‘A fantastic milestone’: Haas appoints F1’s first female race engineer
Equality in motorsport campaigners have welcomed Laura Muller’s appointment by Haas as the first female race engineer in Formula 1.
German Muller, who has previously held other engineering roles with Haas, will work closely with French driver Esteban Ocon, including advising him during races on the team radio.
Team principal Ayao Komatsu said: “Her work ethic, determination and technical understanding is very good. We believe she is the right fit for Esteban.”
More Than Equal, the non-profit group dedicated to promoting women in F1 and co-founded by Scottish former racer David Coulthard, called it “a fantastic milestone for the sport”.
Head of Research Dr Fran Longstaff told City PM: “Female participation in motorsport, whilst increasing, remains low at 7-13 per cent, as highlighted in our research.
“Increasing female representation in engineering is particularly vital, as diverse perspectives enhance problem-solving and innovation, ultimately driving better performance.
“Having more women in engineering roles may help attract and retain more female drivers, creating a more inclusive and sustainable pipeline for talent in the sport.”
F1 has a growing female fanbase but women remain drastically underrepresented on the grid and in the paddock.
No woman has raced in F1 for half a century, while other series such as Formula E, Indycar and Nascar are also exclusively male.
Susie Wolff has come closer than most while a test driver at Williams a decade ago and now runs the F1 Academy, which is designed to nurture female talent.
Haas will also have a female head of strategy for 2025 after hiring Carine Cridelich from Racing Bulls.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen also works with a female strategy chief at Red Bull Racing, Briton Hannah Schmitz.
The 2025 F1 season is due to get under way in Australia on 14 March. Before then all teams will take part in a launch event at London’s O2 on 18 February.