Women in Motorsport

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

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

Monisha Kaltenborn, former team principal of Sauber F1
Image Credit: Formula 1

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, former deputy team principal of Williams racing
Image Credit: Glenn Dunbar

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.

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Women in Motorsport

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

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Image Credit: Williams F1

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.

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