Formula One has always been a male bastion. From drivers to engineers to pit crew, men rule the tracks. But an Indian woman has been blazing a trail in the testosterone-fuelled world of F1. Dehradun-born Monisha Narang (now Monisha Kaltenborn) became the first woman boss of an F1 team when she took charge of the Swiss-based Sauber.
Being the world’s most expensive sport, it is no surprise that the competition in F1 is cut-throat. But the 40-year-old has been handling her job with élan. “I cherish my role. There is no extra pressure on me because I am a woman. Having spent years in this profession, I know what to do to be successful. My legal background also helps me to negotiate contracts with drivers and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone,” said Monisha, sitting at her motor home during the Singapore Grand Prix last week.
When Monisha was eight, her parents moved to Vienna on work. “It was tough initially as I did not know the language. In my first two years, I had no idea what was going on in class. The only thing I understood was math,” recalled Monisha.
After completing her masters in law in UK, Monisha went to work for the United Nations and then at law firms in Germany and Austria. Monisha’s association with F1 began in 1998 when she joined the Fritz Kaiser Group, which was handling legal and corporate affairs of Red Bull Sauber F1 Team. She became the head of the legal department in 2000 and became the managing director in 2010.
Only five women drivers have made it to the pinnacle of motor sport since its inception in 1950. Former world champion Eddie Irvine once said that women don’t have the right brain make-up for F1.
Monisha vehemently disagrees. “I don’t think women have a disadvantage. It’s more to do with social upbringing. There are a lot of girls in go-karting, but they drop off once they graduate to single-seaters owing to lack of family support. The FIA’s Women and Motor Sport Commission is scouting for talented girls. I am confident that someone will make it to F1 soon,” said Monisha.
The Indian GP is going to be a homecoming for her, says Monisha. “I can’t wait to visit India. It will be a proud moment for me. I have lots of relatives in New Delhi and Dehradun though I will not be able to meet them because of my tight schedule,” said Monisha, who has an eight-year-old son and a daughter aged five.