ABU DHABI: After making history by becoming the FIA’s first female official F1 starter last year, Rebecca Lee is getting in gear for her crucial role at Yas Marina Circuit.
The Briton will be responsible for starting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, but says she doesn’t feel fazed or pressured by the fact that millions of people are watching her do her job as the clock ticks down to lights out. “I feel confident and comfortable with what I do,” she said.
“Of course, when I’m up there during the start process, you do feel the adrenaline, but it’s actually a good feeling — you feel a good vibe inside.
“Obviously, I’m always really cautious and really aware, because the last thing I want is an incident to happen or for anybody to get hurt. And I never actually think about it, but I don’t really think in depth about who’s watching.”
Lee started her career in the transport industry, and after experiencing life in the paddock, got the motorsport bug. Following a spell as starter for the FIA’s F2 and F3 series, she made the move to F1 in September last year, and shares exactly what her role involves on race weekend.
“As the FIA race starter, I’m responsible for making sure that we deploy the drivers safely and compliantly each weekend. So for that, I need to ensure that I’m up-to-date with the regulations so that we’re operating within the correct parameters. I need to make myself aware each weekend of any risks, making sure that I’m being diligent so there’s no breach of hazard risks or health and safety. And, of course, in the run-up to the weekend, I’ve got a lot of tests and checks to do on the hardware and software to ensure that everything’s going to operate as it should on the actual day.”
Once the lights go out in Abu Dhabi, Lee will remain in the gantry for one of the busiest points throughout the race — the run from the start line into turn 1 and the first couple of laps. “I’ll stay up there just in case there’s any issues and Race Control are quite busy during that time. So if we need to red flag, I’m already there ready and waiting and I can red flag from the gantry — they won’t have to do it from Race Control.”
After a couple of laps, she will hand the control panel back to Race Control and then listen to the Race Control communications channel for the remainder of the race. “If we’ve got any red flags during that time, I’ll be back up there for the restarts, whether that is rolling or standing starts. Then about seven laps from the end, I’ll be getting ready to do the chequered flag.”
Lee credits teamwork as critical to her success. “I work with every department within the FIA single-seater sector and that means I work with a lot of people. That’s one of my favorite parts about the job because I couldn’t physically do it without the great people that I’ve got around me,” she said.
“We all bring something to the team and everyone needs to have their input to make everything work as successfully as it does.”
Since joining the FIA, Lee has received a lot of messages from people, particularly females, asking for advice on how to enter the world of motorsport.
She said: “I would say it’s important to listen to people and ask people their stories, and be open to advice; set a plan and work hard for it until you get exactly where you want to be. I wasn’t very academic but I’m a hard worker and I’m also very good with my hands as well.
“It’s not always about being book smart — you can also be streetwise and get very far without being academic. Do your own research and whatever you do, make sure that you do it with integrity and a positive mindset, which always goes a long way.”
