Ruth Buscombe | |
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| Born | Ruth Buscombe (1989-12-21)21 December 1989 (age 35) |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Occupation | Strategy engineer |
Ruth Buscombe (born 21 December 1989)[1][2] is a British motorsport engineer and presenter forF1 TV. A first class honours graduate of theUniversity of Cambridge Department of Engineering, she began working in Formula One withScuderia Ferrari at its headquarters in 2012 as a race strategist. Buscombe later moved toHaas F1 Team in November 2015 to become the team's strategy engineer. She left Haas in June 2016 and was employed bySauber three months later, helping the team finish ahead of rivalManor Racing in the2016 Constructors' Championship. She left her position of Head of Race Strategy at Sauber at the conclusion of the 2023 season. Buscombe moved into an F1 TV presenter role.[3] Buscombe is an ambassador forDare to be Different.
In an interview withThe Guardian in 2017, Buscombe describes her childhood as going from "wanting to be a princess, to being an astronaut to wanting to be in F1", having become interested in motor racing at age 11.[1] She citedFormula One engineersJames Allison andPaddy Lowe as her inspiration.[4] She was educated atForest School, Walthamstow,[5] enjoying mathematics and the problem-solving aspect of the subject.[4] Buscombe's teachers attempted to discourage her from a career in engineering because they questioned why she wanted to work in a male-dominated industry.[6] At age 18, she narrowly avoided being killed in a road accident.[1] Buscombe went to theUniversity of Cambridge Department of Engineering to study Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering.[1] Her master's thesis was on the effect of thedrag reduction system and was conducted in conjunction with motorsport's governing body, theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile, with supervision from formerJaguar team principalTony Purnell.[7] Buscombe graduated with a first class honours degree in 2012.[8][9]
Immediately after graduation, Buscombe enteredFormula One with theScuderia Ferrari team in 2012 as a simulation development engineer where she developed and implemented algorithms.[8] She was promoted to the role of a race strategist in March 2013 and worked at Ferrari's headquarters inMaranello.[8][10] Buscombe oversaw the strategic decisions for driverFelipe Massa and laterKimi Räikkönen from the factory's remote garage.[10][11] She remained with Ferrari throughout 2015 before leaving at the end of the season to join first-year teamHaas F1 in November as their strategy engineer.[12][13] Buscombe was now working at the tracks and on thepitwall.[13] She joined theDare to be Different campaign in February 2016.[14]
Buscombe's strategy allowed lead driverRomain Grosjean to claim two successive top six finishes in the season's first two races inAustralia andBahrain.[1] Following speculation of a disagreement, she left Haas in June 2016.[15] Following its purchase by Longbow Finance the following month, Sauber employed several new personnel as part of a recruitment drive with Buscombe being hired by the team in September and starting her new job at theMalaysian Grand Prix.[12] She formulated a strategy to allowFelipe Nasr to finish ninth in theBrazilian race, which saw Sauber overtakeManor Racing tenth in theConstructors' Championship.[10] At the2017 Spanish Grand Prix, she was crucial in securing the team’s first points of the season, withPascal Wehrlein’s one-stop strategy securing him eighth place.[1]
She left her position of Head of Race Strategy at Sauber at the conclusion of the2023 season.[16] Buscombe moved into anF1 TV presenter role "for [the] 2024 season" was announced in early May in 2024. Her first appearance was in the first practice session for the2024 Miami Grand Prix.[3]
Buscombe married former Mercedes mechanic, Nathan Divey, on 3 August 2024 at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London.[17]
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