A historic revolution is unfolding at Haas F1 Team. Amidst promotions and returns, Laura Mueller will become the new track engineer for Esteban Ocon. This will also mark the first time that a woman will hold this position in Formula 1.
We are living through historic days for motorsport: from Lewis Hamilton’s debut in Maranello to Marc Marquez’s first appearance in Ducati’s red for two-wheel sports, and following the wave of fresh change sweeping through Formula 1 as its next seasonprepares to kick off in Australia, rather than the traditional Bahrain. The pre-season tests will still take place in Bahrain from February 26 to 28. We can confidently say that the changes are not limited to just the cars, but extend to the teams’ structure and roles , including the fastest single-seaters in the world.
The motorsport world, traditionally dominated by men, is undergoing a significant transformation with the rise of new female figures. In recent years, several women of great caliber have emerged, such as Susie Wolff, former driver and now involved with the F1 Academy—a championship created to support young female talents with the goal of preparing them to compete in Formula 1 one day.
Moreover, in the upcoming season, in addition to Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull’s Chief Strategy Engineer, another female presence will assume a prestigious role within the F1 paddock: Laura Mueller. Having already been seen in the Haas F1 Team garage at Yas Marina, Mueller will work alongside Esteban Ocon as his track engineer during his first season with the Banbury-based team. The French driver, who parted ways with Alpine a race early, will join the American team, alongside rookie Oliver Bearman, who will be entering his first full F1 season after making his debut in Jeddah, substituting for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, and filling in for Kevin Magnussen at some weekends last season.
The major news at the American team last year was the removal of Günther Steiner from his role as team principal, with Ayao Komatsu replacing him. Komatsu’s goal is to revive the team, starting with a new driver lineup and internal restructuring. Commenting on Mueller’s promotion, the Japanese director said, “ She is quite determined, and she works very hard. Her work ethic is excellent. She will be Esteban’s race engineer. Looking at their personalities, Esteban is also quite determined. I think this drive will complement each other very well “.
Komatsu also highlighted the key points of Mueller’s work ethic: “What she’s really good at is when she sees a problem, she digs deep and doesn’t stop at the first answer. Some people, when they find the first solution, stop there. They think, ‘Oh, perfect, I’ve found the solution, let’s move on.’ She has a strong work ethic, so when she finds the first solution, she knows there are ten more things to solve. Her determination is what impresses me the most.“.
“If we look at how many female engineers we have in the office, there are definitely more than before. But I didn’t choose Laura because she is a woman. We don’t care about nationality or gender—what matters is the work. How you fit into the team and how you can maximize performance. I believe she’s the right choice,” concluded the Haas F1 Team manager.
How Haas F1 Team’s structure will change ahead of the 2025 season
Laura Mueller’s promotion wasn’t the only one within the team under Ayao Komatsu’s leadership. Ronan O’Hare has been promoted to the role of race engineer for British driver Bearman, Ocon’s new teammate. Carine Cridelich will become the new head of strategy within the American team, while the position of Chief Race Engineer will be assigned to Francesco Nenci. The Italian had previously worked in F1 with Sauber and Toyota and was most recently involved in Audi’s Dakar Rally project. Finally, a return: Mark Lowe will be the new Sporting Director.
“There’s no doubt that it won’t be easy (the arrival of these new people, ed.), but I felt we had to do it at some point. We can’t keep postponing it,” said team principal Komatsu.
Photo: Esteban Ocon, Formula 1.