Lilou Wadoux is a French racing driver who became the first woman to win an FIA World Endurance Championship race and Ferrari’s first-ever female factory driver—making history while refusing to let gender define her talent behind the wheel.

EARLY YEARS

Born Lilou Chloé Perrine Wadoux-Ducellier on April 10, 2001, in Amiens, Hauts-de-France, France, she didn’t exactly grow up dreaming of podiums. While her father Cédric had briefly competed as a rally driver, young Lilou spent most of her youth focused on tennis courts, not racetracks. It wasn’t until she was 14—ancient by racing standards—that she first tried karting, and even then, it was just for fun. She kept it casual for a year before meeting fellow Amiens racing drivers Julien and Florian Briché on the karting circuit. That connection changed everything. With their guidance and encouragement, she made the leap to competitive circuit racing in 2017 at age 16, trading her tennis racket for a steering wheel and never looking back.

OTHER INTERESTS

While pursuing her racing career, Wadoux has also worked toward a BPJEPS diploma—a French professional certification for youth and sports education—specifically to become a driving instructor. Balancing school with a demanding training and competition schedule, she’s maintained a disciplined routine that includes daily physical training alongside her studies. It’s a practical backup plan, sure, but it also shows her commitment to the craft of driving in all its forms.

EARLY SUCCESS

Starting late didn’t slow her down. After beginning competitive racing in 2017, Wadoux quickly proved she belonged. She competed in the Peugeot 208 Racing Cup, finishing third overall in 2018 while also making four guest starts in another series that year, scoring top-ten finishes in all four outings. In 2019, she dipped her toes into touring cars with five appearances in the TCR Europe series. But it was in 2020, when she entered the Alpine Elf Europa Cup, that things started to click. She finished seventh in a condensed campaign, then returned in 2021 with a vengeance—scoring her first win and ultimately finishing third overall in the championship. That same year, she made a one-off appearance at Le Mans in the Porsche Sprint Cup Challenge France and absolutely dominated: pole position and a commanding victory that turned heads across the paddock. By then, it was clear—this wasn’t just talent. This was the real deal.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2021: Won her first race in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup and finished third overall in the championship.
• 2021: Took pole position and won her one-off race in the Porsche Sprint Cup Challenge France at Le Mans.
• 2022: Made her FIA World Endurance Championship debut with Richard Mille Racing in the LMP2 class.
• 2023: Became Ferrari’s first-ever female official factory driver with Ferrari Competizioni GT.
• 2023: Became the first woman to ever win an FIA World Endurance Championship race, taking the GTE class victory at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps alongside teammates Alessio Rovera and Luis Perez Companc in the AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE.
• 2023: Became the first woman to drive a Le Mans Hypercar, testing Ferrari’s 499P at the Rookie Test in Bahrain.
• 2024: Made her Super GT debut in Japan, racing Ponos Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 in the GT300 class alongside Andrea Bertolini and later Giancarlo Fisichella.
• 2024: Became the first woman to win in IMSA’s LMP2 class, taking victory at Watkins Glen in the Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca.
• 2024: Became a test driver for Jaguar TCS Racing in Formula E, participating in the Women’s Test.
• 2025: Won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class title, along with manufacturer and team titles for Ferrari and AF Corse, driving the #21 Ferrari 296 GT3 with Alessandro Pier Guidi and Simon Mann.
• 2025: Secured the IMSA Endurance Cup title with a victory at Petit Le Mans.
• 2025: Claimed her first ELMS victory in the LMGT3 class at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet (Paul Ricard) with Richard Mille AF Corse.
• 2025: Continued competing in European Le Mans Series with Richard Mille AF Corse, winning two races and leading the championship standings with teammates Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini.

INSPIRATIONS

No information available.

REPUTATION

Wadoux has built a reputation for being fast, fearless, and refreshingly unbothered by the noise around being a woman in motorsport. “I just like to go on track and fight,” she’s said, and that’s exactly how she races—aggressive, competitive, and unwilling to settle. She’s spoken openly about her approach: learning step by step, focusing on improvement rather than headlines. When asked about being the first woman to win in WEC, her response was characteristically grounded—she acknowledged the significance but made it clear that she’s not racing to make a point about gender. She’s racing to win. That no-nonsense attitude, combined with undeniable speed and consistency across multiple disciplines—from single-make cups to GT racing to prototypes—has earned her respect in a sport that doesn’t hand it out easily. Ferrari clearly saw something special when they signed her as their first female factory driver, and her subsequent results have proven them right. She’s not just breaking barriers; she’s lapping them.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2025, Wadoux remains in the Japanese Super GT series, continuing with Ponos Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 in the GT300 class. She’s also competing in both the European Le Mans Series with Richard Mille AF Corse and select IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship rounds, focusing her efforts on the European and American continents. Ferrari has renewed her contract through multiple years, signaling their long-term commitment to her development. She’s also returned to Hypercar testing, driving Ferrari’s 499P at the 2025 Rookie Test in Bahrain—her second time in the car after her initial 2023 test. When asked about her ambitions, she’s been direct: “I can win Le Mans.” Not someday. Not maybe. She believes it’s possible, and given her track record of turning impossible into inevitable, it’s hard to bet against her.

REFERENCES

Lilou Wadoux, Driver Ferrari Endurance – Ferrari
Lilou Wadoux, the first female official Ferrari Competizioni GT driver – Ferrari Dealers
Lilou Wadoux – Wikipedia
“I just like to go on track and fight” – Lilou Wadoux – Racers Behind the Helmet
Learning Step by Step – Interview with Lilou Wadoux – Paddock Sorority
Wadoux Seeks More Than Just Being The First Female Winner – Daily Sportscar
Lilou Wadoux to continue her journey with Ferrari – 24h-lemans.com
Lilou Wadoux Becomes the First Woman To Win an FIA WEC Race – Road & Track
Lilou Wadoux triumphs on home soil with first ELMS win at Paul Ricard – Racers Behind the Helmet
Lilou Wadoux is Aiming for Gold in Portimão – ELMS
Ferrari announces Lilou Wadoux contract renewal – Car Racing Reporter
Lilou Wadoux set to race in 2025 ELMS with Richard Mille AF Corse – Racers Behind the Helmet
Richard Mille Racing Team – Richard Mille
Lilou Wadoux tries a Hypercar for size – 24h-lemans.com
Lilou Wadoux seals IMSA Endurance Cup title with Petit Le Mans win – Racers Behind the Helmet
Jaguar TCS Racing secure Jamie Chadwick and Lilou Wadoux – Formula E
Wadoux to compete in SUPER GT next year with Ferrari 296 GT3 – Motorsport.com
Porsche Sprint Challenge France – Victory for Lilou Wadoux! – 24h-lemans.com
Three titles for Ferrari in GTD class in IMSA Endurance Cup – Ferrari
Bahrain, Rookie Test 2025: Wadoux and Rovera at the wheel – Ferrari
WEC’s first female victor Lilou Wadoux: ‘I can win Le Mans’ – Motorsport Magazine
Lilou Wadoux to join Ferrari’s Hypercar line-up for FIA WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain – Racers Behind the Helmet