Gabriela Parra

Gabriela Parra is pulling double duty in F1 Academy as both Team Manager and Race Engineer for Campos Racing—two jobs that would exhaust most mortals, but she makes it look like a carefully choreographed dance through the paddock chaos.

EARLY YEARS

Parra caught the racing bug early, though motorsport wasn’t initially on her radar as a career path. She started her professional journey as an industrial engineer, a sensible foundation that would later prove invaluable when she made the leap into the high-pressure world of motorsport. The transition from industrial engineering to the paddock wasn’t a straight line—it was more like a strategic pit stop maneuver that changed everything.

Her engineering background gave her the technical foundation, but it was her passion for racing that drove her to pursue opportunities in the sport. She worked her way through various roles, building expertise in data analysis and race engineering before landing positions that would shape her future in competitive motorsport.

OTHER INTERESTS

While the research doesn’t reveal hobbies outside the track, it’s safe to say that juggling two demanding roles in F1 Academy doesn’t leave much time for casual pursuits. Her focus appears firmly planted on advancing opportunities for women in motorsport and building championship-winning teams.

EARLY SUCCESS

Before joining F1 Academy, Parra built an impressive résumé in endurance racing. She worked as an LMP2 Data/Systems Engineer in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where she cut her teeth on the grueling demands of multi-class prototype racing[1]. She also served as a track engineer for Virage Group with an LMP3 car and worked with Aston Martin on their GT4 program[2]. These weren’t glamorous stepping stones—they were brutal testing grounds where technical precision and split-second decisions separate winners from also-rans.

The experience she gained in endurance racing proved invaluable when she transitioned to F1 Academy. Managing long-distance races requires a different skill set than sprint formats—it’s about strategy, tire management, and keeping everything together over hours instead of minutes. That endurance mindset translated perfectly into her current dual role, where she needs stamina as much as technical acumen.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2025: Served as both Team Manager and Race Engineer for Campos Racing in F1 Academy, overseeing team operations while engineering for driver Carrie Schreiner[3].
• 2025: Led Campos Racing to the top of the Teams’ Standings after Round 4 in Shanghai, establishing a 10-point advantage over MP Motorsport[4].
• 2025: Guided the team to victory at Round 3 in Barcelona, with Parra praising the squad’s unity and performance[5].
• 2024: Helped transform Campos Racing from bottom of the Teams’ Standings in 2023 to title contenders, calling it a “huge step” for the Spanish outfit[6].
• Previous: Worked as LMP2 Data/Systems Engineer in FIA World Endurance Championship[7].
• Previous: Served as track engineer for Virage Group (LMP3) and Aston Martin (GT4)[8].

INSPIRATIONS

Her message to young women considering motorsport is refreshingly direct: “Don’t be afraid to get into motorsport.”[9] It’s advice born from experience, from someone who navigated her own unconventional path from industrial engineering to the F1 Academy paddock. She’s living proof that motorsport careers don’t require karting from age five or family racing pedigrees—just determination, technical skill, and the courage to show up in spaces that weren’t designed with women in mind.

When discussing her work in F1 Academy, Parra has emphasized the broader mission: “We are changing the whole game.”[10] It’s not just talk. She’s actively creating opportunities for female drivers while simultaneously demonstrating that women belong in technical and leadership roles throughout motorsport.

REPUTATION

Parra has earned respect for her ability to balance two intense roles that most people couldn’t handle separately, let alone simultaneously. As Team Manager, she oversees Campos Racing’s entire operation—logistics, personnel, strategy, budgets, the works. As Race Engineer for Carrie Schreiner, she’s responsible for car setup, race strategy, and real-time coaching during sessions[11]. It’s the managerial equivalent of playing chess while also being one of the pieces on the board.

Her drivers appreciate her support beyond the technical realm. After Chloe Chambers scored a podium in Miami while her parents couldn’t attend, it was Parra who stepped in with encouragement, making sure Chambers felt the moment’s significance[12]. That emotional intelligence, combined with her technical prowess, makes her invaluable to the team.

Parra’s colleagues and drivers consistently praise the unity she fosters within Campos Racing. After the Barcelona win, she credited the entire team’s performance, highlighting the collective effort rather than individual achievements[13]. When discussing the Shanghai results, she acknowledged solid progress while insisting “we’re still not” where they need to be—always pushing for more[14]. It’s that combination of celebrating wins and refusing to get comfortable that’s helped transform Campos from strugglers to championship contenders.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

With Campos Racing leading the Teams’ Standings as of mid-2025, Parra is focused on maintaining momentum and chasing down the championship. She’s made it clear that despite their strong position, the team isn’t settling—there’s still work to do, improvements to make, and races to win[15]. Her dual-role experiment continues to prove that women can excel in multiple high-pressure positions simultaneously, setting a precedent for how teams might structure leadership in the future.

Beyond immediate racing goals, Parra remains committed to the larger mission of changing motorsport’s culture. Her presence in F1 Academy—both as Team Manager and Race Engineer—serves as a blueprint for other women considering technical and leadership roles in racing. She’s not just building a championship team; she’s building pathways.

REFERENCES

‘Don’t be afraid to get into motorsport’ – F1 Academy
Women in Motorsport – Gabriela Parra – YouTube
‘We are changing the whole game’ – Campos Racing’s Gabriela Parra – F1 Academy
Parra hails ‘solid start’ in Shanghai for Campos – F1 Academy
Parra credits Campos Racing’s unity for Barcelona triumph – F1 Academy
Campos Team Manager hails squad’s ‘huge step’ – F1 Academy
Gabriela Parra: Pathways Into Motorsport | F1 Academy – YouTube
“He explained through his tears what it meant for us”: Q&A with Chloe Chambers – Haas F1 Team
‘The biggest weekend of my career’ – Chloe Chambers on returning to Miami – Formula 1