Getting to Know: Britta Roeske
Britta Roeske has always been by Sebastian Vettel's side in the Formula 1 paddock since his days with Red Bull. The German is the PR manager for the four-time world champion, a role she has held for years, and her influence continues to be felt.
Every Formula One driver has a press relations manager who accompanies them during media sessions. Their primary duty is to mediate between the driver and the press, although many of them do help the driver in other areas as well. She also acts as a general manager to the driver. Her skills and talents to handle situations have surfaced many times. Her time during the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix "Multi 21, Seb. Multi 21" Saga is a testament to the same. However, the press manager herself is considerably camera shy.
She has been with the 4-time world champion for more than a decade. Roeske hails from West Germany and studied economics, modern languages and journalism, before moving to France. Her career kicked off when she was recruited by Renault as a trainee in the communications department.
After meeting the then Renault F1 team boss Flavio Briatore, he invited her to work for the team. She confessed that she took the job right away and has had no regrets since then.
In 2005, she joined the newly formed Red Bull Racing Formula One team and was a part of the team that worked with Sebastian Vettel.
Another thing that sets her apart from the other press managers, is that she is employed by Sebastian Vettel directly. Usually, the team employs a press officer and allots them to their respective driver.
While under the employment of Sebastian Vettel, she spends most of her day on her phone, arranging interviews. It is also crucial to mention that Thursdays during the race weekend is a particularly busy time. Britta Roeske has also taken a page out of Sebastian Vettel’s book, as she also does not have personal social media accounts.
On some occasions, she often goes to the grandstands to act as crowd control and give Sebastian Vettel a personal buffer between him and the fans, in case of unruliness. Roeske is also quite popular among the Vettel fans, and they show it in the best manner possible.
Since Sebastian Vettel does not have a personal manager, Roeske also takes on that role to an extent. It is her job to support Vettel and pepping him up during difficult periods and taking care of his brand image.
History has repeated itself once again, as she now wears the dark green colors alongside the four-time world champion at Aston Martin… “If I continue she continues.” - Sebastian Vettel.
