Haas made history by assigning the role of a race engineer to a woman for the first time in the history of F1, and a lot of eyeballs will be on their pit wall when the season begins. Laura Mueller will take up the duty of being the voice in Esteban Ocon’s ears during races, and the Frenchman cannot wait to get started.
Ocon himself signed for the American team in the off-season, after a falling out with Alpine, his home for the last five years. It will be a new challenge for him, and he is looking forward to the season to start and begin his association with Mueller, who is extremely excited as well.
“She is super motivated,” said Ocon to La Boîte à Questions. “We’ll get to know each other of course… I can’t wait to start the season and she can’t wait too.”
Haas’ Laura Mueller becomes the first female Race Engineer in Formula 1 history #F1 pic.twitter.com/DYcoui5gUR
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 21, 2025
Mueller initially joined the team in 2022 and worked in the simulator department of the team. She went up the ranks to become a performance engineer before finally landing this huge role ahead of the start of the 2025 season.
It is a part of the internal restructuring done by Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, who took charge in 2024 when he replaced Guenther Steiner. The Japanese boss is adamant about making Haas a serious team with big ambitions, which is why Mueller’s appointment shows the level of trust he has in her.
Ocon expects Mueller to be his number-two
2025 is set to be one of the most competitive seasons in F1 history. This isn’t just at the front end of the grid, which could see a four-way battle for the crown involving Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes, but also at the back end, where several teams would be looking to finish higher up in the standings.
Haas, a perennial backmarker, is looking to change their reputation with Komatsu leading the project. Ocon may have to be patient, but as he navigates tricky waters with his new team, he will hope that Mueller guides him seamlessly.
In the same interview, he stated that she could become his ‘eagle eyes’. This means, Ocon will place his full trust in her to guide him through races, which for the first few rounds, could turn out to be long and difficult for the ex-Alpine driver.
