Former professional racing driver Naomi Schiff debuted with UK broadcaster Sky Sports in 2022, joining their F1 presenting team. Schiff will join Sky Sports again for the 2023 F1 season that kicked off in Bahrain on March 3rd.
Who is Naomi Schiff?
Born in Antwerp, Belgium, and raised in South Africa, Schiff began karting at age eleven. Schiff has since competed in the Southern African Formula Volkswagen, the GT4 European Series, won the Clio Cup China Series in 2014, and placed second in the 2018 ADAC Zurich 24 Hours Nurburgring.
Schiff joined the W-Series for their debut in 2019, where she placed 16th overall. While Schiff did not qualify to re-enter the W-Series in 2020, she was appointed their Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador and joined as one of the series presenters.
The Move to Sky Sports
In 2022, Schiff appeared alongside Matt Baker on Sky Sports’ new F1 show Any Driven Monday as an analyst and later joined the Sky Sports F1 presenting team. However, Schiff suffered from abuse online after her first appearance in the paddock with Sky Sports. The Belgian/Rwandan driver was targeted by internet trolls who quickly criticized her qualifications, many comments rooted in race.
7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton quickly came to Schiff’s defense, publicly stating that she was more than qualified to give her opinion. Hamilton also encouraged a more welcoming approach to representation in sports broadcasting and said that the sport has a “long way” to go to change these attitudes.
Schiff released her own statement regarding the abuse: “Thank you to everyone who has come to my defense. I appreciate all the love and support, none of you go unnoticed! Sadly the issue of online bullying, bashing, shaming, etc. is one I don’t believe is going anywhere anytime soon. Social media, in some cases, gives voices to individuals who don’t deserve to be heard. So I encourage anyone reading this to not indulge in it or retaliate or seek revenge. Remember that your words do have impact and that therefore we should do something positive with these platforms and be kind to one another.” Schiff also wrote that she would not let the hate turn down her “ambition” or “passion.”
From professional racing driver to TV presenter, Schiff has proven to be an influential figure in Motorsport. Schiff’s ability to persevere in the face of resistance has encouraged and inspired people to never allow the hatred of others deter them from pursuing their dreams. And while there is still plenty of work to be done, we can accelerate change by condemning hate and celebrating individuals like Schiff, who prove the importance of representation in sports.
Learn more about the inspiring women in Motorsport here.