Why has Turn Six at Australian GP been renamed?

Our Ask Me Anything team explain why Turn Six at the Australian Grand Prix has been renamed.

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[BBC]

The Australian Grand Prix has renamed Turn Six at its Albert Park Circuit for 2026 in celebration of International Women's Day.

This is because the opening race of the new season falls on the same date as the commemoration on Sunday, 8 March.

The corner on the Melbourne track will be renamed 'In Her Corner' in tribute to Laura Mueller and Hannah Schmitz, who are two female engineers working in Formula 1.

Mueller is the race engineer at Haas for driver Esteban Ocon. The German is the main point of contact between the driver and the team. Mueller became the first female engineer to take on the role full time in 2025.

Schmitz is the head of race strategy at Red Bull and has worked with various drivers since joining in 2009. The British engineer was a key figure in the team's success in 2022 and 2023.

She is also one of only 11 women to have stood on the podium after a race.

Turns in F1 are often renamed to honour past drivers or big names, but this will be the first time a corner of a race track has been named after a woman.

The turn will be renamed as part of an initiative between Engineers Australia and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, with the aim to inspire the next generation to participate in the profession.

"The 'In Her Corner' initiative promotes the importance of 'if you can see it, you can be it,' so the more we can all do to shine a light on the overall achievement of women in engineering is a great thing," said Mueller.

The Australian Grand Prix takes place between 6-8 March.

What is International Women's Day?

Split image of Laura Mueller and Hannah Schmitz
Laura Mueller (left) is the race engineer at Haas and Hannah Schmitz (right) is Red Bull's head of strategy [Getty Images]

International Women's Day is a global celebration of the role and rights of women across the world.

It is held annually on 8 March to recognise the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

The day also marks a call to action for gender equality.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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Category: General Sports