HANNAH: THE GENIUS DRIVING VERSTAPPEN'S LEGACY

How Red Bull’s Principal Strategy Engineer plotted yet another tactical masterstroke at the Qatar Grand Prix

- BY JAYDIP SENGUPTA

From left: McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing strategist Hannah Schmitz and Williams' Carlos Sainz on the podium at Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.

(AFP)

It was only fitting that Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull’s Principal Strategy Engineer, was on the podium alongside Max Verstappen following a dramatic Qatar Grand Prix where she engineered the Dutchman’s 70th win in Formula 1 at Lusail International Circuit on Sunday.

It was her astute tactical call to box the Red Bull driver on Lap 7 under the safety car — when both the McLaren drivers were hung out to dry by their team strategy — that saw Verstappen being catapulted back into contention going into the final race weekend in Abu Dhabi.

And understandably, the four-time world champion paid tribute to the person who has made some brilliant race-winning calls during their long association at Red Bull — notably her decision to box him under the safety car in order to fit him with soft tyres behind Lewis Hamilton in the dramatic 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.