The Wolfpack’s No. 1 F1 Insider
From Raleigh to the Raceway
A 2 a.m. broadcast of the Formula One (F1) Australian Grand Prix illuminated Yena Ismail’s ’25 apartment during the late spring semester of 2023. Crashes, penalties and a rare standing restart made it impossible for her to fall asleep. She stayed awake long after the checkered flag flew. As she replayed every decision in vivid detail and pictured what it would feel like to be in the announcer’s box, it was then she knew she was “in deep.”
From Casual Viewer to the F1 Paddock
With the F1 season just getting underway, it’s one of the best times of year for Ismail. Though she once was viewing races from the comfort of her couch, she now stands inside the paddocks, strictly reserved trackside areas of globally recognized F1 teams such as Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. She has also worked with Mercedes-AMG Petronas for an event called “Her Turn: Lighting The Way” which sought to empower women in motorsport spaces.
For many fans, the sport of F1 racing can seem like a dense blur of radio chatter. “There are hundreds of people contributing to what often seems like a split-second decision,” Ismail said. “The focus is usually on the drivers, but there’s an entire machine behind them.”
Every detail is analyzed and optimized for full safety and efficiency. The tools used by pit crews must be placed in precisely the same position, regardless of the continent, to save precious seconds that could make or break a career. Engineers can sometimes work all seven days during a race week to gain even just tenths of a second.
Using her cultivated knowledge and passion for the specifics of F1, Ismail began growing a dedicated online presence that quickly stretched far beyond her apartment. The path to becoming an influencer, she believes, was paved with her attempts to widen the narrow frame of motorsport representation as much as possible.
“I’ve gotten an overwhelming number of messages from people who say I make them feel seen in this male-dominated space and inspire them to make their own content,” she said. “For example, there is a super robust female motorsport community across the Middle East, but especially in Dubai, that is often overlooked.”
During a recent triple header across Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, women from multiple countries approached Ismail in person. Many described her content as a safe space where technical breakdowns and cultural commentary can coexist for everyone.
“Those moments have stuck with me the most,” she said. “Especially when young kids say I’ve inspired their future educational paths in engineering or marketing.”
For Ismail, influence equates to the positive impact one person can have on another’s life. Representation, she says, determines who feels comfortable enough to belong and — by extension — who feels empowered to influence a space.
Engineering, Medicine and Motorsports
Ismail credits her time at NC State in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with the assurance she now feels when appearing on camera, as well as the strength in her voice to encourage passion in others. She remains closely connected to campus, living nearby and maintaining ties with students and alumni.
“My experience as a graduate student allowed me to push myself to be more confident and explore a wide array of interests,” she said. “Dr. Elaine Bohorquez, my advisor and most involved physiology professor, helped me develop my confidence in speaking and presenting, which translated directly to my online videos.”
She also sees parallels between F1’s culture and NC State’s Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) team, Pack Motorsports. “There are very few other situations that can mimic the stressful, fast-paced environment of building a race-winning car,” she said. “I feel that the Formula SAE team is emulating this high-quality teamwork to work toward perfection.”
Ismail is also an MCAT tutor and rising medical student. She is particularly attuned to the physical toll of racing, including the massive strain on the muscles in the neck, cardiovascular stress and the dangerous impact of high-speed crashes.
In F1, medical crews must operate with the same precision as pit crews. “I would absolutely love to one day work as the team doctor for an F1 team. It would be a great opportunity to conduct research that can be applied more broadly to common motor vehicle crash injuries like concussions and bone fractures. F1 teams have impacted areas of medicine such as automating the health care supply delivery system, in NICUs or helping to create advanced respirators for reusable industrial masks, and I would love to be at the forefront of that medical innovation.”
Ismail now treats her content creation like a job, working as best she can around her intense academic workload. “I would use weekends to pre-record content and then post it on my study breaks,” she said. “It has required some sacrifice on my end, … but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have done homework at the racetrack before, and I would absolutely do it again.”
As she looks ahead to the British Grand Prix in July, where she hopes to collaborate with more brands like Quadrant by Lando Norris, Ismail is also preparing to step fully into medical school. “I just got some F1 stethoscope charms which I’m very excited about,” she shared. “I’m hoping to get recognized more locally, as I would love to represent women of color and the Wolfpack in Miami, which is the only American race I’ve yet to attend.”
With that, the 2 a.m. fan has now become someone others watch for the insight she wishes she had. Ismail is the intersection between medicine and motorsports, fandom and the fast track — and when the engine roars, this wolf howls back.
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