Department of Engineering / News / Alumna Ruth Buscombe Formula One Scuderia Ferrari Strategist joins Haas F1 Team

Department of Engineering

Alumna Ruth Buscombe Formula One Scuderia Ferrari Strategist joins Haas F1 Team

Alumna Ruth Buscombe Formula One Scuderia Ferrari Strategist joins Haas F1 Team

Ruth Buscombe

Alumna Ruth Buscombe has left her role within the race strategy team at Ferrari to join the Haas F1 Team.

It’s so important that we fight the archaic stereotype that women and motor sport 'don't go together', I'm proud to be a part of an initiative that will showcase the fantastic opportunities available within Motorsport; where what counts is what you can do- not what gender you are.

Alumna Ruth Buscombe

As Chief Strategist Ruth will attend all races with the team and take overall responsibility for the development of the team’s strategy on track over a race weekend.  

Whilst the Scuderia were sorry to see Ruth leave back in November 2015, they felt the move to The Haas F1 team would be preferable to a move to another competitor.

Ruth has returned from Maranello to the UK and is based at the Banbury facility forming part of the 110 strong team supported by a number of contractors across each of the Haas F1 team locations. Ruth Buscombe is the only permanent member of the Haas F1 team to have moved from Scuderia Ferrari.

Ruth joined Ferrari as a MEng graduate from the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge having studied Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering.  Her Master's Thesis, which was conducted in conjunction with the FIA and supervised by Tony Purnell (Former Jaguar and Red Bull Team Principal), was on the effect of the Drag Reduction System, an innovation introduced in 2011 in an effort to improve the spectacle of Formula One by increasing overtaking.

Outside of work Ruth has become involved with a non-for-profit organisation set up by the British Motor Sports Association and a former F1 test driver Susie Wolff called "Dare To Be Different". The initiative is aimed at advertising careers in Motorsport to women. Ruth has an impressive depth and breadth of knowledge that she’s keen to impart on the next generation at the forthcoming Dare To Be Different events.
 
For members of the Dare To Be Different Community, Ruth is also going to be heading online to speak to her peers, offer advice and share stories that will help foster new relationships and present new opportunities.
 
Ruth said: “It's a privilege to be an Ambassador for Dare To Be Different. It’s so important that we fight the archaic stereotype that women and motor sport 'don't go together' to prevent misinformation and dogma prescribing a subset of career choices for girls. I'm proud to be a part of an initiative that will showcase the fantastic opportunities available within Motorsport; where what counts is what you can do- not what gender you are.”
 
Susie Wolff said: “To have someone like Ruth as an Ambassador for Dare To Be Different is brilliant – she’s absolutely at the top level of her profession, and an inspiration to women who want to forge a career in engineering and race strategy. We really want to shine the spotlight on women like Ruth who have made such an incredible success in motor sport, and as time goes on we will be bringing more and more amazing women to the forefront."

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