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Meet Hannah Schmitz: The Mastermind Behind Red Bull’s Race Strategy

January 27, 2023 No Comments

Red Bull has dominated the field for the past couple of seasons, securing the Driver’s Championship in 2021 and the Drivers and Constructor’s Championship in 2022. However, it is impossible to talk about Red Bull without acknowledging their Principal Strategy Engineer, Hannah Schmitz, who has undoubtedly played a considerable role in the team’s massive success.

Hannah Schmitz, Race Strategy Engineer for Red Bull Racing F1 Team — Image Credit: Red Bull

Early Life and Education

Schmitz demonstrated an interest in cars and how things worked from a very early age. This quickly turned into a passion for engineering, and Schmitz soon pursued a master’s degree from Cambridge University in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, Schmitz joined Red Bull Racing in 2009 as a student intern.

Schmitz has been incredibly open about developing her confidence and navigating difficulties throughout her career, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field.

“As a strategist, you have to tell a lot of people what to do and they’ve got to listen to you, so it’s building up that trust and I think as a woman unfortunately that was harder, but now I have that respect and I hope other young women who want to get into the sport will see that you can do it, can embrace it, and we’ll see more diversity.”

Hannah Schmitz, Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton on the Podium at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix — Image Credit: Andy Hone/Motorsport Images

Schmitz’s Impact on Redbull Racing

Although Schmitz has been working with Red Bull Racing for over a decade, the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix was the turning point in her career. After a safety car, Schmitz made the call to pit Verstappen for a third time, even though he was already leading the race. But after his third pit stop, Verstappen quickly overtook Hamilton and secured the win. Schmitz was highly celebrated and invited onto the podium to collect the Constructor’s trophy.

“It was an incredibly special moment and the pinnacle of my career,” she stated. “I’d actually just come back to work after having my first child so that was quite a big thing for me, to prove I was still here and could do the job well. It was just an incredible experience.”

This would not be the last time Schmitz would be praised for her quick thinking and ability to work so well under pressure. Schmitz was again celebrated at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix when her pit-stop strategy led to Checo claiming the win and Verstappen securing a place on the podium. Dr. Helmet Marco, former racing driver and head of Red Bull’s Junior Driver’s programme, stated after the race that Red Bull’s win was mainly due to Schmitz.

Schmitz was also the mastermind behind Red Bull’s and Verstappen’s unlikely win at the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. Verstappen started the race in 10th place after suffering from a power unit issue in qualifying. Schmitz called for the last-minute switch from hard tyres to soft, and her flawless race strategy helped the dutchman work his way up the grid and take the win.

Image Credit: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

It is without a doubt that Schmitz has been instrumental to Red Bull’s and Verstappen’s success over the past several seasons. Her exceptional race strategies and calm demeanour have set the standard for other race strategists across the paddock. Schmitz has also inspired women worldwide who wish to get into the sport by showing them, and those who doubt them, that women are smart enough, capable enough, and deserving of a place in this sport.

Learn more about the inspiring women of Motorsport here.

Women in Motorsport

Monisha Kaltenborn and Claire Williams: Meet The Only Two Women to Hold the Position of Team Principal in Formula 1

January 6, 2023 No Comments

Only two women have held the position of team principal in the 72-year history of F1—Monisha Kaltenborn and Claire Williams.

Monisha Kaltenborn

Monisha Kaltenborn was born in Dehradun, India, before immigrating to Europe as a child with her family. From 1990-1995, Kaltenborn studied law at the University of Vienna before completing a master’s degree in International Business Law at the London School of Economics. In 1998, she was introduced to the world of Motorsport when she joined the legal department of Fritz Kaiser Group, a shareholder of the Sauber F1 team at the time. Kaltenborn continued to climb the ranks, taking a position on the Sauber Group’s management board in 2001 and being appointed CEO in 2010. But perhaps most impressively, Kaltenborn made history in 2012 when it was announced she would be taking over for Peter Sauber as Sauber F1’s team principal, making her the first woman to hold this position. Kaltenborn remained the team principal of Sauber until she departed from F1 in 2017.

While it has been several years since Kaltenborn worked in F1, her success and resilience continue to inspire women and girls who aim for a position at the top of the paddock. Her career shows that not only do women belong in Motorsport, but they can also make it all the way to the top. Here is her advice for the girls who wish to follow in her footsteps:

“You have the qualifications, you have the competencies, and you show your excellence through your job and your activities. And then don’t let yourself get intimated by some unqualified comments that you’re a woman.”

“What is most important is that you be yourself. Don’t try to then behave like a man or do it like a man because you cannot do that. As a woman you can’t, but you shouldn’t also need to.”

Claire Williams

Claire Williams joined her father, Frank Williams, F1 team in 2002 as a communications officer. And in 2010, Williams became the head of communications after receiving a promotion. But her career took an unexpected turn in 2012 when her father reduced his workload and stepped down from the Williams board. Claire stepped in, taking over her father’s position on the board, and a year later, she was appointed as William’s F1 deputy team principal. William’s F1 team finished third in the constructor’s championship twice under her leadership in 2014 and 2015. However, in 2020, after the team had suffered from financial constraints and underperformed in the preceding seasons, the Williams F1 team was acquired by Dorilton Capital, an investment firm based out of New York. After the Italian Grand Prix in September of the same year, Claire stepped down from her position at Williams, saying farewell to Formula 1.

Claire Williams is undoubtedly a trailblazer in the world of Motorsport. As the second woman in history to hold the position of F1 team principal, Williams has proven that women have the ability and skills to lead an F1 team. And while she may no longer be part of the Williams F1 team, she will always be acknowledged and celebrated for helping to pave the way for women in Motorsport.

Learn more about the inspirational women of F1 here.

Women in Motorsport

Lella Lombardi: The Only Woman to Score Points in a Formula 1 World Championship

July 19, 2022 No Comments

As the first and only woman to score points in a Formula 1 World Championship, Lella Lombardi remains one of the most successful and influential women figures in Motorsport and F1.

Lombardi was born in Frugarolo, Italy in 1941, and despite her family’s concerns and public perception at the time, she had a passion for cars and racing. She spent her teen years driving the delivery van for her family’s butcher shop and saved every dollar she made to buy her first car. It was this car that she participated in her first race with, in Formula Monza, 1965. Two years after her debut in Formula Monza, Lombardi moved on to Formula 850 where she won four out of the ten races, eventually taking the World Championship in 1971. Lombardi briefly moved on to the Italian F3 where she finished tenth in the Championship for two consecutive years.

Lombardi continued to impress with her skills and ability to handle the car, leading to her participation in multiple other series’ before racing for F1. In 1975, Lombardi made her F1 debut in South Africa, becoming the only other woman after Maria Teresa de Filippis to qualify for a Grand Prix. In only her second F1 race, she scored her infamous half-point at the Spanish GP, making her the only woman to score points in a F1 World Championship. Lombardi was also praised for her ability to finish seventh at the German GP despite suffering from a puncture.

Lombardi’s career was impressive, but what makes her a true inspiration was her determination and resilience. Her ability to persist and succeed despite public perception and criticism is nothing short of inspiring. Lella Lombardi did not care what others had to say about her, and she certainly did not allow the opinions of others to prevent her from doing what she loved. Lombardi’s story continues to inspire many of us to live our lives on our own terms, without apology.

Women in Motorsport

Susie Wolff and How She’s Changing the Future of Formula 1

June 29, 2022 No Comments

Susie Wolff has always demonstrated a passion for Motorsport, and her indisputable talent has contributed to her incredibly successful career. Not only has Wolff made Formula 1 history, but she has also launched and participated in several successful initiatives to help increase the number of young girls and women in karting, making her one of the greatest trailblazers for women in Motorsport.

Wolff started her career in Motorsport like many other successful racers, in karting. At only 13 years old, Wolff was crowned British Woman Kart Racing Driver of the Year. Wolff held this title for four years in a row and was eventually named the Top Female Kart Driver in the World. After a successful karting career, Wolff began her professional racing career in the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2001. Wolff managed three podium finishes and was nominated twice for the British Young Driver of the Year Award. In 2005, Wolff briefly competed in Formula 3, where she started two races, scoring points in one. However, an ankle injury ruined her chances of participating in a full season.

Wolff joined Williams Racing in 2012 as a development driver and held this position for three seasons before her promotion to Test Driver in 2015. At the British Grand Prix in 2014, Wolff made history by becoming the first woman to participate in a Formula 1 weekend in over 22 years by entering FP1 for Williams. Mechanical issues forced Wolff to retire after only one lap, but she participated in another FP1 at Hockenheim later that year and appeared as the team’s test driver twice more before retiring from her career in Motorsport to focus on her Dare to be Different initiative, which launched in 2016.

Dare to be Different was designed to inspire young girls and women from all different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to become involved in all areas of Motorsport. In 2016, Dare to be Different had five major headlining events, where girls had the opportunity to try out karting with mentoring provided by highly successful women in Motorsport. At the events, young girls were also able to talk with women in STEM about career opportunities in Motorsport and were able to try out media presentations with Sky Sports. Wolff’s hard work and dedication to diversity and women in Motorsport led to her being awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2017.

In 2019, The FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and Dare to be Different joined forces to launch a new motorsport program for young girls ages 8-18, Girls on Track. The first Girls on Track event took place at the 2019 CBMN Niobium Mexico City E-Prix and had several activities for the girls to take part in such as karting, pit-stop challenges, media training, STEM activities, and fitness/well-being workshops. Wolff also made history in 2018 by becoming the first female team principal of a Formula E team, VENTURI racing. Wolff has stated that her team is full of a lot of great women, and not because they are there to reach a quota.

“There are a lot of great women within my team that were employed because they are the best people for the job, not because they are women. I think it is getting better but fundamentally, it is still a man’s world.”

Wolff’s incredible success demonstrates to young girls and women across the world that a career in Motorsport is possible. Moreover, with her dedication to increasing the number of women in Motorsport through her initiative Dare to be Different, Wolff is breaking down the barriers women disproportionately face in karting when it comes to numbers, equal opportunity, and money. This gives young girls the opportunity to showcase their talent and develop successful careers. It is without a doubt that Wolff’s one of Motorsports’ greatest role models. Her success and relentless commitment to increasing the number of women in Motorsport are nothing short of inspirational. Not only are Wolff’s efforts guaranteed to change the involvement of women in the industry, but they will also greatly impact the future of Motorsport for generations to come.

Women in Motorsport

Why Are There No Women in Formula 1?

June 1, 2022 No Comments

There are no formal regulations preventing women from competing in Formula 1 (F1), yet it has been several decades since we’ve seen a woman on the grid. No evidence suggests that women would suffer from physical limitations in F1, making it one of the only sports in the world where women and men can compete against one another without the former being at a disadvantage. Several women have not only competed in but have had incredibly successful careers in other motorsport series, so why do women face such difficulty when it comes to succeeding in F1?

Money

Formula 1 is one of the most expensive sports in the world. If an aspiring driver wishes to even come close to racing for F1, they must first fork over millions of dollars to climb their way up and secure a seat. While some drivers have the privilege of being financially supported by their familial wealth, many drivers receive the necessary funding through sponsors. However, the unfortunate reality is that these sponsorships are notoriously difficult to come by, especially if you are a woman. This leads to a vicious cycle of women lacking the necessary support to be successful, and as a result, sponsors are even less likely to supply them with funding.

Numbers

F1 is not only highly expensive but it is also extremely competitive, and numbers play a huge factor in why we don’t see women in the sport. Women are largely outnumbered in the world of motorsport, making the competition even greater. With junior teams only selecting a handful of drivers, the chance of a woman being chosen for one of these seats is near zero.

Representation

One of the reasons women are largely outnumbered in motorsport can partly be attributed to a lack of representation. When people see athletes that look like them and whom they can look up to, it proves that their dreams of becoming professional athletes are also possible. The lack of representation in F1 perpetuates the idea that it is a man’s world and women have no place being there. This discourages women from participating in the sport, as they feel they don’t have a place within the industry or lack the ability to succeed. It is safe to assume if there was greater representation on the grid, more young women would pursue a career in motorsport. We also can’t discuss the lack of representation within F1 without acknowledging the lack of diversity. Not only has the industry been dominated by men, but it has been dominated by white men. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is the only Black driver in the history of F1. This means women of colour are at an even greater disadvantage when it comes to succeeding in the sport. To bridge the gap between men and women, we need to acknowledge the importance of representation in the sport, as well as focus on creating a more inclusive environment for all.

F1 and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) have announced their commitment to creating a more inclusive environment and have introduced a variety of programs to help facilitate the success of women in the sport. These programs include Girls on Track and the W Series. Girls on Track is a program that was introduced in 2019 that aims at introducing young girls ages 8-18 to the possibilities of a career in motorsport. In the same year, the W series was introduced. The W Series is a woman-only championship that is free for drivers to enter and based on driver ability alone. The W Series aims to create equal opportunity for women, including eliminating the financial constraints that have held women back from succeeding in F1. There has already been speculation about certain W Series drivers and their transition into F1, such as Jamie Chadwick. With these initiatives in place and the commitment from F1 and the FIA to continue to strive towards a more diverse environment, here’s to hoping that we could start to see women on the grid within the next couple of years.