Desiré Wilson’s April 7 breakthrough still echoes in motorsport’s equality debate

On April 7, 1980, Brakpan-born Desiré Wilson made history by winning an F1 race in Britain’s Aurora national series — the first woman ever to do so. More than four decades later, her achievement remains both a celebration and a reminder of how steep the pathway to the top level still is for women in single-seaters.