From the Pit Wall to Albert Park: Hannah Schmitz on Her 16 Years at Red Bull Racing

For more than a decade and a half, Hannah Schmitz has built her career on making the right call at the right moment for Red Bull Racing. Split-second decisions – bookended by hours upon hours of analyzing data and simulations.

Schmitz is considered the best in the business, sitting at various desks and wearing many hats at Red Bull Racing in a tenure that began with a simple work placement (internship) in 2009.

That work placement, though, built Schmitz a formidable resume throughout the years: Six Constructors’ and Eight Drivers’ Championship titles. Finally, in 2026, during the most expansive regulation changes Formula 1 has seen in years, this success came with a promotion to Head of Race Strategy.

Alongside that promotion, however, is an honor that no woman in motorsport has ever had... until now. Hannah Schmitz and Laura Müller (Haas) will have Turn 6 at Albert Park Circuit bear their names.

Grand Prix On SI sat down with Schmitz to chat about her career, strategic outlook entering the 2026 refresh, and what it really takes to become the next Hannah Schmitz.

From Entry-Level Engineer to a Head of Department

Across 16 seasons, Schmitz has worked both in the operations room and where fans know her – the pit wall – rotating through roles and learning the machine that is Red Bull Racing from every angle.

Hannah Schmitz Red Bull Racing | Courtesy of AT&T

Her new job title as the Head of Race Strategy formalizes a reality that may be less visible on race weekends, but is a piece of the puzzle that Schmitz is looking forward to. Her job is no longer just about making the 'final call'. It will be about building the department that supports it.

"I really enjoy training people, explaining what it’s like to be on the pit wall, and helping people follow the path they want to in their careers. It’s very different to the more technical decision-making I’ve had to do before—but that’s exciting.”
Hannah Schmitz Red Bull Racing

Schmitz made this statement with a slight grin, clearly placing meaning behind those words. Truthfully, though, this job evolution could not have come at a more demanding time. Not just for Schmitz or Red Bull, but the entirety of Formula 1.

2026 Will be a 'Trial by Baptism'

Formula 1 strategy has evolved into one of the most data-driven roles in sport, requiring not just intuition but deep technical fluency. In addition, Schmitz's personal evolution could not come at a more demanding time.

Regulation shifts are reshaping Formula 1's competitive landscape and strategists are being asked to prepare for more variables and 'unknowns' than ever. For Schmitz, this new era compounds with her own promotion.

Hannah Schmitz and Max Verstappen | Courtesy of AT&T

She shared that she "feels prepared" and "really enjoys working with everyone in the strategy team", but also emphasized that adaptability will likely define the early stages of F1's next chapter.

"It’s still a similar way of thinking about the problem. It’s just different data, different variables to look at and consider — and less confidence in how they’re all going to play out.”
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racin

For strategists, that uncertainty impacts preparation long before the cars arrive at the circuit. Teams spend weeks running simulations and modeling potential race scenarios, leaning on adaptability, as Schmitz puts it, to anticipate decisions they may need to make in real time.

For Schmitz, the coming season represents both a challenge and an opportunity, stepping into leadership at the same moment Formula 1 itself enters a new era.

Building the Next Generation

While the spotlight on Schmitz's career and rise at Red Bull Racing has grown in recent years, she is similarly focused on what comes next for both the team and young engineers hoping to follow a similar path.

When asked what the next generation of Formula 1 hopefuls should focus on, she pointed first to something less technical than you would expect.

“One of the main things is communication and your ability to work under pressure. Those are the skills that are maybe most difficult to understand about people before you put them under that pressure of the pit wall.”
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing

Technical fluency, however, has also evolved dramatically since she first joined the team in 2009. She pointed out that things such as 'coding' have become important and even admitted that her "level" wouldn't "be acceptable anymore."

That said, the evolving landscape has also broadened who sees themselves working in Formula 1, something Schmitz says she has noticed heavily during recruitment. She called out the diversity of applications she receives from top candidates for roles on the team, which is particularly meaningful for Schmitz, especially now that she has reached a leadership level.

In many ways, the shift has already become visible across the sport. At the Australian Grand Prix, Turn 6 was renamed in honor of Schmitz and Haas engineer Laura Müller for International Women’s Day. This symbolic moment acknowledges the growing presence of women in technical leadership roles across the paddock.

For Schmitz, the gesture was both surprising and humbling as she admitted that she finds it "difficult to recognize" her own achievements.

Still, she hopes moments like that serve a larger purpose in showing future engineers that there is space for them in the sport.