Who is Rosie Wait? Mercedes lady who took Lewis Hamilton to victory set to become Silver Arrows' newest race engineer

Rosie Wait, who has previously worked with the likes of McLaren and Williams and been with Mercedes as Head of Strategy since December 2018, is set to become the Chief Strategist at the Silver Arrows now that James Vowles has moved on to Williams to become their team principal.

Rosie has proven to be an invaluable asset to the team and last showcased her magic back in 2021 when her direction helped Lewis Hamilton bag an incredible win at the Spanish Grand Prix, just before she left for her maternity leave.

As Head of Race Strategy, she managed approximately five people and worked directly under Vowles in a "predominantly factory-based" role, making her the right fit to replace the Briton in terms of expertise.

After studying engineering at the University of Cambridge, Wait began her journey in Formula 1 as a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer at McLaren in 2008 and joined Mercedes in 2017 after a year-long stint with Williams. She was awarded the IMechE Motorsports Medal (Adrian Reynard Motorsports Medal) for all her work in 2021.

Adrian Reynard, who founded IMechE’s Automobile Division, awarded Rosie for her contribution to motorsport engineering. Dr. Tony Pixton, as reported by IMechE, praised her work over the years. He said:

“Rosie is a very deserving winner of this year’s Adrian Reynard medal for her leadership of the race strategy team at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1. She has shown great skill in an ultra-competitive and highly technical environment to deliver the right race strategy to win multiple world championships.”

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Mercedes take on Solera as a new sponsor ahead of the 2023 F1 season

Mercedes have reportedly welcomed vehicle lifecycle management organization Solera as a sponsor ahead of the 2023 season on a multi-year contract. The company reportedly has 300,000 customers across over 100 countries and specializes in software-as-a-service, data, and services.

As reported by PlanetF1, team principal Toto Wolff said:

“Data innovation, combined with the drive for ultimate performance through people, processes, and technology, are hallmarks of a successful business and team. We are delighted to welcome Solera to the team as a partner, not only due to their reputation as an industry leader but owing to our shared beliefs and values.”

The team's commercial director Richard Sanders added:

“It is fantastic to welcome Solera to our growing partner family. As leaders in our respective industries, there are many synergies between our two businesses. We are excited to begin our relationship and highlighting the Solera brand to our global audience.”

Mercedes dominated the sport for eight consecutive years but only managed to secure a single win in the 2022 F1 season, where they secured third in the constructors' championship.