The Story of Cathy Muller's 1979 European Karting Championship
Controversy, why is there always controversy?
F1 Academy recently claimed that Luna Fluxa Cross, winner of the 2024 Champions of the Future Academy, was the first female winner of an FIA international competition since the 1966 World Karting Championship - something I have long campaigned should be more well known. It’s good to see Susanna Raganelli’s achievements get acknowledged though, for once though!
This prompted me to do some digging. If my memory serves me correctly, the honour of last female FIA international champion belongs to Marta Garcia, who won the CIK FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2015. No doubt there’s other contenders too, certainly if we broaden the criteria outside of specifically designated FIA European, World and Academy championships as with the Champions of the Future Academy, I am sure there’ll be some. Karting has had a plethora of incredible female driver throughout its history, which is often overlooked, for one reason or another.
Before this, however, there was Cathy Muller, the 1979 European Karting Champion, or as it was designated by Karts & Superkart - the European Individual Champion for 100 International. It often goes unnoticed that she secured this title.
As is my habit, I did some research to unearth further details. A review of old karting magazines led me to the Kart & Superkart’s report on the event from August 1979. As is almost always the case, there was some controversy - and there almost always is with old karting championships given the nature of development and competition at the time.
Firstly, the European Championship in those days was not open to all competitors. Run under ‘Formula Europe’ regulations, the top ten finishers of the previous year’s World Championship were ineligible to compete. It is a peculiar rule; the annals of motorsport are littered with regulations that, while seemingly odd in hindsight, undoubtedly made sense at the time for one reason or another. Prior to this, the European Championship had been purely a teams’ championship contested by countries. The Formula Europe regulations didn’t meant he competition was easy however. Mike Wilson and Stefano Modena would still be eligible, though the former didn’t end up racing as I understand it.
As with competitions of that era, there was always something written to raise an eyebrow. Alan Burgess, writing for Karting Magazine, was renowned for highlighting the many oversights of those days. For example in January 1978, Karting Magazine detailed the issues they had with the previous year’s World Championship:
“By choosing to ignore this attempt to be helpful, the CIK left the results of the Championship at the mercy of anyone who might decide to file a protest when the last final was over. Thankfully no one took advantage of this opportunity, either through ignorance or because the right men filled the top places, but the risk was there. By my reckoning the first legal engine home, subject to it passing inspection of course, was driven by Peter Koene of Holland in 15th place!”
Regarding Muller, the controversy centred on her tyres. K&S reported that:
“Muller wheeled out her equipment, shod with new Dunlop 049 compound tyres, flown directly from Japan for the event. In a category of racing that boasts stringent tyre control, the tyre fiasco was on! Formula Europe regulations stipulate a maximum wheel width of 165 mm, with a 2 mm tolerance, checked with a 167 mm gate-type gauge that wheel and tyre must pass through. This normally restricts tyre widths to a nominal six inches. Some clever rule interpreter then discovered that with the aid of two large washers (made from number plate plastic) and fitting between tyre and rim, a 6.50 tyre sidewall could be forced into an 'upright' stance and the tyre thus fit between the gauge! Then someone 'succeeded' with a 7-inch tyre.
“Crazy - but at least everyone could set to and do it if they wished. However, the main discontent centred around Muller's 049 Dunlops, which obviously contravened the 'must be freely available on sale throughout Europe' regulation. But as no-one had the courage to protest officially (the fact that it involved a French driver, at a French circuit, with French officials may have had something to do with it!), nothing was done.”
Over the course of three finals - two best results counting according to K&S - Muller emerged victorious with wins in finals one and two. This triumph came after some stress; a new rule meant she failed to ‘scrutineer’ her wets, leaving her in heat six to slip off the track when it rained. According to Karting Digest she had signed on 4 sets of slicks, whereas everyone else signed on 3 sets of slicks and one set of wets. Maybe it was more of a gamble, than a mistake? Maybe it was a gamble that proved to be a winning one.
In the end, however, it did not matter: she was crowned European Champion. The rain didn’t effect Final 1 or 2, but it did in Final 3. A relief no doubt. Notably, she was not part of a full factory outfit.
Once again, a story not without some 'controversy’, yet the objective is always clear in motorsport - to come out on top.
Given the headline, and previous treatment of Raganelli in Karting Magazine, one can’t help but look back and ask if someone other than Cathy’s gender won, how much prominence would the tyre situation be spoken about? I am not convinced that this is the full picture either given no one protested.
Controversy over regulations was a consistent theme throughout the era, so maybe the story wouldn’t differ so much but as with many champions before her, there are invariably articles written that make one think “hmmm…”, but ultimately, the name of the game was to win - and she was an incredible talent who did just that!
Nice story as usual