Who is Katherine Legge?
Britain's Katherine Legge will become the first woman in more than a decade to test an F1 car this week when she gets behind the wheel of a Minardi. The Northamptonshire-born driver has been given the chance after winning three races in a successful United States' Toyota Atlantic season.
Katherine Anne Legge was born in Guilford, Surrey (United Kingdom) in July 1980 and now lives in Northampton. Aside from her love for motorsport, Katherine leads an active lifestyle and likes to keep fit by working out at the gym, swimming, mountain biking and skiing. Her ultimate dream is to compete in Formula One where she would look forward to be racing on her favourite track at Monza.
Since starting her motorsport career as a hobby in 1990, Katherine has risen through the ranks to attain her current status. She's currently racing in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. In 2005, she won the series opener at Long Beach, in her first career Toyota Atlantic start. Doing so, she became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America. Legge went on to win her second and third races of the season at Edmonton and San Jose. She finished the season 3rd in the championship with three wins and five podiums, she received the Toyota Atlantic BBS Rising Star 2005 Award.
Prior to joining the Toyota Atlantic series, she raced in several developmental open-wheel series' in Britain as Formula 3, Formula Renault and Formula Ford. In 2000 she was the first woman to achieve a pole in a Zetec race. In 2001 she beat Kimi Räikkönen's lap record and achieved a pole and she was the first woman to receive BRDC "Rising Star" Accolade.
Career Highlights
• Finished 10th in 2004 North American Formula Renault series, despite running only partial season schedule
• Competed in British Formula 3 Championship in 2003
• Won the pole position at Oulton Park in 2002 British Formula Renault Championship
• Captured the 2002 British Women Racing Drivers Club Susan JP Jamieson award for fastest lap speed, earning the title Fastest Female Racer in the UK
• Became first woman to win a pole position in British Formula Ford Zetec series in 2000
