Leanne Tander

Leanne Tander, born Leanne Laura Ferrier on June 5, 1980, is a prominent Australian race car driver with a diverse career spanning various motorsport categories. Tander's journey began in karts in 1993 before transitioning to Formula Ford in 1998. Her career highlights include winning the 2016 Australian Formula Ford Championship, a historic achievement as the first female to win the title since its inception in 1970. She also achieved a significant milestone in 2007 by becoming the first female driver to win a race in the Australian Drivers Championship for the CAMS Gold Star, a premier open-wheel racing series in Australia.

Throughout her career, Tander has competed in series such as Formula Ford, V8 Supercars, Australian Production Car Championship, and Australian Formula 3 Championship. In 2001, she made an immediate impact in the Konica V8 Supercar Series, securing a second-place finish in her first race and ultimately finishing fifth in the championship. She has also made appearances in the prestigious Bathurst 1000 endurance race. In 2010, she showcased her versatility by competing in the Touring Car Masters, where she achieved a race win at the Mount Panorama Circuit.

Tander's career has seen her driving a wide variety of cars, from Formula 3 open-wheelers to V8 utes and even a Ford XA GT-HO Phase IV replica in the Touring Car Masters. Her achievements have made her a role model for aspiring female drivers in Australia, demonstrating that women can achieve success in motorsport. She was married to fellow racing driver Garth Tander from 2004 before they separated in 2022 and they have two children, a son named Sebastian, and a daughter named Scarlett.