Age is no limit: this woman drove a Formula 1 car at 79 years old

Rosemary Smith is a former rally driver who has become the oldest person to drive a Formula 1 car.

Age is no limit, and a good example of this is the case of Rosemary Smith. This former rally driver got behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car at 79 years old, becoming the oldest person to achieve it. This Irish woman has fulfilled a lifelong dream thanks to the Renault Formula 1 team, which allowed her to drive one of its single-seaters at the French Paul Ricard circuit.

Rosemary won several rallies in the 1960s

“My name is Rosemary Smith and my passion in life is driving fast, very fast”. These are the words with which the Irish driver opens one of the most moving and inspiring videos anyone can remember. Rosemary was a professional rally driver in the 1960s, a period in which she achieved several notable victories in events such as the 1965 Tulip Rally and the 1969 Cork 20 Rally.

Her rallying days are behind her, but the Irishwoman did not hesitate to accept the chance to drive a Formula 1 V8 with 800 CV of power. “I never thought I would be able to drive a car like this. When they offered it to me, I accepted without thinking twice,” says Rosemary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHL7BKNGuFs

“I never thought I would be able to drive a car like this. When they offered it to me, I accepted without thinking twice,” says Rosemary.

It was not all plain sailing for the former rally driver during the Formula 1 test. Before getting into the single-seater, the Irishwoman says she was not sure she could do it: “I was terrified. I don’t blame them for having doubted me at certain moments, but I had to carry on with this, I had to do it,” Rosemary asserts.

“You have to go out there despite the fear in your stomach. In life, you need passion”

Once inside the single-seater, Rosemary’s fears seem to evaporate like foam. During the sequence, we can see how the former rally driver performs a couple of accelerations and lines typical of someone who is not testing a Formula 1 for the first time.

“You have to go out there despite the fear in your stomach. In life, you need passion,” Rosemary concludes in the video. It is hard to disagree with her. Human beings have no limits…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMQoEIDzZeY