Red Bull put woman on podium in F1 first

Champions Red Bull claimed a Formula One first on Sunday by sending a female team member up to the podium to collect their constructors’ trophy after Sebastian Vettel won the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Gill Jones, the team’s head of trackside electronics with responsibility for all the electronics in the racing cars and garage, joined world champion Vettel for the ceremony at the Sakhir circuit.

“It was great to send an important member of our team up today, Gill Jones, who has done an awful lot,” team principal Christian Horner said.

“I think she’s probably the first woman to go and collect a constructors’ trophy. It was great to see her up there representing the team as well today.”

Formula One has no female drivers and the only women on the podium usually are the grid girls and hostesses standing by as the drivers celebrate.

Sauber have a female team principal in Monisha Kaltenborn, but the Swiss team have not won a race in her time in charge. Williams have Claire Williams as deputy team boss to her father Frank.

Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters