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Ruth Buscombe
Ruth Buscombe helps organisations make faster, better-informed decisions with data and AI. A Formula 1 strategy speaker and F1 TV analyst, she spent eight seasons as Head of Race Strategy at Sauber after roles at Ferrari and Haas.
Ruth Buscombe is a presenter and strategy analyst on F1 TV and a former Head of Race Strategy at Sauber. She speaks to organisations about data-driven decision-making, AI, and how teams make high-stakes calls when every second counts.
Ruth spent more than a decade on the F1 pit wall as a race strategist for Scuderia Ferrari, Haas F1 Team, and Sauber, where she led race strategy for eight seasons. She was a consultant on F1: The Movie, and her book, The Inside Track, is published by Headline.
A first-class graduate in Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering from the University of Cambridge, Ruth wrote her master's thesis on F1's DRS overtaking aid with the FIA. At Ferrari she worked with Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel, playing a part in Vettel's first win for the team. At Sauber she worked with Charles Leclerc and helped secure the team's best Constructors' Championship result in a decade.
Ruth's favourite example is the pit stop, where 22 people complete 36 tasks in under two seconds. She shows how F1 teams collect and analyse data to shave off tenths of a second, and why it's still people who deliver the result. Audiences leave knowing how to turn data and AI into better decisions.
For events on AI, performance, or women in STEM, Ruth brings first-hand stories from the pit wall that make complex technology easy for any audience to follow.
Topics, sessions and talks
Ruth Buscombe is passionate about data, AI, and GenAI, making complex technology accessible to non-technical audiences. She emphasises the importance of data-driven decision-making, highlighting how to collect, analyse, and leverage data for competitive advantage. Using the analogy of a Formula 1 pit stop, she illustrates how precision and teamwork can lead to marginal gains. Attendees will learn how to effectively utilise data and AI to enhance performance and the vital role of human expertise in the process.
Ruth Buscombe, a prominent figure in Formula 1, is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in motorsport. Formerly an ambassador for Susie Wolff’s Dare to be Different, and now an ambassador for the FIA Girls on Track initiative, Ruth has worked since 2016 to make the sport more accessible to all genders, abilities, and races. Attendees will learn about Ruth's insights on fostering an inclusive environment in motorsport and the importance of initiatives that support underrepresented groups in the industry.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Ruth Buscombe uses the Formula 1 pit stop, where 22 people complete 36 tasks in under two seconds, to show how teams use data to find marginal gains while skilled people still do the work.
Ruth Buscombe speaks on the role of data, AI, and generative AI in decision-making, marginal gains through precision and teamwork, and diversity and inclusion in motorsport. She spent eight seasons as Head of Race Strategy at Sauber after working as a race strategist at Scuderia Ferrari, and now presents and analyses strategy on F1 TV.
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