adminMELBOURNE. – When PETRONAS trackside fluid engineer Stephanie Travers joined Lewis Hamilton atop the Formula 1 Podium in 2020, she made history.
Travers became the first black woman to stand atop the Formula 1 podium and it was the realisation of a lifelong dream and love of motorsport.
As a child growing up in Zimbabwe and the UK, Stephanie would join her family around the TV on weekends to watch F1.
Years later, her family would be watching as she joined Lewis Hamilton on the podium after his win at the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria in July 2020.
Petronas has been the title and technical partner to the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 Team since 2010 and provides the Fluid Technology Solutions that power the Formula 1 car.
Travers beat more than 7 000 applicants in a global talent search to become a PETRONAS trackside fluid engineer.
In her role as a PETRONAS Trackside Fluid Engineer, Stephanie worked alongside the Mercedes-AMG racing team to monitor the health of the fuel and lubricants used during a Grand Prix.
In the PETRONAS Trackside Lab, she analysed small samples of fluids from the racing cars, which are crucial to monitoring the performance of the vehicle throughout the weekend and ensures compliance with race regulations.
It’s not often that someone in a trackside support role is thrust onto the world stage, but that’s exactly what happened after Lewis Hamilton posted a lengthy tribute to the moment he shared with Stephanie on the podium.
We caught up with Stephanie to talk about her career achievements and how it felt to make motorsport history.
“It was such a momentous moment. And such an honour to be asked to represent the team and PETRONAS on the podium.
“I was celebrating with the rest of the team on the pit wall at the end of the race when I was told that I would go up on the podium — I thought they must have made a mistake!
“I didn’t have time to tell my family and friends that it was happening, but fortunately they watch every race so they saw it. It was a bit of a blur, but a moment that I will really treasure.
“I was very fortunate that the inaugural global talent search launched in 2018, it was the golden opportunity to get into Formula 1.
“It was the perfect opportunity for me, but also the result of a lot of hard work and dedication.
“I followed a STEM career because that’s where my passion is. I think it’s so important that others with a similar passion are also inspired to pursue their goals.
“It’s a very competitive sport and there are a limited number of jobs and opportunities available, but if you work hard and really have a passion for what you do, that will shine through.
“I think there’s been fantastic progress from F1 and the teams this year and I look forward to seeing how this continues to develop.’ – www.mercedes-benz.com.au.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter