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Charlotte Phelps engineered her way from university placement to six F1 World Championships with Mercedes, then switched sides to become a race-winning F1 Academy strategist.
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Weirdly, I look up to all women in motorsport… I was fortunate to have my mum, who’s an engineer, who always encouraged me…The best thing about my job is that no two days are ever the same… getting to have direct and tangible impact at the circuit throughout a race weekend is amazing.Then last year, winning a race with Emely was like the little cherry on top.
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FULL BIO: Charlotte Phelps
Charlotte Phelps carved out her own unique path in motorsport—not behind the wheel first, but behind the data, strategy, and engineering that powers Formula 1 champions. This engineer-turned-racer has contributed to six F1 World Championship titles while building her own racing company on the side.
EARLY YEARS
Unlike most racers who discover their passion on childhood karting tracks, Charlotte’s motorsport journey began much later—during university. Her foundation was built on academic excellence, taking A-level subjects in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and History, creating a well-rounded perspective that would serve her well in the technical world of racing. Her mother, an engineer herself, provided the crucial early encouragement that would shape Charlotte’s entire career trajectory, fostering both her engineering ambitions and later racing pursuits.
OTHER INTERESTS
Charlotte’s interests center heavily around STEM fields, a passion that extends far beyond her professional obligations. She owns and operates Vivace Motorsport, demonstrating entrepreneurial flair alongside her engineering expertise. Her demanding motorsport lifestyle requires constant international travel, though she’s made conscious efforts to maintain balance, setting resolutions to spend more quality time with friends despite the all-consuming nature of the racing world.
EARLY SUCCESS
Charlotte’s academic excellence opened doors that would define her career—securing a placement at Mercedes HPP during university that transformed her from someone who “never planned an F1 career” into a key player in the sport’s most successful team. This placement revealed her natural talent for the technical side of motorsport and set her on a path that would see her contribute to multiple championship-winning campaigns.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2024: Contributed to Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team’s six World Championship titles as part of the engineering team.
- 2024: Won a race with driver Emely De Heus while serving as Strategy Engineer in F1 Academy.
- 2025: Continuing second season as Race Engineer at MP Motorsport for F1 Academy.
- 2025: Participated in webinar on resilience in motorsport, sharing expertise on navigating rejection and setbacks.
INSPIRATIONS
“Weirdly, I look up to all women in motorsport,” Charlotte has said, drawing inspiration from the collective struggles and achievements of female pioneers in racing rather than any single individual. Her most significant influence remains her mother, whose engineering background and unwavering encouragement provided the foundation for everything that followed. This maternal support proved crucial in a male-dominated field where having an advocate who understood both the technical challenges and gender barriers made all the difference.
REPUTATION
Charlotte has built a reputation as a skilled engineer whose technical expertise directly contributed to Formula 1’s most successful recent campaigns. She’s recognized not just for her analytical abilities, but for her resilience and practical approach to the inevitable rejections that come with motorsport careers. Her willingness to share advice and mentor others has positioned her as a role model for women entering the field. The racing community respects her dual identity—serious engineer by day, competitive driver in her own right through hillclimb and sprint events.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
Charlotte continues her second season in F1 Academy engineering in 2025, supporting driver Emely De Heus while maintaining her strategy engineer role with Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains. Her focus remains on creating tangible impact at race weekends while advancing opportunities for women in motorsport engineering. She’s committed to continuing her involvement in the sport’s technical evolution, balancing her professional engineering career with her personal racing pursuits through Vivace Motorsport.
References:
F1 Academy Career Spotlight
Formula Careers Interview
Resilience in Motorsport Webinar
Vivace Motorsport Posts
Have Charlotte updates or corrections? Please let us know – We’d love to keep this profile current.
