Women in F1 technology jobs

Today, more women are entering F1 technology jobs than ever before. At Atlassian Williams Racing, we’re proud to open the door to the best engineering and tech talent from all backgrounds. If you’ve got what it takes to win, you can find your place here. 

Here, women across our Technology & Innovation Group (TIG) share their journeys, challenges, and how they help to create our winning formula.

Career journeys in Formula 1 technology jobs 

There’s no single route into Formula 1 technology jobs. Some arrive through F1 early careers, others bring expertise from different industries. These stories show how women in STEM careers take different lanes into F1.

Becci Toms’ journey started in agile project management: 

“I am currently a Scrum Master while also supporting the implementation of Atlassian. My role involves facilitating the delivery of agile projects to ensure continuous improvement of products and services.” 

Charlotte Gimblett, Vehicle Performance Software Engineer, discovered her passion in school: 

“In my final year of high school, they introduced a coding class. I’d never had any exposure to it, so I thought it would be fun to give it a go. It quickly became my favourite subject, so I pursued it with the intention of somehow combining my passion for both software and cars.” 

Katie Snell, Senior Business Systems Analyst, began in aerospace: 

“I started off doing a manufacturing engineering degree but changed to Computer Science and Mathematics when I realised how much I enjoyed coding. Prior to joining Atlassian Williams Racing, I worked in Aerospace for 3 years as a software developer.” 

Making real impact with technology in F1 

When people think about Formula 1, they picture race engineers on the pit wall or mechanics in the garage. Behind the scenes, there are plenty of other technology roles driving us forward.

Becci has seen how new Atlassian technologies, introduced through our Atlassian partnership, have transformed daily work: 

“I’ve loved working on the Atlassian partnership. Sometimes, the most impactful solutions are not the most technical but rather the products that reach the wider audience.” 

Charlotte’s current project is changing the way data drives decisions: 

“I’m working on creating a new run planner software. This software is just the beginning of a better way to link all the engineering data together. From there, we will be able to look over large data and find trends that would never have been possible before.” 

Katie is most proud of working on applications that made hours-long processes more efficient: 

“Being able to provide a robust solution that allows colleagues to reduce long tasks down to minutes is unbelievable. I have a massive sense of pride knowing that I’ve helped them to do their jobs a lot more efficiently.” 

This is innovation in action. Together, we harness the power of new ideas to give us the edge we need. 

How women in tech support on-track performance 

In F1, everything connects back to the track. Whether coding software or managing agile teams, we empower the best tech talent from all backgrounds to steer us in the right direction.

Becci described how her role sets others up for success: 

“My role is to be an enabler, so creating the right process and environment for the delivery teams to do the hard work that contributes to improved performance.” 

Charlotte explains how software keeps engineers focused: 

“The software I create helps make the life of a race engineer easier by taking away all the manual tasks that can be automated. This allows the race engineers more time to do work that can help performance on track instead of copying values from one excel sheet to another.” 

And Hannah Fletcher, Executive Assistant to CIAO, shows the value of support roles: 

“In a high-performance environment like F1, every second counts. I ensure that time and attention are optimised.” 

The culture of our F1 technology team 

At Williams, our values of teamwork and resilience underpin everything. This culture helps our team thrive and find their place. 

Becci explained: 

“Anyone you message for a coffee will gladly offer their time and advice. We also have a very close team within TIG so I feel very lucky to have always had an abundance of support.” 

Hannah said that the culture feels unique:

“It’s more than just a team and feels more like a big family. Everyone brings their unique strengths to the table, and there’s a genuine willingness to help each grow, share ideas, and celebrate wins together.” 

Katie added how support shows up when it matters most: 

“Whenever you have different challenges in TIG, no matter how complex, there will always be someone willing to help you find the best resolution.” 

Joining Atlassian Williams Racing as a woman in F1 tech 

Joining a Formula 1 team can be equal parts exciting and daunting. We spoke to Bareerah Chughtai, Service Delivery Placement, and Claire Salisbury, Scrum Master, two of the newest members of the tech team. 

Bareerah shared: 

“It feels surreal to walk into the factory every day, sometimes I can’t quite believe I’m here. Honestly, it feels empowering. Being one of the few women in the team makes me proud.” 

Claire summed up the excitement of working in F1: 

“So far, it’s been exciting, challenging, inspiring, and inclusive. Quite the whirlwind! I am also now a "cool" mum of boys, who works for a Formula 1 racing team! During my first week, I took part in the Williams team photo and attended the factory festival with my family. It very much feels that we are all in this together.” 

“I feel happy to be one of the few women working within TIG. Of course, in our history we have had Claire Williams as a deputy team principal. She’s one of only two women to have ever managed teams in Formula 1, which is inspiring.” 

Advice for women considering a Formula 1 tech career 

For young women interested in STEM or F1 tech, the message from TIG is clear: go for it. 

Becci’s top tips: 

“Don’t be overwhelmed by terminology or complex technical language. Take the time to explore different technologies and skills. Find your people, as having a support network who believes in you will accelerate your career.” 

Charlotte added: 

“Don’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers. You will always face resistance when you come in energetic with fresh ideas.” 

Katie’s advice is simple: 

“Be open to learning and trying new things. That’s how you’ll discover what you really enjoy.” 

And Hannah summed it up: 

“Don’t underestimate the impact you can make, no matter your title. Every role in TIG enables innovation.” 

Find your place in the tech team 

If you’re passionate about technology and want to make real impact in our journey back to the front of the grid, we’d love to hear from you. Explore our latest F1 technology jobs today to find out more about the team. To hear about new opportunities first, join our talent community.