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The female all-rounder who arrived "too early"

From Formula 3 to truck racing, Dakar and EuroNASCAR via a winning stint in the DTM, there's not much Ellen Lohr hasn't seen in a stellar racing career that highlights the merit in being a generalist. But she believes her career came too early...

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As Laurent Aiello splashed to victory in the 1990 Monaco Formula 3 race, a piece of history was unfolding in the spray 21 seconds behind him. Thanks to what, at the time, was the best-ever finish for a German in the event's history, second-placed Ellen Lohr had achieved a landmark result for female racing drivers, and seemingly put her name on the watchlist of all the F1 team bosses.

From fifth on the grid, Lohr's VW Motorsport Ralt passed Alex Zanardi (41 F1 starts) when he struggled to find a gear at the start, then gained further places when Olivier Beretta (9 F1 starts) spun and team-mate Otto Rensing crashed out. Having been inspired by watching Jean Alesi throw his Tyrrell between the barriers while spectating trackside, Lohr saw her own name in lights.

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