Ruth Buscombe
{{short description|British strategy engineer (born 1989)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ruth Buscombe
| image =
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| birth_name = Ruth Buscombe
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|12|21|df=y}}
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| nationality = British
| other_names =
| alma mater = University of Cambridge
| occupation = Strategy engineer
| years_active =
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}}
Ruth Buscombe (born 21 December 1989){{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/motorsportcom.switzerland/photos/a.322887074793154/635389483542910/?type=3|title=Motorsport.com Switzerland|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=26 June 2019}} is a British motorsport engineer and presenter for F1 TV. A first class honours graduate of the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering, she began working in Formula One with Scuderia Ferrari at its headquarters in 2012 as a race strategist. Buscombe later moved to Haas F1 Team in November 2015 to become the team's strategy engineer. She left Haas in June 2016 and was employed by Sauber three months later, helping the team finish ahead of rival Manor Racing in the 2016 Constructors' Championship. She joined the F1 TV line-up in mid-2024 from her role as a strategy engineer at the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-03 |title=Ruth Buscombe to join F1 TV line-up for 2024 season {{!}} Formula 1® |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/ruth-buscombe-to-join-f1-tv-line-up-for-2024-season.21AlBC1HsqUuyJFouEnhcS |access-date=2024-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503033741/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/ruth-buscombe-to-join-f1-tv-line-up-for-2024-season.21AlBC1HsqUuyJFouEnhcS |archive-date=3 May 2024 }} Buscombe is an ambassador for Dare to be Different.
Biography
=Early life and education=
In an interview with The 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. She cited Formula One engineers James Allison and Paddy Lowe as her inspiration.{{Cite web|last=Lewis|first=Niamh|date=11 March 2021|title=The women who power Formula One: Engineers, mechanics and directors on their role in changing a man's world|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/31038834/the-women-power-formula-one-engineers-mechanics-directors-their-role-changing-man-world|access-date=17 April 2021|publisher=ESPN}} She was educated at Forest School, Walthamstow,{{Cite news|url=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/902197.record_results_two_years_running/|title=Record results two years running|date=31 August 2006|work=Waltham Forest Guardian|access-date=18 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173654/http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/902197.record_results_two_years_running/|archive-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} enjoying mathematics and the problem-solving aspect of the subject. 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsport/f1-news/spotlight-on-our-staff-on-international-womens-day/|title=Spotlight on our staff on International Women's Day|date=8 March 2020|publisher=Sauber Group|access-date=14 April 2020}} At age 18, she narrowly avoided being killed in a road accident. Buscombe went to the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering to study Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/may/16/f1-formula-one-women-ruth-buscombe-sauber|title=Ruth Buscombe: 'F1 drivers don't care if a woman or a chipmunk calls the shots'|last=Richards|first=Giles|date=16 May 2017|work=The Observer|access-date=18 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818175803/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/may/16/f1-formula-one-women-ruth-buscombe-sauber|archive-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} Her master's thesis was on the effect of the drag reduction system and was conducted in conjunction with motorsport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, with supervision from former Jaguar team principal Tony Purnell.{{cite web|title=Alumna Ruth Buscombe Formula One Scuderia Ferrari Strategist joins Haas F1 Team|url=http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/news/alumna-ruth-buscombe-formula-one-scuderia-ferrari-strategist-joins-haas-f1-team|publisher=University of Cambridge|date=11 February 2016|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818174215/http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/news/alumna-ruth-buscombe-formula-one-scuderia-ferrari-strategist-joins-haas-f1-team|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}} Buscombe graduated with a first class honours degree in 2012.{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Seb|title=Ruth Buscombe joins Sauber F1 Team|url=http://www.racetechmag.com/2016/09/ruth-buscombe-joins-sauber-f1-team/|work=Race Tech Magazine|date=13 September 2016|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173041/http://www.racetechmag.com/2016/09/ruth-buscombe-joins-sauber-f1-team/|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}{{Cite journal|date=June 2016|title=Matters of Moment|url=http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-2016/8/matters-moment|journal=Motor Sport|volume=92|pages=8|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173059/http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-2016/8/matters-moment|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}
=Career=
Immediately after graduation, Buscombe entered Formula One with the Scuderia Ferrari team in 2012 as a simulation development engineer where she developed and implemented algorithms. She was promoted to the role of a race strategist in March 2013 and worked at Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello.{{cite web|last=Gilboy|first=James|title=Is Ruth Buscombe the Most Underrated Formula 1 Figure?|url=http://www.thedrive.com/opinion/10316/is-ruth-buscombe-the-most-underrated-formula-1-figure|work=The Drive|date=17 May 2017|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818214115/http://www.thedrive.com/opinion/10316/is-ruth-buscombe-the-most-underrated-formula-1-figure|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}} Buscombe oversaw the strategic decisions for driver Felipe Massa and later Kimi Räikkönen from the factory's remote garage.{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Kate|title=Female graduates stake their claim in F1|url=https://www.ft.com/content/76032eaa-5851-11e4-a31b-00144feab7de|work=Financial Times|date=30 October 2014|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818174347/https://www.ft.com/content/76032eaa-5851-11e4-a31b-00144feab7de|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}} She remained with Ferrari throughout 2015 before leaving at the end of the season to join first-year team Haas F1 in November as their strategy engineer.{{cite web|last=Sanders|first=Nate|title=Sauber hires ex-Ferrari, Haas engineer Ruth Buscombe|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/17535879/sauber-hires-ex-ferrari-haas-engineer-ruth-buscombe|work=ESPN|date=13 September 2016|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818175214/http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/17535879/sauber-hires-ex-ferrari-haas-engineer-ruth-buscombe|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|last=Barretto|first=Lawrence|title=Sauber F1 team signs ex-Haas and Ferrari race strategist|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/126171|work=Autosport|date=13 September 2016|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173033/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/344336/ex-haas-engineer-buscombe-joins-sauber/|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}} Buscombe was now working at the tracks and on the pitwall. She joined the Dare to be Different campaign in February 2016.{{cite web|last=Bray|first=Gemma|title=Ruth Buscombe becomes an Ambassador for Dare to be Different|url=http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2016/02/ruth-buscombe-becomes-ambassador-dare-different/|work=The Checkered Flag|date=12 February 2016|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613191821/http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2016/02/ruth-buscombe-becomes-ambassador-dare-different/|archive-date=13 June 2017|df=dmy-all}}
Buscombe's strategy allowed lead driver Romain Grosjean to claim two successive top six finishes in the season's first two races in Australia and Bahrain. Following speculation of a disagreement, she left Haas in June 2016.{{cite web|title=Ex-Haas engineer Buscombe joins Sauber|url=http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/344336/ex-haas-engineer-buscombe-joins-sauber/|work=GPUpdate|date=13 September 2016|access-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173033/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/344336/ex-haas-engineer-buscombe-joins-sauber/|archive-date=18 August 2017|df=dmy-all}} 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 the Malaysian Grand Prix. She formulated a strategy to allow Felipe Nasr to finish ninth in the Brazilian race, which saw Sauber overtake Manor Racing tenth in the Constructors' Championship. At the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix, she was crucial in securing the team’s first points of the season, with Pascal Wehrlein’s one-stop strategy securing him eighth place.
She left her position of Head of Race Strategy at Sauber at the conclusion of the {{F1|2023}} season.{{cite web |last=Selleck |first=Emily |date=22 November 2024 |title=Meet F1's coolest strategist turned TV personality: Ruth Buscombe |url=https://www.motorsport.com/culture/news/f1s-coolest-strategist-turned-tv-personality-ruth-buscombe/10673351/ |access-date=28 February 2025 |work=Motorsport.com}} Buscombe moved into an F1 TV presenter role "for [the] 2024 season" was announced in early May in 2024. Her first appearance was in the first practice session for the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.
Personal life
Buscombe married former Mercedes mechanic, Nathan Divey, on 3 August 2024 at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-22 |title=Alfa Romeo Race Strategy engineer Ruth Buscombe Divey shares wedding snaps from the F1 summer break |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-alfa-romeo-race-strategy-engineer-ruth-buscombe-divey-shares-wedding-snaps-f1-summer-break |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=www.spotskeeda.com}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Scuderia Ferrari}}
{{Haas F1 Team}}
{{Sauber}}
{{Alfa Romeo F1}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Buscombe, Ruth}}
Category:Formula One engineers
Category:British motorsport people
Category:British women engineers
Category:People educated at Forest School, Walthamstow
Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge