Hannah Schmitz: The Strategic Mind Behind Red Bull’s Race-Winning Moves

Hannah Schmitz, the principal strategy engineer for Red Bull Racing, started her journey with the team as an intern in 2009. Teaming up with head of race strategy Will Courtenay and a talented squad, her quick strategic decisions played a big role in helping Max Verstappen win his first Formula One world championship last season.

In the fast-paced world of Formula One, decisions are made in milliseconds, and these choices can determine the outcome of a race where any number of unpredictable events can occur, such as crashes, penalties, and changing weather. Critical decisions about when and how many times to pit, which tires to use, and when to push or hold back, are all made based on data.

With a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cambridge, Schmitz collaborates with a large team of analysts who run countless simulations before and during each race, taking into account car performance, track conditions, and tire wear to fine-tune their strategy and plan pit stops.

At the recent Monaco Grand Prix, Schmitz and her team implemented a pit-stop strategy that led to Sergio Pérez winning the race and Max Verstappen securing a spot on the podium. The bold and proactive approach earned praise from team advisor Helmut Marko, who said, “We were all exceptional, but if we won, it was mainly due to Hannah.”

Being able to adapt quickly to live scenarios is a high-pressure but exhilarating part of Schmitz’s job. “I think it’s incredibly exciting,” she said. “You’re on the edge of your seat after making a split-second decision, and though the wait to see if it pays off might be just twenty seconds, it can feel like an eternity.”

On a typical race day, Schmitz starts with meetings designed to be more like discussions with the drivers, race engineers, Adrian Newey, and Christian Horner to go over race plans. Whether she’s at the circuit pit wall or in the operations room back in Milton Keynes—an arrangement rotated with Will Courtenay—the goal remains the same, but the tasks differ. At the pit wall, the focus is on keeping a clear head and aiming for victory. In the operations room, strategists run live calculations and simulations, providing critical data to the team at the pit wall for optimal decision-making.

Schmitz describes the operations room as a game-changer. “We can listen to every team’s radio, watch all the on-board footage, and analyze all the numbers in detail, passing the information to the pit wall in seconds,” she said. “It’s like being in the same room, without any delay.”

Schmitz’s path to her dream job was built on dedication and a long-standing passion for cars and engineering, which began in her childhood. After earning her master’s degree in mechanical engineering, she joined Red Bull Racing as an intern in 2009. Building trust and confidence took time, something she hopes will be easier for future women following in her footsteps.

“I think there’s a lot of initial doubt about your abilities,” she said. “As a strategist, you need people to trust and listen to you, which was harder as a woman. But now, I’ve earned that respect, and I hope it paves the way for other young women aspiring to enter this field.”