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Charlotte Phelps is a British race engineer currently working with MP Motorsport in F1 Academy, engineering for driver Emely De Heus. From a placement student at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team to strategy engineer and now trackside race engineer, she’s one of the few women commanding respect in the engineering side of motorsport’s most elite paddocks.

EARLY YEARS

Charlotte’s path to motorsport was anything but conventional. At A-level, she studied Maths, Further Maths, Physics, and History—a combination that gave her both the technical chops and the broader perspective she’d need in a field that demands quick thinking under pressure. During sixth form, she did multiple work experience stints at local theaters, getting a taste for the behind-the-scenes intensity that would later define her career. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught her how complex operations work when every second counts.

Her route into racing came through an unlikely interest: acoustics. While at university, she studied acoustic engineering, and it was this specialty—specifically, doing acoustic work for Mercedes—that opened the door to motorsport. Music and sound analysis led her trackside, proving that sometimes the most winding roads lead to the best destinations.

OTHER INTERESTS

Before diving into the world of high-performance powertrains and tire compounds, Charlotte spent time exploring other career paths. She completed a Level 3 Travel and Tourism course and did a work placement at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre and Orchard Hotel, which gave her an early taste of client-facing work and logistics—skills that wouldn’t be wasted when managing the chaos of race weekends.

Her love of theater and the arts never faded, even as engines and data became her daily language. That creative streak feeds into how she approaches problems on the engineering side: there’s always more than one way to solve something, and sometimes you need to improvise.

EARLY SUCCESS

Phelps landed a placement student role at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team, a dream gig that most engineers would kill for. She worked hard, kept her head down, and proved she belonged. After her placement, she was hired as a graduate engineer, eventually promoted to Strategy Engineer at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in 2019. Her role involved data analysis and defining where new power unit development should focus—crucial work that directly impacted car performance.

To sharpen her skills even further, she completed an additional master’s degree in race engineering at the University of Pavia in Italy, one of the most respected programs in the field. Between the academic rigor and the real-world experience at Mercedes, she built a reputation as someone who could handle the technical and strategic demands of Formula 1.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2014–2020: Part of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team that won six World Championship titles[1].
• 2019: Promoted to Strategy Engineer at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains[2].
• 2021–2022: Served as race engineer for W Series for two years, contributing to the all-female championship’s groundbreaking mission[3].
• 2023: Joined MP Motorsport as race engineer in F1 Academy’s inaugural season[4].
• 2024: Celebrated a race win with driver Emely De Heus during her second season in F1 Academy[5].
• 2025: Continues as Lead Systems and Data Engineer and tutor at MIA School of Race Engineering, mentoring the next generation of engineers[6].

INSPIRATIONS

Charlotte has spoken openly about the “special bond” between race engineer and driver, a relationship built on trust, communication, and mutual respect. For her, the technical side of racing is only half the job—the human element is what makes it all work. She’s passionate about making motorsport more accessible to women and uses her platform, including her social media presence under the handle @race.with.charlotte, to document her journey and inspire other women to break into the industry.

Her time at Mercedes, working alongside some of the best minds in the sport, shaped her engineering philosophy. But it was her transition to W Series and F1 Academy that solidified her commitment to changing the face of motorsport. She’s not just engineering cars; she’s engineering change.

REPUTATION

Phelps is known for being approachable, knowledgeable, and unflinchingly honest. She’s built a career on competence, not connections, and earned respect in paddocks where women engineers are still a rarity. Her colleagues describe her as someone who keeps her cool under pressure and communicates clearly, two qualities that are non-negotiable when you’re calling strategy in real-time.

Based in the UK, she travels the world as a race engineer, balancing the demands of trackside work with her mission to make motorsport more inclusive. She’s become a visible advocate for gender equality in the sport, using her career as proof that women belong in every corner of the paddock—not just in front of cameras, but in the engineering bays, on the pit wall, and in the data rooms.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Charlotte continues her work with MP Motorsport in F1 Academy for the 2025 season, engineering for Emely De Heus as the series gains momentum and recognition. Beyond trackside duties, she’s committed to education and mentorship, serving as a tutor at the MIA School of Race Engineering, where she helps shape future engineers who might one day follow in her footsteps.

Her long-term vision is clear: keep pushing for more opportunities for women in motorsport, whether that’s on the engineering side or behind the wheel. She’s not waiting for the industry to change on its own—she’s actively building the future she wants to see.

REFERENCES

[1] Career Spotlight: Meet Charlotte Phelps, Race Engineer at MP Motorsport – F1 Academy
[2] Our Community – Tutors 2024 – MIA School of Race Engineering
[3] Women in Motorsport Series – Charlotte Phelps, Strategy Engineer – Formula Careers
[4] Women Worldwide Are Using Their Online Influence to Accelerate Action for Gender Equality in Motorsport – International Women’s Day
[5] ‘Don’t Be Afraid to Get Into Motorsport’ – Celebrating International Women In Engineering Day – F1 Academy
[6] Trackside with F1 Academy Race Engineer Charlotte Phelps – Apple Podcasts