Courtesy of Laura Mueller
The dominance on track isn’t only driven by those behind the wheel, but also by the brilliant minds who are responsible for designing and creating the machinery that fuels our entertainment. Racing fans are now proud to say that one of those minds is the first woman to be a full-time engineer in Formula 1, Laura Mueller. She made history this January after Haas promoted her from performance engineer to Esteban Ocon’s race engineer for the 2025 season.
The race engineer is the vital link between a driver and their team, holding responsibility not only for the car’s performance but also for shaping race strategies. It’s a crucial role needed for the race to run smoothly and safely. Without those engineers, the high-performance cars we’ve seen since 1950 wouldn’t be nearly as impressive.
While Formula 1 is the most globally recognized motorsport, women have been making significant strides in racing and engineering in other racing series. In Brazil, the Stock Car Pro Series – that is held at the same circuit as the F1 Grand Prix, Interlagos – is a touring car auto racing series that has been held since the 70s. And now, in 2025, women are not only racing but also holding high positions behind the grid as mechanics and engineers. This shift highlights a broader trend in motorsport, that women are not just spectators (though they do make up 40% of its audience), but they’re also essential figures that help drive the success of the sport.
Courtesy of Leonardo Catto/Estadão 150
Visiting Ipiranga Racing’s box on the Stock Car Pro Series final in December of last year, I had the privilege of meeting Rachel Loh, the first female engineer for Stock Car. Loh’s career is truly remarkable, as in 2022, she served as the technical representative for the Brazilian Automobile Confederation at Formula 1’s Grand Prix in Singapore. Beyond her expertise in engineering, Loh is also a big advocate for women in motorsports. She’s a part of FIA Girls on Track, alongside Bia Figueiredo, the first woman to win an Indy Lights Series race. Her contributions nationwide help shape the future of women in motorsports.
“I fell in love with automobilism as I was studying mechanical engineering. I knew that’s what I wanted, I wanted to live off of that,” Loh answered as I asked what made her want to follow this path. “I faced a lot of criticism, a lot of people laughed at the girl who just got into engineering school and wanted to live off motorsports. But I’ve always been very focused and confident, I’m very proud of myself for getting to where I am.
“I’m so happy to see how many more women there are in each area of this sport. They arrive with competence, confidence and ambition in order to get a job in this field. Today, the race director was a woman! This makes me so proud because it’s what we’ve been fighting for over 4 years now.” The engineer couldn’t hold back a few tears as she reflected on her journey.
Though women have been a part of racing since the very beginning, their presence was never fully welcomed or represented. Loh shared that while her family was never opposed to her pursuing motorsport, they never really understood it. “My dad begged me to get a real job, even when I was already living off it. ‘My daughter still plays with her toy cars’ he thought jokingly. I came from a generation that didn’t have much access to broader information, and neither did my parents. So I got where they came from.”
Courtesy of Viemar Automotive
When reminiscing on the moment she realized motorsport could be a real career path for her, Loh spoke about the times she went to racing competitions like F3 in Rio opening her eyes to the possibilities. “I was studying engineering at the time. And at this race, a narrator was yelling out the names of the drivers until he said ‘And there goes Ana Beatriz’, I was confused. What do you mean there’s a girl racing?
“Bia Figueiredo raced with Ruffles at that time, so I started following her career. She got to Indy Lights and I really wished one day I could meet her. And today, not only is she my driver, my partner on the tracks and the female commission, she’s also my friend.” Loh is beyond proud of her friend for her achievements in Stock Car, where they have worked together twice, and now she’s Figueiredo’s engineer in Copa Truck, where they won this year. “It’s an honor I can’t even describe. I’m very proud of all the women that came before her and opened the doors for us, as well as all of the women that will be coming after. Before Bia, my only contact with racing was watching F1 because of Ayrton Senna; it was really more of a family tradition and a cultural thing at the time.”
When prompted about what’s needed for more women to pursue this kind of job, Loh thinks they lack opportunity. “Though they are there, it’s not an easy industry. [...] The mindset needs to be changed so the higher-ups can open more doors for women to enter. It’s sad because the work environment is still based on structural sexism. It’s something that at times it’s not even done in a bad way by men… but it’s just so instilled in people’s brains that it’s hard to get it out.
“This is not just in motorsports either, it’s society too. I have a 10-year-old daughter and the arguments I have at home with her are mostly about this – about things that are just ‘for boys’ and things that are just ‘for girls.’ I’m trying to deconstruct this thought that is so prevalent in society. Girls are never encouraged to race in karts or play with toy cars. They treat them like porcelain dolls and sometimes girls don’t want that. I want a future where there’s no division and people are prompted to follow whatever it is that they want to follow.”
Courtesy of Sofi Dawalibi (@sofimakesfilms)
On a weekend with races that had spectators on an emotional rollercoaster, there was no denying that the stakes were even higher for the racing crew. Working under this immense amount of pressure was the most challenging thing for Loh in the beginning of her career. “You need to be resilient enough to get back to it when it goes wrong. Today, the team I work with, we try our best not to lose our composure when everything goes sideways. We’re really just doing the best we can and improving every day.” Thiago Camilo finished in 8th place, while César Ramos crossed the line in 13th in Race 2, both representing Ipiranga Racing.
In 2025, the Stock Car Pro Series will innovate with new SUVs that will replace the sedans. After 45 years of history, more agile and stable technology will be available. “Finally! It’s a relief to be retiring these cars,” Loh laughs, “we were at a very limited position to improve with them. I’m so glad that now we have a new chance to reinvent and start from the ground up. For the engineers this is like a party, we’re so excited for new challenges to come.”
Loh believes that being an engineer requires as much creativity and instinct as being a race car driver, that’s why they go hand in hand. “This is when our creative side shines, since all the cars are the same, where can we be different and better within the parameters and legality of the race? It’s the coolest thing.”
Edited by Reese Dlabach