Tina Hausmann: Six things I've learnt since joining Aston Martin Aramco

Little more than six months into her journey with Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, the youngest member of our driver squad reveals some of her key learnings since joining the team and driving in F1 Academy.

"I've grown so much as a driver since joining Aston Martin Aramco. I've made a huge step."

They say every day is a school day but that is perhaps truer for Tina Hausmann than it is for many of her F1 Academy rivals.

Having joined Aston Martin Aramco towards the end of last year, the 17-year-old Swiss is dovetailing an F1 Academy campaign, operated by PREMA Racing, with her school studies and she's learning just as much at the track as she is away from it.

From different driving styles to getting to grips with reams of data, Tina has been soaking up information from the car, the team, the simulator – and the classroom – at a rapid rate.

Ahead of the upcoming rounds of the 2024 F1 Academy season at Zandvoort this weekend, she breaks down some of the key things she's learned since joining the team and from competing in F1 Academy.

1 | You need to adapt

"Last season I drove a Formula 4 car and this season it's an F1 Academy car; it's slightly different and you have to adapt your driving style to it.

"I'm also racing at a lot of tracks for the first time this year, places like Singapore and Qatar. Time in the simulator helps with new circuits because you learn the layout, gears, things like that, but nothing compares to real life and you need to adapt very, very fast because of the limited track time.

"Track evolution is very high throughout an F1 Academy race weekend because Formula One cars are out on the track that weekend too – the grip level increases rapidly and you need to react. Learning to adapt is super important for any racing driver."

2 | Analysing data is part of being a modern racing driver

"I've had so much more data at my fingertips since joining Aston Martin Aramco and racing with PREMA. I've always been very interested in data since karting – I always used it and compared myself with my teammates – but what was available was very limited.

"In F1 Academy with PREMA, there is so much data. Being able to study it, analyse it and make the right decisions from that analysis is a crucial part of being a driver. I find it fascinating."

3 | Every detail matters

"A Formula One car is so complex and you almost take it for granted when you just watch the cars on TV.

"When I entered the AMR Technology Campus for the first time and saw the cars, the race bays, the offices, the production machinery, and all the people working so diligently, it was hugely impressive and inspiring. I found it fascinating and continue to do so, all these different aspects and processes. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about all these little pieces of the puzzle.

"Every detail is considered, no matter how small, and I've taken this approach to F1 Academy. Although an F1 Academy car is nowhere near as complex as an F1 car and you cannot do too much with the setup because it's very restricted, if you take an F1 approach to things you're constantly optimising anything you can and that ultimately delivers better performance."

4 | Time in the simulator is invaluable

"I've only been in the simulator at Aston Martin Aramco once, but it was very beneficial and I learnt a lot by comparing my data with Lance's and Fernando's.

"Despite the F1 car and F1 Academy car being very different, there are still things you learn that are transferable between the two.

"I've spent a lot of time in PREMA's simulator at its headquarters in Italy. Ahead of an official test or an F1 Academy weekend, we'll spend up to two days in the simulator.

"My team-mates will be there too – it's useful to be able to compare with each other and work together to try to find optimum setups for the car at a specific circuit before we hit the track."

5 | Lean on the experience of those around you

"I met Fernando in Saudi Arabia ahead of the first round of F1 Academy. He's got so much experience; every time you speak to him, even if only briefly, you learn something new.

"I've also picked up a few useful things from Lance, just from observing how he approaches a race weekend and how he works with his engineers.

"When you see him with his engineers, it's like they're more than just colleagues, they're friends and I think you need that kind of relationship because you spend so much time with each other.

"I really look up to Aston Martin Aramco Team Ambassador Pedro de la Rosa. He's very approachable and inspiring, always happy to help or give advice.

"Again, he's got a lot of experience. He's very wise and he understands me. We have a similar mindset: to always work on yourself and get better.

"And, of course, I work closely with Jessica [Hawkins]. She's got such a breadth of experience and raced in W Series, which has many similarities to F1 Academy – she's always got great advice for me. It's great to have someone like her, who's been there and done it all before, in my corner."

6 | Manage your time wisely

"Racing is always the priority and what I love to do but school is also very important to me.

"I like maths, chemistry, physics – important subjects for motorsport! I wrote a school paper on the use of 100 per cent sustainable fuels in Formula One from 2026. Unsurprisingly, if there's any opportunity to bring my passion for motorsport into my studies, I take it!

"My school and classmates are very supportive of what I do and without this understanding and support, it would make pursuing my single-seater career that much harder. As long as my grades are good, I can miss the days that I have to, but balancing it is not easy.

"For example, on a race week where I'm at a track for five days focused on racing, I don't do anything for school unless I have to hand in a project. Sunday evening, I fly back home and after five days you're exhausted but there's no time to recover and rest because then it's time to study and prepare for Monday.

"You need a lot of discipline and focus and you have to be very efficient with your time – but it's good to learn how to do that now because it’ll be important in the future."

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