Haas has made history in Formula 1 by promoting Laura Muller to the position of race engineer for Esteban Ocon, marking the first time a woman has held such a role in the sport.

Originally from Germany, Muller joined Haas in 2022, starting with simulator duties before advancing to performance engineer.

She holds a Master’s degree in Automotive Engineering from the Technical University of Munich and has prior experience with ABT in DTM and Manthey Racing in GTs.

Speaking to Autosport about Muller’s promotion, team principal Ayao Komatsu praised her attributes: “She’s a pretty determined character, she’s very hard-working, and her work ethic is really good. Her communication, the radio, etcetera, is very calm, very clear.”

He also highlighted her analytical abilities, noting: “When she sees a problem, she digs deep, and she doesn’t stop at the first answer.

“Some people, when they find the first answer, they stop, thinking, ‘Ah, great. I found the solution’ and move on. But when she finds the first solution, she knows there are ten new questions to answer. Her determination is what impresses me the most.”

While acknowledging that Muller is still young and relatively inexperienced, Komatsu expressed confidence in her potential: “With her work ethic, I think she can progress pretty quickly.”

Muller’s promotion is part of a broader shake-up at Haas as the team prepares for the 2025 season. Ronan O’Hare has also been promoted, stepping up to become race engineer for Oliver Bearman.

Komatsu explained the importance of internal promotions, saying, “Rather than going for big names from outside, to promote somebody who may not have the experience to start with but has good potential, good work ethic, good communication, to support one another, sends a good message for everyone as well.”

In addition to the internal moves, Haas has also made several external hires. Francesco Nenci, formerly Dakar performance team leader at Audi, has joined as chief race engineer.

Carine Cridelich has been brought in as head of strategy, joining the team on March 1 from Racing Bulls, where she served as a race strategy engineer.

Lastly, Mark Lowe has also rejoined Haas as sporting director, adding further expertise to the team.