CLAIRE WILLIAMS Discusses Female Leadership Gap in Formula 1

June 30, 2026

• CLAIRE WILLIAMS, who left Williams Racing in 2020, remains one of only two women to lead an F1 team alongside MONISHA KALTENBORN. She established the Women at Williams network, doubling female representation from 9 to 19 percent during her tenure.
• SUSIE WOLFF’s F1 Academy work aims to develop the pipeline across all motorsport roles, not just drivers. The series, in its fourth season, helps shift perceptions by providing visible female role models for young fans watching races.
• HANNAH SCHMITZ serves as Red Bull’s senior strategist while LAURA MÜLLER became F1’s first female race engineer at Haas, representing high-profile technical roles. Their visibility demonstrates expanding opportunities beyond traditional paths to leadership positions.
• WILLIAMS noted motherhood presents unique challenges in F1’s demanding environment, calling balancing senior leadership with family “one of the hardest things” despite having full organizational support. She emphasized merit-based promotion over tokenism for future female team principals.

all-female f1 academy, formula 1, williams racing