from www.forum-auto.com)

Margot (Marguerite) Laffite

Marguerite (usually known as Margot) Laffite was the winner of the Andros Trophée Féminin in 2005, on her first attempt. It was her first taste of motorsport, despite having grown up as the daughter of former Formula One driver, Jacques Laffite. Her elder sister Camille also competed that year. She has returned to ice racing almost every winter since then, and is one of its most recognisable and decorated female participants.

In 2006, she was part of a works Fiat female team for the Promotion class of the Andros Trophy, with Justine Monnier. Their cars were Stilos. Margot’s best finish was second, in Andorra. Sadly, her form tailed off towards the end of the short ice-racing season, and she was 23rd overall, with Justine in fourteenth.

The summer counterpart of her winter adventures revolved around some appearances in the VW Fun Cup, including the 25-Hour race at Spa.

Since then, she has raced different cars on the ice. In 2007, this was a Peugeot 206 CC, and she was 27th overall, just above her team-mate Marlène Broggi, in 29th. The following season, in a Kia Rio this time, she was back to form, despite only running a part-season. She was 20th overall, with a best finish of sixth, at Alpe D’Huez. In 2008-2009, she was very much a part-time entrant, but still managed some top-ten race positions in her Rio. She was 24th overall. 

At the same time, she became involved with the FIA GT3 Championship, driving a Morgan Aero 8 GT. This car was not the fastest or most reliable in its class, but she and her co-driver finished four races in it in 2007, at Monza and Brno, twice beating her father, Jacques Laffite. In 2008, she was paired with George Alexandre Sturdza in the Morgan. After the official tests, they entered five European GT3 meetings. Out of ten races, the Morgan made it to the end three times, twice in 22nd place (at Monza and Nogaro) and once in 27th (at Silverstone). The sister cars did not fare much better, only occasionally getting into the top twenty.

That year, she also made guest appearances in several domestic series, including the French Porsche Carrera Cup. She took part in two races at Dijon. Later in the season, she appeared at the Le Mans round of the Mégane Eurocup, and was fifteenth in both of her races. She was supported by Boutsen Ginion Racing, who also ran her cars in the Andros Trophy. In between, she drove in the MitJet silhouette series. The results for this have not been forthcoming.

In 2009, she drove in the Renault Mégane one-make series, making two appearances, again as a guest driver for the Boutsen Ginion team. She was 16th in Catalunya and twelfth at Spa. This was the limit of her summer activities.

For the 2009-2010 Andros season, she drove in the new Electric category with Marlène Broggi, and was third in the team standings. She was tenth overall, behind Marlène in seventh, despite a third place at Alpe d’Huez.

The following season, she was ninth in the Electric class, with some top-five overall finishes but no big scores. She was sixth in 2011-2012, after another third place at Isola. This year, she won her first Coupe des Dames in the Electric Trophy.

Away from the ice, she concentrated more on media and advocacy work, and her only summer racing in 2010 was two guest appearances in the SEAT Leon Supercopa in France. She finished eleventh in both of her races, at Lédenon.

In 2012, she increased her summer calendar, and ran in Clio and Mégane Eurocup events, with mixed results. She was better in the Mégane, with a seventh and an eighth at Paul Ricard and Catalunya. Her best Clio finish was 16th, . She also did two guest rounds of the Peugeot RCZ Cup in France, at Lédenon again, finishing twelfth and eleventh.

Margot’s main job now is as a presenter of Eurosport’s French-language Formula One coverage, which takes up much of her time. She has received praise for her work. Despite this, she still had time to contest the 2012-2013 Andros Electric Trophy, and earn her second Ladies’ Cup. She was fourth overall. 

In spite of her TV schedule, she was also able to take part in the Megane Trophy Eurocup again. Again, it was a somewhat up-and-down season. Her best finish was sixth, at the Red Bull Ring, but she was usually in the lower part of the top ten. She mostly stayed out of trouble, and her performances were enough to get her into twelfth place in the championship. She also had the distinction of racing alongside her father on a few occasions this year.

She was set to race in the Andros Trophy again at the end of 2013, driving a Citroen DS3. However, she crashed whilst practising for the first round, at Val de Thorens, and fractured two cervical vertebrae. She had to sit out the Trophy. Although her injuries sounded dramatic, she was expected to make a full recovery.  

She did not race in 2014, but did continue with her TV work. She also became a mother at the start of 2015. At the end of the year, she returned to motorsport, racing a Citroen DS3 in the Andros Trophy, in the Elite class. She was eighth in the championship, second of the female drivers, and just two points behind Marlène Broggi. Super-Besse was her best meeting, and she was third overall.

She was back on form for the 2016-17 Andros Trophy, in which she was fourth, driving a Mazda 3 in the Elite class. Her best results were two second places, at Alpe d'Huez and Isola 2000. 

In 2018, she finished the Andros Trophy season in sixth place, in the Elite class. Her car was a Mazda3 run by Sainteloc. Her best finish was a second at Val Thorens, which she repeated at Isola 2000. This was her best meeting; the first race also gave her a third place.

Another Andros entry beckoned in 2019, also with a Mazda3. In between, she had been part of an all-female R24 Motorsport entry for the Sepang round of the 2019 Asian Le Mans Series, driving a Ligier LMP3. The team, consisting of Margot, Katherine Legge and Michelle Gatting, was eighth in class.

Her return to the ice of the Andros Trophy in 2021 was a success. She was fifth in the Elite championship after winning one race at Andorra and finishing second at Serre Chevalier, driving for Sebastien Loeb's team. 

She drove for the SLR Enedis team for the 2021-22 Andros Trophy, now running as a completely electric championship. She shared the car with Elite driver Sebastien Loeb. A return to the Andros Trophy in late 2022 began very strongly with two wins. She continued to be very strong throughout the winter season and was second in the Elite championship.

At the beginning of 2024, she announced that the 2023-24 Andros Trophy would be her last, as the championship was coming to an end. She raced in the Elite class for Sebastien Loeb's team and won one race at Andorra, as well as finishing on the podium several more times.

(Picture from http://enpleinelucarne.net/2013/03/margot-laffite-joker-834)  

Annie Soisbault (de Montaigu)

Annie competing in the Alpine Rally in her TR3

Annie Soisbault competed in rallies and races across Europe, between 1956 and 1969. She had always been interested in sports from an early age, but her first love was tennis: she was one of France’s leading junior players of her time, winning seven titles. She continued to play professionally as a senior, and is meant to have used some of her winnings to buy her first sports car, a Delahaye.

Her first international event was the 1956 Monte Carlo Rally, in a Simca. Her role was as a “second driver”, more or less a back-seat passenger to Germaine Rouault and Louisette Texier. She remained on the back seat from Munich until the Ardeche, where the team struggled with heavy snow. Annie demanded a go at the wheel, and surprised her more experienced team-mates by setting some good times and passing several other drivers. However, her heroics were not enough to save them, and they were still unclassified.

In 1957, she took to the stages in her own Triumph TR3. The biggest rally she entered (and not strictly a rally) was the Tour de France, and she was 21st overall, driving with Michèle Cancre. There were 23 finishers that year. In the same car, she entered the Coupes de Salon at Montlhéry, and was eighth in her race.

In a Panhard Dyna belonging to her co-driver, Monique Bouvier, she also entered the Mille Miglia. They lasted a little over half of the distance, before a problem with a piston put them out.

She became a Triumph works driver in 1958, using a TR3. The story goes that the Triumph motorsport team were considering Annie or Pat Moss for a works drive. Annie told them that she was not interested in working with indecisive people, and they signed her forthwith. It is unclear how much truth is in this story. Annie had a talent for self-promotion; an example of this is her appearance in the promotional Shell film “Coupe des Alpes”, which featured some competition footage and some staged sequences, and was shown on television. She was also regarded by some of her peers as “difficult”.

That year, she seems to have finished the Monte Carlo Rally with Tish Ozanne, albeit unplaced. She also entered the Alpine Rally, but retired due to mechanical problems. The Tour de France was a happier hunting ground. She was fourteenth overall with Michèle Cancre.

In 1959, she continued with the TR3, coming to the UK for the RAC Rally. Co-driven by Val Domleo, she finished, but was unplaced. It had been a similar story on the Monte, although Nadège Ferrier took the co-driver’s seat. Once again, she did not finish the Alpine Rally. Her biggest result was her win on the Paris-St. Raphaël women’s rally, which contributed towards her European Ladies’ Rally Championship title. This award was not without controversy; Annie seems to have exploited a loophole in the rules about the number of female participants in an event for a Coupe des Dames to be awarded, non-starting on some rallies in order to deny Ladies’ points to Pat Moss, her main rival apart from Ewy Rosqvist, who was joint winner. This behaviour did not endear her to other competitors, or to observers. 

In more sportscar-oriented competition, she was thirteenth in the Tour de France, once more with Michèle Cancre as co-driver.

1960 saw her association with Triumph coming to an end. She failed yet again to finish the Alpine Rally, this time with Annie Spiers. Throughout her career, Annie preferred to work with other female drivers. This was true in both rallies and races. This year, she revisited her partnership with Michèle Cancre for the Tour de France, and was 16th. Their car was a Porsche 356B. Earlier in the season, driving solo, Annie had attempted the Coupes de Vitesse at Montlhéry, and was thirteenth in a Triumph. At some point during 1960, she travelled to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, and was seventh in a sportscar race, driving a Porsche 1600. This season, she also sampled single-seater racing in a Lola Formula Junior, which she used in some Formula Three races in France.

Increasingly, she favoured sportscar events and road races over stage rallying, and this seems to have been her main focus for most of the 1960s. She took part in the Tour de France on several more occasions, with a best result of sixth in 1963, driving a Jaguar, the same car in which she had failed to finish in 1962. She also scored her best result in the Monte Carlo Rally, fourteenth, in a DKW, with P. Gele, but seemingly as a navigator.

She was fourth in the 3000cc GT class the following year, in a Ferrari 250 GTO. Her overall position was fourteenth, and her co-driver was Nicole Roure. Driving a different Ferrari, an LM run by Ecurie Francorchamps, she was 18th in the Paris 1000km, driving with Guy Ligier. Her main car that year was a Porsche 904. In it, she was thirteenth in the Rheims 1000km, with Claude Dubois, and sixth in the Paris GP at Montlhéry. She is known to have entered the Dakar 6 Hours, but the result has been lost.

The Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari was her main mount for 1965. In it, she entered the Monza 1000km, Spa 500km and Rheims 12 Hours, but did not finish any of them, due to mechanical failures and one accident, at Rheims. Her only good result came in the Paris GP, where she won the GT class in her own Ferrari GTO. In the same GTO, she also attempted a round of the French national rally championship, but did not finish.

She drove a Porsche 906 in 1966, staying in France this time. She is known to have entered the Coupe de Vitesse and the Coupe du Salon, but the results are not forthcoming. A scheduled appearance in the Paris 1000km did not happen. After this, Annie became very much an occasional racer, and concentrated on her professional role as managing director of an upmarket motor dealership, importing Aston Martin and other marques to France. The business belonged to her husband, the Marquis de Montaigu.

Her last major appearances were at the Mont Ventoux hillclimb. She had been a regular at the big climbs since at least 1960, having crashed her Ferrari GTO there in 1965. In ‘66, she was not among the major finishers, but did become the first female driver to average over 100kph, driving a Porsche 906. In 1967, she won the Ladies’ Cup in the same car. She retired completely from motorsport in 1969.

Annie was a fascinating character, a sporting adventuress more in the style of Hellé Nice and Kay Petre, than her contemporaries. She is famous for her pet cheetah, which she sometimes brought with her to rallies for photo opportunities, and for her reputation as a bonne vivante, who enjoyed the finer things in life. Her furious competitive streak was not enough to land her the overall victories of a Pat Moss or Rosemary Smith, but her media-mindedness ensured that she was noticed everywhere.

She died in September 2012, aged 78.

Thanks to members of the TNF forum for information.

(Photo from http://www.forum-auto.com/sport-auto/histoire-du-sport-auto/sujet343197-2800.htm)