Hannah Schmitz

Hannah Schmitz
Schmitz in 2019
Born	May 1985 England
Nationality	British
Citizenship	British
Education	Croydon High School
Alma mater	University of Cambridge
Occupation	Engineer
Employer	Oracle Red Bull Racing
Known for	Formula One engineer

Hannah Schmitz (née McMillan; born May 1985) is a British engineer, currently working for Austrian Formula One team Red Bull Racing as Principal Strategy Engineer. She is widely regarded as one of the most successful female figures in the sport of Formula One, heralded as key in Red Bull's 2021, 2022, and 2023 title charges.^[1]

Personal life

She is married to a German husband, Markus Schmitz,^[2] with whom she shares two daughters (born in 2019 and 2021).^[3]

Education

In 2009, Schmitz obtained a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, with a focus on optimization theory, regression analysis, and statistical models.^[4] At university, Schmitz was part of the Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) team, taking on the role of Mechanical Team Leader.^[5] She led the CUER team in the World Solar Challenge in Australia.

She attended Croydon High School, where she excelled at water polo.^[6]

Career

Following the completion of her studies, Schmitz began her career working for Red Bull in November 2009, as a Modelling and Strategy Engineer, where she mainly researched and developed new simulation techniques, and maintained simulation tools for analysis, producing regular testing reports on past performances and future strategies. She soon moved to the role of Senior Strategy Engineer in 2011,^[7] where she played a key role in Red Bull Racing's live strategy in all Grands Prix as an indispensable member of its team. In 2021, Schmitz was promoted to Principal Strategy Engineer. As of 2024, she remains with Red Bull Racing.

Formula One highlights

Schmitz is credited for Red Bull's following successes in Formula One:

• 2019 Brazilian GP – In this race, Schmitz made the strategic decision to pit Max Verstappen three times, knowing that the third pit stop would cause the Dutchman to lose the lead of the race and fall behind Lewis Hamilton.^[5] Partly because of this move, Verstappen won the race. It was a highlight in her career since she just returned from maternity leave, and this result proved she was still capable of achieving wins with the team.^[8][9]
• 2022 Monaco GP – The pit stop strategy under Schmitz's leadership saw Sergio Pérez win the race, with Verstappen third on the podium.^[10] Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko acknowledged that the team's final result was mainly due to Schmitz.^[8][11]
• 2022 Hungarian GP – Schmitz's strategy without using the hard tire allowed Verstappen to win the race from 10th through undercuts, with Perez finishing in fifth.^[12]
• 2022 Dutch GP – Schmitz played a key role in Verstappen's victory. At the pit stops at Zandvoort, she made the difference to the team by making the right decisions at the exact right moments.^[13] The success was overshadowed by a smear campaign directed at Schmitz.^[14] She was portrayed as the mastermind behind the chaos that ensued late in the race, when Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas stopped and virtually brought about a full-blown safety car situation.^[15]

Awards

In 2022, Schmitz was awarded Female Engineer of the Year, an award created by McLaren Applied to recognize inspiring female pioneers in motorsport.^[7][3] Fellow nominees included Krystina Emmanouilides and Charlotte Phelps.

References