“Hopefully I’ll convince you to become an F1 girlie by the end of the session,” promises former racing driver and Sky Sports’ F1 presenter and analyst Naomi Schiff when I admit that I haven’t watched Netflix docuseries Formula 1: Drive To Survive. The fast supercars with mind-blowing engineering, attractive athlete drivers, glamorous locations, thrilling race jeopardy, and countless celebrity sightings haven’t seduced me just yet, but it feels increasingly like I’m in the minority.

“What we’re trying to do to grow and sustain our audience at Sky Sports is to cater to different demographics and make sure they all feel represented by our broadcast,” Schiff explains over Zoom, adding that new Formula 1 ownership and investment has helped fuel the boom. Passionate and knowledgeable, the 30-year-old shines on screen, warmly reeling off the kind of original insights and expert data conclusions that only a former professional driver could deliver.

Schiff has been open about how a frustrating ebb and flow of funds derailed her impressive racing career – the Belgian-Rwandan won seven out of ten races at the 2014 Clio Cup China Series. “I wasn’t able to finance testing so I always felt like I was arriving at race events unprepared,” she shares. “I moved to Europe to pursue my dream of getting to Formula 1 and I wasn’t able to race at the level that I wanted.” As the exploding fanbase gets up to speed on the grid – all 24 international races in a F1 season have Friday practice sessions and Saturday qualifying laps before the actual race on Sunday – calls to address the lack of female drivers and team members are getting louder. “Motorsports is one of the few sports where women and men can compete together equally,” reveals Schiff. “There hasn’t been a woman in Formula 1 since 1976, so we have championships that cater purely to females to create role models and a stepping stone.”

Since retiring in 2020, Schiff’s transition into broadcasting has gone from strength to strength, from W series pundit to 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 listee. “I’m always so grateful to be a part of the Sky Sports F1 team because they make sure I’m viewed as a racing driver from the audience perspective,” she says. Widening representation in motorsport by pushing a nuanced persona for the 30-year-old is an invaluable support when trolls take aim and Schiff’s idol, serial F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, publically defended her against one in 2022. “I really appreciate that they still give me the opportunity to get behind the wheel to continue to inspire that way. We organised a shoot celebrating 30 years since we lost Ayrton Senna and I was able to jump in his first Formula 1 car and do laps around Silverstone. I’d missed racing a lot.” But broadcasting remains Schiff’s priority, even with a stunt driver cameo in the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die under her belt.

Here, we speak to her about her racing journey, her most memorable race, and why Lewis Hamilton is her number one role model.

Can you share your earliest sports-related memory?

Naomi Schiff: The sports options at my school were ballet and PE and [it was] knowing that I didn’t want to do the ‘girlier‘ stuff. I wanted to do something tougher and started doing judo when I was about seven or eight.

Define what a ‘sport’ is. 

Naomi Schiff: An emotional escape that people can put their differences aside for. Something that brings different communities together despite all the odds.

Recap your racing journey. 

Naomi Schiff: Growing up in Johannesburg, I was introduced to motorsport aged 11 at an indoor go-karting birthday party and competed in my first race aged 12. I quickly climbed up the local karting ladder and represented South Africa at the World Championships for four years consecutively. I started racing single-seater cars but went back to go-karting because we didn't have the finances to continue. I chose to go to Europe at 18 and my dad took a second loan on his house to put me in a championship in the hope that results would get me a drive. Things didn't work out because the championship went bankrupt after two races.

I was reaching out for any possible drives and I didn't drive in a full championship for a couple of years. I had opportunities in different cars, different championships, different disciplines, and although they helped me to evolve my skill, I didn't have consistency. I found a Chinese pharmaceutical company sponsor and raced in Asia for two years. I signed a contract with a German team who represented an Austrian manufacturer, and became a development driver for them. I raced in multiple different championships for them for roughly four and a half years. I got the opportunity to race in the W series which is ultimately where I ended my career in 2020. I did one season before the pandemic came.

How was your training tailored to your sport?

Naomi Schiff: The sheer amount of pressure that you have to put into the brake every time you hit the pedal is up to 100 bars, the equivalent of almost 100 kilos. You’ve got to have strength in your legs, a really strong core, and then because of the G forces, you need to have a really strong neck. The training is partially endurance, so a lot of cycling, but then focusing on your trunk, core strength, and neck strength.

From a mental perspective, everybody has their own approach. I had a sports psychologist which really helped me a lot. Visualisation is a great tool and something that I would always do. It’s about keeping the peace in your mind and I would put on headphones and listen to music. Typically something classic in the morning to keep my nerves calm. Then in the build up to the race, something more upbeat, more hyped, like hip hop or Afrobeats, to get me into the moment.

Standout race skills?

Naomi Schiff: One of my key things was having a smooth driving style and I also was known to not crack under pressure if I had someone chasing me down. I would stay in that position without getting frazzled by it.

Were your car(s) fit for purpose?

Naomi Schiff: Nothing was tailored towards being a woman. Most cars are designed based on the average size of a man: even the thickness of a steering wheel, for example, is based on the average size of a man’s hand. The pedal sizes are based on the average foot size of a man and the shape of chassis of the car is based on a man’s body. I gain muscle very easily so there was always this trade off between weight and strength where you have to be as light as possible. Every half a kilogram that you’re overweight costs you lap time on the lap and I was quite tall for a racer at 173 cms.

“Most cars are designed based on the average size of a man: even the thickness of a steering wheel, for example, is based on the average size of a man’s hand” – Naomi Schiff

Accident takeaway?

Naomi Schiff: I flipped an open top car three times in 2013. I was quite lucky I didn’t have severe injuries: most of my toes were broken and I had two severely bruised toes. A few bruises but everything else was fine. It was important to get back on the horse as quickly as possible because when you have enough time to think about it, it settles in your mind which you want to avoid. I had a race scheduled and I was back in a car within five or six days.

Describe a special race.

Naomi Schiff: The Nurburgring 24 Hours race is like no other I’ve ever competed in terms of the atmosphere. Diehard fans show up a week in advance to secure their spot. It’s a 20 plus kilometre circuit and it felt like we had six seasons in the 2018 race. I raced in a KTM XBOW GT. I was a big part of that specific car’s development team for five years and we didn’t get to drive the car to its full potential very often. This was one of the races where we were able to take all the weight out.

Outline your rituals.

Naomi Schiff: I would wear different socks throughout the race weekend in a specific order day by day. I used to touch every single one of the kart wheels in a specific order anti-clockwise just before going out on track. Also [I’d say] a little prayer and I’m not even religious.

What do racers wear?

Naomi Schiff: Because there is a fire risk, we wear layers of fireproof clothing: fireproof socks, fireproof leggings, a long sleeved fireproof top, and a balaclava or bally. On top of that, you’ve got fireproof racing boots, a four-layered fireproof racing suit, then your crash helmet. Often, the temperature outside is around 28 to 33 degrees and the engine is really hot so the environment itself in the car can get up to 60 degrees celsius.

Any transferable skills?

Naomi Schiff: Teamwork is a big one. There’s a huge group of people that work with racing drivers to make results. Being a part of the Sky Sports F1 team, we go on air as 100 per cent our authentic selves. It’s important to be generous to others and empathetic with guests on air, but also the ability to not put people on a pedestal is another one. When you’re a racing driver, you have to see everybody as an equal otherwise it’s not possible to race them hard and fair. I position myself in the same way as a pundit.

What’s your racing legacy?

Naomi Schiff: They brought girls from Goals4Girls to see the final race of the season at Brands Hatch. They were fascinated to see female racing drivers but they gravitated towards me as a woman of colour. The girls were like, ‘Does that mean we can be racing drivers too?’. I raced for 16 years to collect as many trophies as possible, but in that moment, I realised that maybe I was racing for something more. Any visibility I get hopefully gives access to more people and inspires more people.

Fictional or real: which sports personality do you relate to the most and why?

Naomi Schiff: Lewis Hamilton. There was a time when I needed that identifiable role model to feel that I fit into the sport and we’ve shared some of the same struggles.

If you could excel at another sport and be the GOAT what would it be? Why?

Naomi Schiff: Boxing because it gives me a rush thinking about it and I think that I’d be good at it.

If you could rebuild your body using the parts and attributes of iconic sportspeople, which ones would you go for?

Naomi Schiff: Muhammad Ali’s arms. If I am going to be that future boxer then I need his power. Serena Williams’ strength and Zinadine Zidane’s mentality.

Tips for aspiring drivers.

Naomi Schiff: Don’t stand in the way of yourself and dream big.

Fans can watch all the action and build up to the British Grand Prix live on the Sky Sports F1 channel.