Who is Naomi Schiff? Former racing driver now an F1 TV presenter and pundit

The 2023 Formula 1 season is upon us, with the Bahrain Grand Prix the first race on the calendar as the drivers and constructors get back to action.

All eyes will be on whether Max Verstappen can win a third successive world title, Lewis Hamilton a record eighth, or whether the likes of Charles Leclerc or George Russell can claim their first.

There are plenty of new faces and exciting new changes for 2023 that will make it a fascinating year for F1, perhaps even to rival the dramatic and controversial 2021 season.

The Sporting News profiles another new face for this year, TV presenter Naomi Schiff. Here's everything you need to know about her...

MORE: Who is Logan Sargeant? All about new American driver in Formula 1

Who is Naomi Schiff?

In 2022, Schiff became a TV presenter for UK broadcaster Sky Sports, joining their coverage of Formula 1 alongside established names such as Jenson Button, Damon Hill and Martin Brundle.

A resident of the United Kingdom, she has dual nationality having been born in Antwerp, Belgium, to a Belgian father and Rwandan mother. She grew up in South Africa.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by NAOMI SCHIFF RACING (@naomischiff)

The 28-year-old has a background in motorsport. She started single-seater racing aged just 16 in the Southern African Formula Volkswagen and later competed in the Bridgestone Special Open Trophy and the GT4 European Series. She also won the 2014 Clio Cup China Series and took part in the 2018 24 Hours of Nurburgring — a gruelling stamina race, similar to the world-renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Schiff has previously been a presenter for Mercedes and joined Sky Sports last year, and looks set to be a permanent part of the team for 2023.

Lewis Hamilton has been among those to champion Schiff and defend her as a key part of F1 coverage, despite her not being an ex-F1 driver.

pic.twitter.com/owthHlXClz

— Naomi Schiff Racing (@NaomiSchiff) June 14, 2022

Schiff said: "Thank you to everyone who has come to my defence.

"I appreciate all the love and support, none of you go unnoticed! Sadly the issue of online bullying, bashing, shaming etc. is one I don't believe is going anywhere anytime soon.

"Remember that your words do have impact and that therefore we should do something positive with these platforms and be kind to one another."

MORE: Who are the Sky Sports F1 commentators and pundits for 2023?

F1 schedule in 2023

Formula 1 will race at 23 different circuits in 20 countries during the 2023 season. Italy will host two grands prix, and three will take place in the United States.

The 2023 campaign begins as it did in 2022, with the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir International Circuit. That race takes place on March 5. The season finale will be staged at the Yas Marina Circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as it has been for the past two years, on November 26.

Viva Las Vegas! F1 is coming to The Strip in 2023 🎲#F1 @Vegas pic.twitter.com/QB1ZTry7cY

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 31, 2022

The three races taking place in the United States will be held in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.

How to live stream F1 in UK 

As expected given that Sky Sports hold the rights to show the F1 action in the UK, the action can be streamed through the broadcaster's app, Sky Go. 

Viewers in the United Kingdom can also purchase membership with Now TV, which shows Sky Sports events through its streaming service. 

Sky Go is available to download on most smartphone devices, tablets and latest games consoles. 

MORE: Which driver has recorded the most wins in an F1 season?

F1 2023 driver lineup

There are multiple lineup changes for the 2023 season in Formula One, with six drivers set to turn out for new teams. 

The most high-profile switch arguably comes in the form of veteran Fernando Alonso who will race with Aston Martin 2023, whilst French driver Pierre Gasly swapped AlphaTauri for Alpine in the off-season.

His seat has been filled by rookie Nyck De Vries, whilst fellow newbies Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri will race for Williams and McLaren respectively. Nico Hulkenberg also returns to the sport with Haas for the upcoming season.