Abigail Edwards: “You can be told no a hundred times before you get a yes, but you shouldn't ever let this stop you”

Abigail Edwards was told too many times she was too ambitious and was unrealistic for wanting to work in Formula 1. Fast forward to today and Abigail is two and a half years into her role as an Electrical Engineering Apprentice at Oracle Red Bull Racing.

For Abigail, her journey into motorsport began during her childhood after she was introduced to it through her dad. 

“My dad brought me up around it, so it started as more of a hobby but I am happy he did because it got me here,” she tells us. 

When Abigail left school at 16 she headed to college to study a Level Two diploma in motorsport maintenance and repairs where she was the only female on her course - she did this for two months before changing track. 

After her short time at college, Abigail worked in a hotel before the COVID-19 pandemic took over. 

“We were in lockdown and I really started to think, ‘what do I want to do?’ and ‘I don’t want to be stuck here’,” she says. 

With the commitment and momentum behind her, Abigail went back to college to complete her original course and this time, was surrounded by other women. 

During her course, Abigail heard about the apprenticeships available at Oracle Red Bull Racing and decided to apply…

“I didn’t have much hope,I thought I’ll give it a go and apply,” she says. “I got through to the next stage and then I remember getting the phone call to tell me I got the job - I still can’t believe it, it’s crazy.” 

Since then, Abigail has remained at Oracle Red Bull Racing and is still enjoying her role and time with the team. 

“It’s a dream job - that’s what I tell people,” she tells us. “Being an apprentice is exciting as it shows you what you are working towards.

“You are able to see what career paths are available which is always pretty exciting to see.” 

For Abigail, her time with the team has been a huge learning experience and it has pushed her out of her comfort zone. 

“Working here has helped massively with boosting my confidence,” she says. “Because you're not forced to do it, but you kind of want to force yourself to do it just because, you know it's gonna help others and help yourself in the long run - so you kind of put the pressure on yourself to do it.” 

In motorsport, having the right team around you is key and for Abigail, it is one of the reasons she enjoys working with the Championship winning team. 

“The team makes you feel like you are part of one big family,” she says. “Red Bull is a fun and easy going workplace that allows you to express yourself everyday in such a fast-paced environment where you are always learning.”

Within her role, she also has the opportunity to meet and work with different teams which is very rewarding and educational. 

“You are working as one big team, not just your department,” she tells us. “And with that, you can learn - they allow you to learn from your mistakes and your successes.” 

And with these interactions, comes so much learning… 

“They know that you're not gonna get everything right the first time, especially when you are still learning,” she says. 

“Every day is a learning day; even for the people that have been there for years. We’re all getting new roles and we’re still growing - so everyone is learning.”

Abigail’s apprenticeship is for four and a half years and it means she is working alongside one day of college a week but is honest about its challenges. 

“Being an apprentice means you’re studying and working so balancing the two of those can be quite difficult,” she admits. “We also work under pressure - when we are busy and things need to be done quickly, you try not to stress because you need to keep composure - it’s a balancing act.”

Adding to her day-to-day work Abigail is proactively participating in activations to promote women in motorsport whilst at Oracle Red Bull Racing. 

Earlier this year, the team hosted an event to celebrate International Women’s Day which brought together over one thousand people from 75 different countries. In hosting events like these, Oracle Red Bull Racing are engaging with females across the world to give them insight into the opportunities available within motorsport and sharing the first-hand experiences of women in roles they can do too. 

Abigail remembers one female from the event who she found herself relating to. 

“There was a girl who was in a similar situation to me who had been told she had unrealistic goals,” she tells us. “It was great to make sure she left that event feeling empowered and inspired to pursue a career in motorsport  - which she said she did. 

“Because if you see that there are people in this position, you can believe that you can be there too one day.” 

For other women looking to follow in Abigail's footsteps, she has some great advice. 

“Be persistent and don’t give up and pursue your dreams or passions,” she says. “You can be told no a hundred times before you get a yes, but you shouldn’t ever let this stop you. I was told numerous times I was being too ambitious and was an unrealistic girl wanting to get into F1.” 

“Put yourself out there as difficult and nerve wracking as it can be,” she echos. “Go to local circuits, small race teams, and speak to them about the opportunities they have.” 

In a short amount of time, Abigail has proven that she can 100% be a female working in F1 and she is proud of the journey she’s made so far despite not going to university. 

“I didn't take the traditional route, because whenever I tell people what I do they assume I went to university,” she says. “Now, people don’t just look at grades. They look at what you know, what kind of person you are, what you’re capable of, and how passionate you are.” 

Looking at the motorsport industry as a whole, Abigail agrees that there is a part of them to play in helping women progress throughout the sport. 

“Raising the profiles of some of the other excellent women working in the sport would be great to see more women progress into leadership roles across the teams,” she says. “Schemes are a great way to build confidence and create opportunity across teams, and the use of network groups, or female specific events to help create a community and connection.” 

“With these events, there’s a lot more you can do - I found my way back to the sport and we can do that for others.” 

With her passion at an all-time high, Abigail would like to see more diversity within the industry, and see other women in motorsport roles. 

“I would like to see more equality - I don’t like to hear people say we can’t do things because we’re women,” she says. “I want it to be equal and not seem different - we do the same job, we earned our right to be here, so it doesn’t matter that we’re women. 

“People used to say my chances of being here are slim, but if we communicate to the right people, it will help.” 

To help provide opportunities to other females, Oracle Red Bull Racing have created portfolios that are shared with local schools to show the types of roles available to females too. 

“I know I would have loved to have had that,” she says. “For people to come into school and tell me these career paths, how else are we supposed to know? If I never see someone like me in a role, then I can’t imagine myself being successful in it.” 

Today, Abigail is continuing her studies, her work, and her commitment to improving the opportunities for women in motorsport. In just 18-months she will have successfully completed her apprenticeship and will have a Level 3 in engineering.