International Women in Engineering Day at Oracle Red Bull Racing

To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2024, Oracle Red Bull Racing hosted a highly-educational and valuable event at their Technology Campus in Milton Keynes. 

Event Overview 

To support and recognise the women working in engineering and the future women in engineering, Oracle Red Bull Racing organised an invaluable event along with their Team Partner, Rokt. 

The event was open to females who were currently studying two STEM-related A-levels, pursuing an engineering qualification, undergraduates or graduates completing a masters (in a relevant field), those on an applicable college or apprenticeship path, and experienced engineers looking to change sectors. 

All prospective attendees were required to sign up and 50 women were selected for the event. 

On Friday morning, all attendees gathered in Milton Keynes, with many travelling from around the country for the experience - a true testament to the value and appreciation for events such as these. 

First up on the agenda was for all women to go on a tour of the Technology Campus - a truly invaluable experience to go behind the scenes of the Championship Winning team and to be inspired. After the tour, it was time to work… 

CV 121’s and Networking 

Ahead of lunchtime, all women were free to network, and others were able to go upstairs for their respective 121’s. 

During the 121 sessions, attendees were able to walk through their CV with members of the Oracle Red Bull racing team to gain vital advice and direction to further support their careers in STEM and engineering. Across the room, women were grateful for the opportunity with many being told to “be yourself” which was refreshing to hear. 

For those on the main floor, there was an opportunity to meet members of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team and to hear about the variety of roles available and their time with the team. 

From electronics to strategy, team members were set up with information and attendees were able to walk up and ask as many questions as they liked. 

To the side, attendees were able to break up their networking with some Sim racing and ask Ashley Vandelay for some top-tips, and collect friendship bracelets courtesy of Rokt. 

Panel Discussions 

In the early part of the afternoon, attendees were seated to hear four different panel discussions, each with different representatives and topics to prompt a rich and diverse conversation. 

1. The Role of Role Models with Calum Nicholas (Senior PU Assembly Technician, Oracle Red Bull Racing), Andra Groapa (Analysis Engineer, Red Bull Ford Powertrains) & Miran Nakamura (Software Engineer, Rokt) 

It’s no secret that role models are significantly important within motorsport, particularly for those who come from underrepresented backgrounds and minority groups. During their discussion Calum, Andra, and Miran each spoke about their personal role models and why we need to see more people within the industry to inspire others. 

2. Rokt the Rig with Ashley Vandelay (Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing Ambassador) & Srishti Gupta (Chief Product Officer, Rokt) 

For women, sim racing can often seem daunting, but the team and ambassadors at Oracle Red Bull Racing created a competition and platform to help support women in their sim racing journey. 

When asked about what this project means, Ashley said “We’re often told we don’t belong here, motorsports isn’t for us.”

In her role with the team, and her role as a woman in motorsport, Ashley is working with Rokt to encourage more women to achieve their motorsport dreams. 

To sign up for the next series of Rokt the Rig and to find out more information, visit https://www.rokt.com/rokt-the-rig/.  

3. Interview with Hannah Schmitz - Women Driving Change, with Hannah Schmitz (Principal Strategy Engineer, Oracle Red Bull Racing) 

Hannah Schmitz is known throughout the Formula 1 Paddock and beyond as she is now the only female to sit on the pit wall this season. 

With over 15-years experience, Hannah has plenty of advice for women wanting to start in motorsport which she shared during her panel segment. 

“Pester people, email them a million times, just really keep going and don’t give up,” she says. “Don’t listen to anyone who tells you, you can’t do something or that you have to be a certain way to do something.” 

Within the sport and beyond, Hannah is an incredible role model for women everywhere and she is proving that women too can hold strategic and high-level positions within male-heavy environments. 

4. Engineering a World of Possibilities with Craig Skinner (Chief Designer, Oracle Red Bull Racing), Aimee Gibbard (Design Engineer, Oracle Red Bull Racing), & Garima Singh (Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Rokt) 

Within their session, Craig and Aimee emphasised that men and women working together is important especially within knowledge sharing and understanding. 

“Whilst we look at things differently, we have each other to lean on,” Aimee says. “People in a minority often think we have to be better and know more - it took me a long time to learn, you don’t have to know everything.” 

To close their session, Garima provided some advice and words of encouragement for audience members and everyone watching the event online. 

“Keep your options open,” she says. “Be greedy and grasp any opportunity in front of you. Ultimately just say yes - even if it’s trying something, because you never know what’s going to come out of something.” 

The final panel discussion brought the event to a close and ended what was truly an inspiring and valuable day for women in engineering. 

Events such as these are immensely important to inspire more women to aspire to, and work in motorsport. For more information on future events, please visit the Oracle Red Bull Racing website.