MY UNTOLD STORY: Inspirational women share their varied journeys to working in F1

People from all over the world and from many different backgrounds contribute to Formula 1 in front of and behind the scenes, with everyone involved – be it at a team, supplier, or F1 itself – united by a passion to deliver for the fans.

In a special compilation of the ‘My Untold Story’ series to mark International Women's Day (Saturday, March 8), an array of inspiring women tell us about their roles within F1 and their unique journeys to this point.

Emily Billingham – FIA Systems Analyst

Emily opens up about her childhood as she explains why she opted to leave school early despite being a very strong student. She goes on to detail how she got her role timekeeping in Formula 1, and how Motorsport UK played their part in helping her do so.

She talks us through the interview process and why the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix is a poignant moment in her career. Lastly, Emily explains what her new role at the FIA entails, and why she believes there are more roles in motorsport for women.

My Untold Story: Being a Systems Analyst at FIA

Kimberleigh Hillsdon – Haas Stores and Parts Supervisor

For Kimberleigh, spending time with her family at races sparked an interest in mechanics and motorsport. In this episode she talks through her career to date and how an apprenticeship at the age of 16 caused her to walk away from the automotive industry for four years.

Those years away ended up reigniting her passion for the industry and she goes on to explain how the job at Haas brought her back into the sport. Kimberleigh also discusses the barriers women face in trying to enter motorsport and why, even though there has been progress made, there is still plenty to do to break down these barriers.

EXPLAINED: Why F1’s new ‘Learning Sectors’ programme marks an important first for the sport

My Untold Story: Being a Stores & Parts Supervisor at Haas

Cleo Collins – No.2 mechanic at Alpine

Cleo discusses her role at Alpine and how her love for the sport started out as a hobby with friends, and included a track day at Brands Hatch when she was 19. She reflects on how that hobby led her to make the decision to leave the family business and move into motorsport.

Cleo explains how her time with Accelerate reinforced her love for motorsport, how she made it onto W-Series and the feeling she got when she joined Alpine. She shares advice for the younger generation of women interested in motorsport and why she believes role models are so important.

My Untold Story: Being a Mechanic at Alpine

Aimee Gibbard – Research and Development Test Engineer at Red Bull Racing

Aimee discusses her role at Red Bull and how it helps the team perform on race weekends. She talks about her upbringing, and explains how going to her father’s garage when she was a child fuelled her passion for engineering, and why he is her hero.

As well as that, she opens up about the hard times she faced during her teenage years, how they affected her in school, and how she got into university. Lastly, Aimee explains how going through a student placement and getting experience at Touring cars helped her seal what was a dream move for her and her father to Red Bull.

My Untold Story - Aimee Gibbard

Hillary Cheng – Aerodynamicist at Mercedes F1

Hillary starts by discussing her role at Mercedes and how she helps the team achieve the performance they are looking for on the car. She later reflects on her upbringing and how she loved racing and planning Autocross events when she was younger.

She talks about her university experience and how seeing what the Formula Students built put her on the path to F1. Hillary also reveals some of the negative experiences she endured before joining Mercedes, and she shares her advice to the younger generation.

My Untold Story - Hillary Cheng

Maya Weug – Ferrari Driver Academy Member

In her untold story, F1 ACADEMY racer Maya explains how joining the Ferrari Driver Academy was a “dream come true” and how she got goosebumps when she wore the famous colours for the first time.

She also tells us about where her love of racing began and how varied the days are within the academy as she works to hone her skills, and goes on to explain what it’s like being a female in motorsport while offering her advice to any young girl hoping to get into racing one day.

Maya Weug reflects on her journey so far in the Ferrari Driver Academy in her untold story

Martina Natiello – Tyre Modelling Engineer for Racing Bulls

Martina begins her untold story by telling us what her role for the Racing Bulls team involves, and she also rewinds the clock to look back at her very first memory of Formula 1.

She goes on to explain how her passion for the sport grew from an early age, and her path to working within the fast-paced world of F1. Martina also opens up about her “bad experiences” as a woman in motorsport and what needs to be done to involve women in F1.

Martina Natiello shares her untold story working as a Tyre Modelling Engineer for Scuderia AlphaTauri

Krystina Emmanouilides – Senior Aero Correlation Engineer at Kick Sauber

In her untold story, Krystina recalls growing up close to the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne and how this influenced her career path into the sport. She also remembers the excitement of going to study motorsport engineering in the UK alongside others who were passionate about the subject.

Krystina discusses the importance of her work with the FIA Girls on Track programme in Australia as well as Racing Pride, an organisation that positively promotes the LGBTQ+ community within motorsport. She stresses how crucial it is for everybody to feel that they can be their authentic selves whilst at work and reflects on what the teams can do to create inclusive cultures.

My Untold Story - Kick Sauber Engineer Krystina Emmanouilides: 'We can do more to drive inclusivity'

Zuzanna Koscinska– Aerodynamicist at Ferrari

Zuzanna shares the story of how she started to follow Formula 1 whilst growing up in Poland and how her struggles with homesickness when studying abroad have ultimately helped her to adapt to new environments. She also discusses her experiences of sexism during her education.

Looking back on her path to her job at Ferrari, Zuzanna recalls her happiness at finding out she would join the team just two weeks before her wedding day. She describes the work environment at the Scuderia and the motivation that comes from seeing how important the team is to their fans.

My Untold Story - Ferrari Aerodynamicist Zuzanna Koscinska: 'Be the change you want to be'

Emilie Desjardins – Sustainability Lead at Alpine

Emilie discusses what her position at Alpine involves and why it felt like the perfect job for her. She also explains how she felt like part of the team from an early stage after making the move to Oxfordshire from Canada.

As well as that, Emilie describes how volunteering at the Canadian Grand Prix sparked her passion for the sport before her studies led her to a career in sustainability. Lastly, she reflects on Alpine’s Rac(H)er programme and why it is such an interesting time in motorsport for women.

My Untold Story: Emilie Desjardins

Jemma Murphy – Engineering Graduate at McLaren

Jemma begins by explaining where her love for Formula 1 started and how watching her cousin race in Formula Ford inspired her to be a part of motorsport, having experienced the adrenaline from being at events.

She talks about the motivation to work in the industry that came from undertaking a placement year during her studies, while also reflecting on the challenges as a woman when faced with a lack of representation. Jemma highlights how diversity can help to boost performance by bringing in different perspectives.

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