The Network Powering Red Bull’s Strategy Calls: Hannah Schmitz on AT&T’s Role

When Formula 1 fans watch a race unfold, the strategist on the pit wall often appears to be making split-second decisions based on their own judgment of the data and trust in their gut.

In reality, those calls are supported by an entire network of engineers, analysts, simulations, and weeks of preparation operating simultaneously across continents.

For Hannah Schmitz, newly promoted Head of Race Strategy for Red Bull Racing, that connection is essential. While she sits trackside analyzing tire wear, new energy deployment, and competitor pace and strategy, dozens of engineers inside the operations room at Milton Keynes are processing incoming data and feeding insights back to the pit wall.

The connective tissue linking both environments together is AT&T, the company that has partnered with Red Bull Racing for more than a decade. Earlier this season, Max Verstappen chatted with Grand Prix on SI and described that system from the seat of a Formula 1 car.

Now, speaking from the pit wall, Schmitz sees the other side of that same AT&T network.

Operations Team Behind Every Strategy Call

When Schmitz speaks about the role of connectivity in Formula 1, her sights are immediately set on the operations room. For Red Bull, this is a hub of engineers and analysts working in parallel with the team at the track – and Schmitz directly.

Milton Keynes Red Bull Racing Data Center | Red Bull Racing, Courtesy of AT&T

Most people assume that strategy begins and ends with messages at the pit wall, but the reality is much more complex. While fans would love to assume that strategists like Schmitz entirely trust their gut and years of experience to tell Verstappen when to pit, or if Plan A, B, or C is more viable, behind every decision is a team.

"It is vital that we have basically a seamless transition from our operations room all the way to the track. Really, the operations room is an incredible place where we can look at data in a lot of detail compared to what we can do at the track. We can have all the onboard footage, listen to all the drivers’ radios, and analyze everything that’s happening during the race.”
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing

The AT&T-sponsored Operations Room itself operates almost like a second pit wall. Engineers analyze telemetry, model different race scenarios, and communicate key insights back to the strategists sitting trackside. One designated voice relays that information directly to Schmitz, allowing her to focus on the broader strategic picture rather than raw data.

"It’s a room full of people working throughout the race weekend. All that information is basically vital in making race strategy decisions, particularly on race day. For us, having trust and confidence in the data link that AT&T provides is basically the only reason we can do our jobs well."
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing

Without the connectivity linking those environments together, the collaboration, speed of decision making, and potential accuracy would break down.

From the Factory to the Track in Real Time

The scale of information moving between the circuit and the factory is enormous and has only grown over the 15 years that AT&T has supported Red Bull Racing, especially this year with the new regulations.

Modern Formula 1 cars contain hundreds of sensors measuring everything from temperatures to energy deployment and aerodynamic performance. Those data streams back to the factory are continuous during a session. The connection between the factory and the pit wall, however, goes both ways.

We have established that engineers in Milton Keynes – the role in which Schmitz started her career at Red Bull Racing – analyze this bulk of data, summarize their findings, and feed that back to the pit wall so that Schmitz can make decisions. However, it's important to note that this entire process can often need to happen in mere minutes, or even seconds.

Hannah Schmitz and Max Verstappen | Courtesy of AT&T

“They’ll be discussing things between themselves, and then there will be one person who passes that information on to me. They know exactly what information you need and how efficiently you need to receive it.”
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing

From there, the decision-making process moves even more quickly. Schmitz presents her recommendations to the race engineers, and they then speak to their driver. For Schmitz's part of the equation, though, she insisted that her job is 100% reliant on AT&T.

"We can look at that bigger picture, discuss that together, but we don't need to be looking at that data in detail. So for us, having the trust and confidence in the data link that AT&T provides is basically the only reason we can do our jobs well."
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing

Having joined Red Bull Racing before the AT&T partnership began, Schmitz has watched that infrastructure evolve first-hand. Connectivity doesn't just mean faster communication; it means that the team can adapt to the F1 cost cap. It enables more work to be done remotely from Milton Keynes rather than requiring additional personnel at the circuit.

Marriage of Data and Instinct

Despite the enormous technological infrastructure behind modern Formula 1 strategy, Schmitz is quick to point out that the sport still remains deeply human. Data may shape decisions, but experience still plays a critical role for her.

"Yes, there are still times when you trust your gut. I generally try to explain that instinct through the data... why the data might not be telling me that immediately, or what information might support that feeling."
Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull Racing

Hannah Schmitz Red Bull Racing | Courtesy of AT&T

In reality, that instinct is built in tandem with the communication of data and the improvement of the network that AT&T has built for Red Bull. Schmitz carries 16 years of experience analyzing race scenarios, understanding competitor behavior, and learning how races unfold in real-time.

When every second counts, the ability to move that information – whether driven by data or gut instinct – between the factory and pit wall can make the difference between points and a podium. A podium or a race win. A race win or a championship.

For Schmitz, AT&T, and the Red Bull Racing Strategy team, that connection is not just a part of their established team infrastructure, but how the team, Max Verstappen, and former Red Bull Racing drivers have Six Constructors’ and Eight Drivers’ Championship titles to their name.