Big change this year in Formula 1 with a small revolution within a stable. And this directly concerns a French pilot.
The new Formula 1 season begins in March, with the first Grand Prix in Australia on March 16. After the title of Verstappen among the pilots and McLaren among the manufacturers, the new 2025 season promises a big show before a change of regulation in 2026.
This year, three French pilots will be on the starting grid, including the now used to Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. One changed stable and universes by signing in the American team Haas, former house of Romain Grosjean. The other is still the spearhead of the French Alpine stable. A new little one is added to this grid: Isack Hadjar, vice world champion of F2 and Racing Bulls pilot.
A big change will concern a French pilot and it is even a revolution in the world of F1. For his first year at Haas, Esteban Ocon will have a woman as a racing engineer. It is Laura Mueller, formerly a performance engineer for the American team.
A choice assumed by the F1 stable which wants to highlight the work of women in Formula 1. In 2023, Laura Mueller had spoke to denounce “the persistence of misogynist culture in mechanical sports” and certain abusive behaviors of which she could be a victim. “” When we ask women ‘what is the worst thing you have experienced in motorsport?’, They never tell the truth. Because no one wants to hear the truth. “
“If you look at the number of women we have at the office, it’s certainly more than before, but I did not choose Laura because she is a woman,” said Haas boss. “We do not care about nationality or gender, what really matters is what you can offer, how you integrate yourself into the team, how you can maximize performance. And I think Laura is the right choice.”
It remains to be seen whether the mayonnaise between Laura Mueller and Esteban Ocon will take, because a relationship of trust between the pilot and the engineer is essential to have good performance. “I think they will be a driving force and that their personalities agree. When she sees a problem, she widens in depth and does not stop at the first answer,” said Ayao Komatsu for Motorsport.