Naomi Schiff

Naomi Schiff (born 18 May 1994) is a Rwandan and Belgian racing driver and television presenter. She was born in Belgium, to a Belgian father and Rwandan mother, grew up in South Africa, and now lives in Paris, France. Quotes I panicked, and thought I will have so many regrets if I don’t keep chasing my racing career. And just like that, W Series dropped out of the sky. That was the beginning of a whole new chapter. Fuel for Thought: Naomi Schiff on Her Path From the Track to the Television,SI, 7 July 2023 by Katty Fairman F1 was always my goal and although I planned to be there as a driver, I got there in a different shape and form which is fine. That was the most mind-blowing thing to me Fuel for Thought: Naomi Schiff on Her Path From the Track to the Television,SI, 7 July 2023 by Katty Fairman “Since I was very young, I’ve looked up to Lewis Hamilton. He was, for me, the only, call it ‘identifiable’ role model that I had in my career, so he held a special place in my heart and you know, I have always been motivated to do as well as he’s done, and hopefully be that identifiable role model to someone else, thanks to him.” W Series Driver Naomi Schiff Gushes About Her Idol Lewis Hamilton in a New Interview With Puma Essentially Sport (15 October 2021) There weren’t many girls or people of color. I didn’t feel like I fit in, and the idea of being compared with my counterparts was frightening.“If little girls turn on the TV, they’ll see my face … If I was wearing a helmet, they probably wouldn’t.” (Talking about being visible as a woman in motorsport, and how being without the helmet matters for visibility.) Naomi Schiff - STAYING ON THE RIGHT TRACK MAGZTER (June-july 2023) People aren’t always going to enjoy change, change is most often met with resistance, but it has been good. There’s been a lot of support which has surprised me … You’re going to face that criticism, but it doesn’t change the way I feel. I love motorsport and I feel grateful to be there … keyboard warriors … but … everyone I work with … has been great. Rwanda’s Naomi Schiff on her experience in Formula One AFRICA Press (2022-05-06) For me, the thing that really stuck is that when I went to the track, there wasn’t anybody who looked like me. And that’s quite obvious. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I always used to say to people if I wasn’t a racing driver, then who would I be? It was such a big part of my identity. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) The biggest perk that I get to stay in the sport that I’m passionate about and I get to still earn a living out of it. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) Don’t stand in the way of your dreams. and because there will be enough barriers along the way, if you make yourself a barrier, it makes it just that much harder to get there. So believe in yourself, back yourself, and don’t give up. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) Do your best, try hard, don’t give up. But if you feel that a situation is not serving you, then don’t be afraid to adjust because plan B isn’t necessarily a failure. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I feel like I should maybe have let go a little earlier because I wasn’t enjoying racing when I retired. I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I wasn’t racing at the level I wanted to. I didn’t have the financial backing that I required to perform at the level I wanted to. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I should have opened my eyes to other things sooner but to be honest, things just fell into place the way they did and I’m so so grateful that they did. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I had a lot of people counting on me and maybe they weren’t even counting on me as much as I thought. Maybe I was putting some of that pressure on myself, but it wasn’t just about letting myself down. There were so many other people I didn’t want to let down as well. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I always used to say I was so lucky to be paid to do something I love. I can’t say that I don’t love my job. I feel like it’s an absolute dream job to have and to stay again in the sport that I love. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) My identity crisis gave me a soft pillow to land on. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I always like to get into the mind of other athletes and understand what drives, pushes them. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I think I would have to experiment in different areas to know what it is I really would like to do versus what I think I would like to do. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) There are two very different ways to nurture your kids. And the results can often be very different and sometimes similar. How do parents make that decision and how does it happen? Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I hadn’t really drifted before. I mean, people just assume racing drivers can drift, but when do you drift as a racing driver? They allow you to do it at the end of the season once in front of the crowd, but it’s not allowed. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) The problem with the film industry is that they schedule something but it constantly changes and once you’re contracted, you can’t really back out of it. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) People are what keeps me sane because it is a very busy life and you miss out on a lot of things and the world is always willing to tell you what they think of you, which is not always generous. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I think it’s important also to surround yourself with people who support you and who believe in you and who remind you like who you are. I find it’s easy to get lost in all of it. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) I want to make sure I spend quality time with the people I care about, and when I say quality time, I really mean quality time because that’s something that’s important to me. I want to speak to the person, really enjoy time with people, like on a proper level. I love that because sometimes it can get so lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life to have proper quality time. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) There are more and more women involved in motorsports. We are in a much better place than we were many years ago. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) And in my ambassadorial role for the sport, we focus a lot on making it a better environment for women. It’s a positive place to be in right now. Naomi Schiff. principlemagazine.com (October 12, 2026) Often in racing there’s the attitude that if you’re quick enough it won’t matter. But to be quick you need time in a car, and that takes money. Naomi Schiff: Staying on the right track. redbull.com (October 12, 2026) For women, being taken less seriously than the men is a barrier, too. I spent a year knocking on doors with my business card. Had I been a man who looks like a typical racing driver, I probably would have had more calls. Naomi Schiff: Staying on the right track. redbull.com (October 12, 2026) We’re not trying to make it easier for the women; we’re trying to make it equally hard. Naomi Schiff: Staying on the right track. redbull.com (October 12, 2026) The one thing that’ll make you feel better in a moment like that is having the support of your peers. Naomi Schiff: Staying on the right track. redbull.com (October 12, 2026) If you walk into a room and there’s no one who looks like you, whether that’s in motorsports or sport or business, it has no bearing on your own capabilities. It might be harder, and people might not understand your struggle, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Don’t stand in your own way—other people will do that. Go for anything you want to do. Naomi Schiff: Staying on the right track. redbull.com (October 12, 2026) As with everything, change always comes through resistance. My first luxury: A Louis Vuitton tote that goes the distance. andscape.com (October 12, 2026) I still want to represent myself in a way that I can connect with a part of the audience who maybe see some of themselves in me. My first luxury: A Louis Vuitton tote that goes the distance. andscape.com (October 12, 2026) I need to show up looking on point. That’s in the eye of the beholder. My first luxury: A Louis Vuitton tote that goes the distance. andscape.com (October 12, 2026) Rwanda has clearly, made their bid a couple of years ago around the FIA awards that happened here in in Kigali, clearly taken steps in all the right directions to make sure that they could secure that into what will materialize into a Grand Prix. "Incredible, monumental step!" | Naomi Schiff on Rwanda hosting the African Grand Prix in 2030s. Sky Sports F1 official channel (October 12, 2026) I still don’t tell people I have retired from racing because that’s too hard to say, I will always be a racing driver, I just haven’t raced for a few years. Naomi Schiff: ‘It’s sad to think that skin colour is what you are judged on’. theguardian.com (October 12, 2026) But I absolutely love what I do now. I am happy to be recognised by the audience as a driver. Naomi Schiff: ‘It’s sad to think that skin colour is what you are judged on’. theguardian.com (October 12, 2026) External links Category:Race car drivers Category:Television presenters Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:Women in sports Category:Women from South Africa Category:Women from Belgium Category:Women born in the 1990s