Neus Santamaría is only 27 years old, but she already holds one of the most important roles in motor sports: race director. The job requires her to keep competitors as safe as possible on the track and ensure all rules and regulations are followed and that events run as smoothly as possible.
As the inaugural season of F1 Academy, the all-women racing series, comes to a close in Austin this weekend, Santamaría will complete her first year exclusively in the role. Previously, she juggled the position with a full-time role in teaching before making the jump to pursue a career in motor sports.
Growing up in Barcelona, Santamaría was surrounded by sports. She competed in figure skating for almost 15 years, and her family was always watching soccer and basketball. It was Santamaría’s father who introduced her to motor sports. He was a marshal, helping out at events, and he eventually worked to become a race director. He would often bring the family along with him. Santamaría “got hooked from the very first day. For me, there was no choice,” she says.
