Women in key roles are advancing Nissan’s team
– and the sport
Electric vehicles may be known for being quiet, but a day at a
Formula E race is anything but. The track is alight with activity,
from engineers making final hardware adjustments to racecars flying
past at speeds nearing 200 mph.
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Electric vehicles may be known for being
quiet, but a day at a Formula E race is anything but. The track is
alight with activity, from engineers making final hardware
adjustments to racecars flying past at speeds nearing 200 mph. For
many in the automotive world, this electrifying atmosphere
represents a lifelong goal of working in motorsports like Formula
E. However, landing a position is incredibly competitive, and in a
traditionally male-dominated space, it can be even more difficult
for women to break through. Worldwide, female participation in
motorsports is estimated at around 10%. (Photo: Business Wire)
For many in the automotive world, this electrifying atmosphere
represents a lifelong goal of working in motorsports like Formula
E. However, landing a position is incredibly competitive, and in a
traditionally male-dominated space, it can be even more difficult
for women to break through. Worldwide, female participation in
motorsports is estimated at around 10%.
Cristina Mañas Fernández and Charlotte Henry, key members of the
Nissan Formula E Team, are breaking the mold – and helping blaze a
new path for women in motorsports. Amid a whirlwind weekend at the
Portland E-Prix, we caught up with Mañas Fernández and Henry as
they readied Nissan’s two GEN3 racecars for the track.
“I was one of 10 women in an engineering class of 100 at my
university,” said Henry, a systems engineer.
At Nissan, however, they said things are different. With women
serving as team manager, communications manager and team
coordinator – as well as colleagues like Mañas Fernández — Henry
has always felt welcome.
“When I started with Nissan, it was easy. They didn’t care about
my gender,” she said. “You just have to be passionate.”
Finding time with Mañas Fernández and Henry on a race day is no
small feat – both are making last-minute modifications to the
vehicles and ensuring every element is optimized for current
conditions. In a sport where winners and losers are often separated
by less than a tenth of a second, every detail counts.
Mañas Fernández, head of performance and simulation on the
Nissan Formula E Team, chatted with us in the pit lane as the team
readied the GEN3 cars for the race. She explained that these final
preparations are one of the best parts of the job. Even during
qualifying – the laps before the race which determine a driver’s
position in the starting grid – the team will sometimes need to
make tweaks to the vehicle.
“No matter how much preparation you do, there is always a degree
of last-minute adjustment, which is fun,” Mañas Fernández said.
While Mañas Fernández is making these changes, she’s frequently
working with Henry, who is monitoring the vehicle from the Nissan
garage. Their radios are constantly chirping as the drivers take
their final practice laps and the car is evaluated by investigators
from the FIA (the organization that oversees Formula E and Formula
One).
“It’s quite a difficult and busy job,” Henry said. “It requires
an amazing level of teamwork.”
Both women’s roles involve sorting through an enormous amount of
data about the vehicle’s performance – from tire temperature to
suspension movement through corners. The challenge, Mañas Fernández
says, is determining which data are useful. That’s especially
difficult in the final minutes before the race, as the team works
to prepare the car based on the track conditions and latest data
from the vehicle.
“The faster you can plot data that are meaningful for us, the
easier you can help decision-making on the track,” she said.
Mañas Fernández said Nissan Formula E Team members are dedicated
to working cohesively and getting on the podium. Since joining
Formula E in 2018, Nissan has secured a spot on the podium 46
times, including 19 victories.
“You don't really think about whether you're working with a
woman or a man. They're your colleague, and you get on with the
job,” she said.
The women lauded Nissan’s placement of women in engineering
roles, which is still rare in the motorsports world.
“You can see that we have more women in technical roles than
other teams, which is good,” Fernández said. “If you're a fit for
the role, Nissan is open to giving you the opportunity.”
Once on the team, Nissan provides mentorship to newcomers –
something that has become especially important as the team has
grown.
“It’s crazy how much has changed in just one year. We have many
new people, and we have worked so hard,” Henry said. “It's the
perfect marriage of organization and passion.”
Mañas Fernández and Henry hope to inspire the next generation of
female engineers to consider a career in motorsports. They said
there are multiple paths to getting to the pit lane, but a few
things can help increase one’s chances. A degree in engineering is
generally a must, but more important, Mañas Fernández says, is the
ability to work with data.
“I think that's fundamental nowadays because you're dealing with
such a huge amount of it,” she said.
While the hunt for a motorsports job can be frustrating at
times, Fernández encouraged people to not give up.
"Keep knocking on the doors. Some of them will be closed, but
eventually, one will open,” she said. “Try to get some hands-on
experience as well. I think at times, there's a divergence between
the theory and the hands-on experience. So, get a bit of both to
give yourself the best opportunities.”
Season 10 just concluded on July 21, with Oliver Rowland placing
first in the final race and the Nissan Formula E Team placing
fourth overall for the season. The team is already looking to
Season 11. The off-season, they say, can be even busier since the
scale of change is much larger than it is between races. But above
all, they remain excited to be part of Nissan’s greater, shared
effort to win races and drive the sport forward.
"My favorite part of the job is getting to work with this team,”
Henry said.
More Formula E content is coming soon on Nissan USA Stories and
the Nissan USA YouTube channel. Stay tuned for an all-new Nissan
Garage Exclusives featuring the GEN3 Formula E racecar.
About Nissan USA Stories
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240725535668/en/
Eric Ruble Sr. Specialist, Technology & Safety
Communications Eric.Ruble@nissan-usa.com