Celebrating Women in Engineering Day

Today we're celebrating the women redefining what it means to be an engineer in the fastest sport on earth.

It's widely known that some of the most consequential engineering in Formula 1 happens away from the chassis entirely: in the data models, the probability calculations and the split-second calls made on the pit wall. With systems applied in real time - reading tyre degradation curves, weather probability, safety car likelihood, and competitor behaviour, then translating all of it into a single call that has to be right, live, in front of millions.

These are the split-second decisions that make or break a race result.

It's the environment where strategists like Ruth Buscombe and Bernie Collins have built their careers.

Women like Laura Müller - Race Engineer at TGR Haas F1 Team - and Hannah Schmitz - Head of Race Strategy at Oracle Red Bull Racing - are also championing representation in the field. Earlier this year, Laura reflected on the "In Her Corner" initiative: "If you can see it, you can be it… To be a part of this acknowledgement so early on in my Formula 1 career is an honour, and I hope it motivates girls and young adults to pursue a career in STEM." Both women went on to become the first to have an F1 circuit corner named after them, with Turn 6 dedicated to them at the Australian Grand Prix in celebration of International Women's Day.

That same engineering mindset has shaped careers across the paddock in a multitude of different ways. In race control, where Claire Dubbelman became the first woman to hold an FIA Race Director Super Licence - putting her on the front line of the split-second sporting calls that decide a Grand Prix. Cristiana Pace became the first woman to work trackside for the FIA, building her early career as a performance and research engineer before going on to lead major technology transfer and sustainability projects across the sport.

It's a concept that extends into engineering leadership and team culture too. Claire Williams spent over a decade at the helm of Williams Racing as Deputy Team Principal, steering one of the sport's most storied teams through some of its toughest seasons, while Nicole Bearne spent 25 years inside Brawn GP and Mercedes-AMG, helping build the internal culture behind nine Constructors' Championships - proof that the career pipeline in F1 stretches far beyond the garage.

Every young woman who hears "engineer" and then sees herself represented in any motorsport role is one step closer to believing that a career like this was built for her too and inspire the engineers of the future.

So today, we're recognising the women across F1 - on the pit wall, in the garage, in race control, in the simulator - who are expanding what this job looks like.

At Performance Insights, we're proud to work alongside strong female leaders to bring the strategic thinking they've honed on the pit wall to boardrooms and conference stages - translating how F1 teams make high-pressure, data-led decisions into frameworks businesses can apply to their own