'He's funnier than you think' - F1 race engineer tells all about racing star

As the conclusion of the 2025 F1 season nears, Haas race engineer Laura Muller reflected on her first year in the role with Esteban Ocon.

Muller was announced as the Frenchman’s race engineer ahead of the 2025 season, making her the first woman to ever be promoted to the position.

The German initially joined Haas in 2022, where she started in the simulator department, working her way up to performance engineer before receiving the gig alongside Ocon.

An F1 race engineer is the point of contact between the driver and the team throughout a grand prix weekend, responsible for conveying strategic decisions while also negotiating the fine balance of supporting their driver and knowing when to stay silent.

Successful F1 drivers have often been accompanied by a strong relationship with their race engineer, including the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Peter Bonnington and Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase.

Muller tells all on Ocon

Speaking to Dutch publication Fomule.nl, Muller opened up about her first season working with Ocon and the strength of their relationship as the season has progressed.

"Working with Esteban is really good. Also because we're fundamentally quite similar as people," Muller explained.

"He's also very funny, more so than some people might know or realise. Esteban can also be very anxious, while I'm more of a risk-taker. When we're inspecting the track, I ride my bike and sometimes do crazy things. Then he's worried I'll hurt myself. We can always laugh about that together."

When asked about how long it took to click together, Muller said: "It wasn't too bad; it wasn't a huge adjustment.

"Esteban is experienced enough as a driver, but of course, he was joining a new team. For him, it was mainly a matter of getting used to a different environment; for me, it was getting used to a new role.

"Of course, you have to get used to each other as a driver and race engineer, for example, in terms of communication. But I dare say it was much easier than I expected. There were, and still are, certainly misunderstandings or small mistakes. But that didn't affect my performance.

"What helps is that we trust each other. He appreciates what I say and takes it seriously, and vice versa. Whether it's about car setup or other things. His experience as a driver also helps me make better decisions. We always have an open dialogue about that; it's not a matter of two sides."

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