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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
A ZIMBABWEAN Chemical Engineer Stephanie Travers has scaled new heights by joining Formula One champion and racing car driver Lewis Hamilton’s racing team as the Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer for the 2019 season.

Travers (24) was born in Harare to Maria and Bertram Travers, and she is the grand-daughter of Pat Travers, the late chairman of Arcadia United FC. According to a press release from Petronas Lubricants International, Travers will provide five-time FIA Formula 1 World Constructors’ Champions, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, with fluid support services at the twenty-one races on the 2019 calendar.

She beat 7,000 other applicants and successfully completed five rigorous levels of the selection process last year, culminating with an interview with PLI Group chief executive officer Giuseppe D’Arrigo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“We are delighted to welcome Stephanie on-board as our Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer today. Since the start of our partnership with Mercedes-AMG, we have deployed engineers to operate in the Petronas Trackside Laboratory that travels with the team to every race throughout the season.

These engineers represent the technical excellence of Petronas in Formula 1 and our commitment to building a pool of talent for the advancement of our fluid technology from track-to-road. Petronas employs the best and the brightest throughout the organisation, and I believe that Stephanie’s skills, passion, determination and positive attitude will make her an incredible addition to our team,” D’Arrigo is quoted saying.

According to the press release, Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineers conduct on-site performance analysis of the engine oils within the Formula 1 power unit, providing the team with real-time input about the health of the engine’s mechanical parts. They operate a compact lab for fluid-related service activities at race events around the world alongside the best engineers and scientists in the industry.