Scientist Turned Model Sarah Lloyd Builds $15k F1 Racing Simulator In Living Room
“I was good at science. I'm better at this."
Published Jan. 27 2026, 1:04 p.m. ET
Most see model Sarah Lloyd as the blonde bombshell with a $15k Formula1 racing simulator in her living room. But before that life of adrenaline, she was a successful scientist who even published a paper in a major scientific journal at one point.
The Australian content creator traded her lab coat for a camera three years ago when she quit research and moved to build a modeling career, which exploded.
She's documented her transformation online, showing her weight gain, which she says improved her confidence. The before-and-after photos tell a story most influencers wouldn't dare post: a scientist who got curvier, not thinner, and turned it into financial freedom.
Lloyd says she loved creating content and building connections but discovered she didn't love science, despite publishing research in the field. So she left.
“I was good at science. I'm better at this,” Lloyd says. “Sometimes the smart choice is admitting you're in the wrong place.”
The decision led to a cross-country move and a complete reinvention that's since funded some eyebrow-raising purchases.
That F1 simulator is fully custom. Lloyd actually uses it too, logging hours on virtual recreations of circuits like Albert Park in Melbourne, where she's heading next month for the season's opening Grand Prix. She also purchased a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT C from a well-known influencer whose name she's keeping to herself.
The avid automobile fan isn’t not pretending to be something she's not. She's a former researcher who realized she'd rather gain followers than citations, and she's built a thriving brand around that choice.
“I thought leaving science meant giving up on being smart,” Lloyd says. “Turns out building a brand requires a completely different kind of intelligence.”