Mechanics Have Always Dreamed of being Riders

It was the International Women in Engineering Day on June 23. This year, we are rolling out a special series for this occasion.  

Last year after Maria Herrera’s historical wildcard entry in Moto3 with an all-female crew, we interviewed the master-mind behind it – Aurora Angelucci, the brain behind this wildcard entry, Founder and CEO of Angeluss – Women Sport Management. This season, Aurora introduced three female engineers to her team Angeluss MTA. We are bringing you the stories of these three extraordinary women for this International Women in Engineering Day. In our last issue, we brought you the story of data engineer Angela Benavente. Today, we give you the second installment, the story of mechanic Tania Jaume Rueda.

All photos © Tania Jaume Rueda & Angeluss MTA Team

Tania Jaume Rueda is still a student at the Escola Tècnica’s (ET Racing) motorsport program while working at the Angeluss MTA as a mechanic. Coming from a family passionate about motorsport, Tania become familiar with this family hobby since she was a little girl. “My family has always been a lover of the motor world, specifically motorcycling. That’s why since I was little I’ve been involved in this hobby.”

More than just working on the bike as a mechanic, Tania is also a rider herself, just not competitively. Being able to speak the riders’ language has helped her greatly in working with the riders. “I dreamed of becoming a rider, but for reasons of money and resources, it hasn’t been possible. I think being a rider requires a lot of sacrifices. You have to leave many things behind to dedicate yourself to your dream. But being a rider myself makes it easier for me to connect with riders. When I have to talk to the rider, I understand their situations and it helps me to solve the problems that the bike causes them.”

I always say that most mechanics have always dreamed of being riders.

To become a mechanic in the world championship, Tania came to study the competition mechanics course at ET Racing in Girona, Spain. Through the program, and finally, with the help from Aurora Angelucci, Tania stepped into the Moto3 paddock this season. “Thanks to ET Racing school I had the opportunity to enter this world that I’m so passionate about and be in different championships. These years that I have been with them have taught me to be professional and rigorous with my work, for this reason, I plan to make an effort and aspire to the highest. The opportunity to enter the World Championship has been thanks to ET Racing school and especially Aurora. They gave me this opportunity to be in this great project at Angeluss MTA.”

My first race in the world championship was a very emotional moment with my teammates, Aurora, and the team. At that moment I felt that this was my place.

Having started her first season in Moto3, Tania is taking this great opportunity as a platform to learn as much as she can. “In my opinion, I still have a long way to go before becoming a good mechanic in the world championship. I am learning a lot this year thanks to my team. They have given me a lot of knowledge. I plan to continue training and gaining experience to be able to reach my goal.”

The race weekend is always tense, and Tania sets a high standard for herself. When the Grand Prix is over, she would still review her weekend to make sure she does better the next time around. “My challenge every weekend is to do my job perfectly without allowing myself a single mistake. Once the race weekend is over, I study in detail all the modifications that have been made and compare them with previous races. Then before the next Grand Prix starts, I study the circuit and prepare the functions that I am going to carry out together with the team.”

There are always difficult moments during your professional career. I’m very lucky to have a school and a team that supports me. Beyond all that, the support of my family has always been there in my difficult moments. People learn from their mistakes and come out the other end stronger. This should serve us to improve and not make the same mistakes.

As always, we also asked Tania for advice for young kids dreaming to be on the technical side in motorsport. Here is her advice. “I would tell them not to rush their arrival. Learn to form with the best hands and above all, do this work with passion and dedication. Anything else is useless without these two concepts.” 

Right now, Tania just finished the European triple-header of this season. During the summer break, she would continue with her study at ET Racing school as well as working on her own motorcycles. Of course, this would also be a great time to have some quality time with family and friends. We wish Tania all the best of luck this season and in her future career!

Next up, we round up this special series with the story of mechanic Uxia Rodriguez Nerba!