"You've also got to be very adaptable"- Hannah Schmitz on the challenges as Red Bull's principal strategy engineer

Red Bull's principal strategy engineer Hannah Schmitz has stressed that being adaptable is crucial to a successful strategy during a race.

In an interview on the Beyond the Ordinary podcast, Schmitz discussed how she plans for every eventuality and covers all possibilities in advance. However, she added that F1 races are so dynamic that one needs to learn how to adapt on the fly.

Schmitz said in the interview:

"I'm definitely a planner and like to prepare for everything in advance as much as I can. [I'll] have looked into all the different scenarios. For example, at home, I've always packed everything for me and my family the night before, when we're going out. It's the same in a race. I've always investigated lots of different scenarios, thought about them [and] all the different outcomes.

"And you have a kind of map of where you might be, depending on what happens in the race and the unexpected. Something I've learned from being a race strategist is that you've also got to be very adaptable and able to kind of move with what happens in the race and not be too fixed on what your plan was. That's something that I've got more and more experienced in, as I've been doing this job."

Schmitz gained prominence in the last race before the summer break. Red Bull's perfect strategy helped Max Verstappen win the F1 Hungarian GP from P10.

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The role of the strategist is to stay calm: Red Bull's principal strategy engineer

Hannah Schmitz also talked about how the role of the strategist in the team is to stay calm and level-headed. She revealed how she does quite a lot of meditation to keep herself calm.

Schmitz said:

"I actually do quite a lot of meditation, which really helps me stay calm. In the race, if things are getting quite intense... We always think the role of the strategist is to stay calm, and be the kind of level head if everybody else is getting excited about something.

"A tip that someone told me once is if you just turn your hands over, so your palms face down, then it just helps you be clearer and more commanding with what you're saying. That's something I sometimes do in the middle of a race to just refocus me and set myself up. I think staying calm is one of the most important attributes of a strategist."

Schmitz's role in Red Bull has become more and more prominent in the last few races, thanks to the strategic excellence she brings to the team.