Aimee Gibbard: “I didn’t think it was possible to love a job this much”

Meet Aimee Gibbard, a lifelong Oracle Red Bull Racing fan who now works as a Design Engineer in the team’s Project Engineering group. 

Aimee's love for engineering began in a small garage, fixing classic cars with her dad. Without realising it, she was learning the language of engines and problem-solving. That spark led her to Loughborough University, where she earned a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering and became the first female team leader of their Formula Student team. A placement at Oracle Red Bull Racing turned into a full-time role, and now she’s helping shape the very sport she grew up loving.

In her role, Aimee is part of the Project Engineering team, the go-to group for all the bits and pieces that don’t quite fall under one category. From pit stop equipment like wheel guns and race jacks to garage setups and simulator support, she and her team handle all the behind-the-scenes essentials that keep things running smoothly on and off the track. As she puts it, “if it doesn’t have a specific home, it usually ends up with us”.

“Coming from where I was to today, I love my job,” Aimee tells Females in Motorsport. “I didn’t think it was possible to love a job this much. Oracle Red Bull Racing is home for me.”

What is more coincidental than her being an Oracle Red Bull Racing fan? “I was 12 when Sebastian Vettel won his first title, that’s when I really started understanding the sport on my own,” she says. “Red Bull were at the top then, and I just knew that’s where I wanted to be.“I even cried when Max Verstappen won the championship in 2021.”

Oracle Red Bull Racing is always known for their strong mindset and how unbeatable they are. What sets them apart is their support for each other.

“You never feel like you’re on your own,” she says. “Whether it’s my project team staying late to help out or being able to chat with anyone, no matter their role, there is this genuine culture of support. It makes you feel valued and comfortable, even if you need to bring up an issue.”

It’s true that with the right team and the right mindset, anything is possible, and that’s exactly what Oracle Red Bull Racing is proving. "Everyone is determined to win,” she says. “Anyone working in Formula 1 has that drive to be the best, and Oracle Red Bull Racing has always had that spirit. They’ve always been known for doing things in their own way, even with the parties!"

No doubt that the team is known for the celebrations, but everyone has some bad days. 

"Even when we're not winning, it's disappointing because that's what we're here for,” she says. "But it doesn’t feel like the end of the world. The team still supports each other. Everyone stays as positive as they can."

Aimee has so many fond memories from working for the team, and there’s one in particular that stands out.“They flew me out to Abu Dhabi for the final race of the championship, which was really special,” she says. “It’s emotional standing there, thinking about everything I’ve worked for. That’s what makes Formula 1 so rewarding.”

Aimee hopes more women will think about engineering as a real option.

“The imbalance starts with more boys choosing engineering,” she says. “To fix this, we need to start younger, encouraging girls as young as seven or eight.“If you enjoy building Lego, that’s basically what I do - just a bigger one!” 

With the right encouragement early on, she believes many more girls would discover that same spark.

From spending weekends in the garage with her dad to now working with the very team she once cheered for on TV, Aimee’s journey has come full circle. She’s grown into the kind of person her younger self would look up to - not just because of the work she does, but because of how she’s grown into a role model for young girls who might not yet realise that engineering could be their path too. 

Aimee shows that there’s space for women not just in the paddock, but in the heart of the garage, designing the future of racing. For many girls, seeing someone like her is the reason they start to believe they can pursue engineering, and they can do it all too.