A race engineer works most closely with the driver on the set-up and running of their car and is the main link between a driver and the team on track through radio communications.
irst-Ever Woman Race Engineer In Formula 1 – Laura Mueller
Haas have appointed Laura Mueller as the first woman race engineer in Formula One as part of a shake-up of their race operations team. The German will work with newly recruited driver Esteban Ocon while another woman, Carine Cridelich, is set to join as head of strategy from Red Bull’s Racing Bulls team. US-based Haas are seeking to build on last season’s seventh-placed finish in the constructors’ championship with a new drivers’ line-up that features Ocon and Oliver Bearman. Mueller has been promoted from her role as performance engineer.
“She’s a pretty determined character,” he said. “And then she’s very hard-working. Her work ethic is really, really good.”
Haas team principle Ayao Komatsu said Mueller was the best candidate for the job.
We don’t care (about) nationality, gender
It really doesn’t matter because what matters is work. How you can fit into the team, how you can maximise the performance. I believe it is the right choice.”
He added: “If you look at how many female engineers we have in the office, it’s definitely more than before. But it’s not like I chose Laura because she’s female.
Cridelich will join Haas in March, ending a search for a head of strategy that Komatsu said has been going on “for a long, long time”.
