Bernie Collins married: All about the F1 presenter's love life
Is Bernie Collins married? No, Bernie Collins is not married, but she is currently engaged. The F1 presenter is engaged to Ryan McGarva, a former Mercedes F1 mechanic. The couple has kept their relationship mostly private, but Collins revealed their engagement in a December 2024 Instagram post. Reflecting on her year, she wrote,
2024 with a single picture for each month. Bit early, but I'm pretty sure December can't be topped!

Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Bernie Collins is not married but is currently engaged to Ryan McGarva, a longtime Formula 1 mechanic known for his work with Mercedes.
- The couple kept their relationship private for some time before revealing their engagement in late 2024.
- Collins shared the news in a year-end Instagram post that subtly highlighted her most memorable moments of the year.
- Ryan McGarva has worked in F1 pit crews and garage operations, giving the couple a shared professional background.
- The engagement came as a surprise to many fans, as Collins had never previously spoken publicly about McGarva.
Bernie Collins' profile summary
Full name | Bernadette Collins |
Nickname | Bernie Collins |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 1986 |
Place of birth | Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
Current residence | United Kingdom |
Nationality | British-Irish |
Ethnicity | White |
Sexual orientation | Straight |
Height in feet | 5'6'' |
Height in centimetres | 167 |
Weight in pounds | 132 |
Weight in kilograms | 60 |
Hair colour | Brown |
Eye colour | Hazel |
Relationship status | Engaged |
Partner | Ryan McGarva |
School | Tattygar Primary School, Mount Lourdes Grammar School |
University | Queen’s University Belfast |
Profession | Formula One Strategy Analyst, former Head of Race Strategy at Aston Martin |
Net worth | $1 to $2 million |
Is Bernie Collins married?
No, she is not. However, she is in a relationship with Ryan McGarva, a former Mercedes F1 mechanic. Collins revealed she was engaged to Ryan in an Instagram post in December 2024.

Source: Getty Images
Who is Bernie Collins' fiancé?
Ryan David McGarva was born in December 1985 in the United Kingdom. The F1 mechanic keeps his personal life private and thus hasn't shared any information about his parents, siblings, or educational background.
What does Ryan McGarva do?
He is a seasoned former pit crew member and mechanic for the Mercedes-AMG F1 team, with over a decade of experience in the field. He began his career in 2012 with the HRT F1 Team, moved to Sahara Force India in 2013, and joined Mercedes AMG Petronas in 2018. He worked on Lewis Hamilton’s car until early 2022.
At Mercedes, McGarva was part of a dominant era, contributing to seven Drivers’ Championships and eight Constructors’ Championships. After leaving the Mercedes paddock, he transitioned into corporate speaking and consultancy roles.
Today, he serves as a high-performance keynote speaker, offering insights at F1 Paddock Club events. He is also the Director at RDM Racetech Ltd, where he advises on teamwork and performance strategies.
Bernie Collins and Ryan McGarva’s relationship
How did Bernie Collins and Ryan McGarva first meet? The lovebirds met through their work in the Formula 1 industry. They first crossed paths at an F1 race event. McGarva was working as a pit crew member, and Collins was covering the race for Sky Sports.
While their shared passion for F1 and motorsport drew them together, they kept their relationship under wraps. It surfaced publicly during a ski holiday in the French Alps, where Ryan proposed to the Formula One presenter.

Source: Getty Images
Following the proposal, Collins shared the engagement news on Instagram. She shared a carousel of one picture from each month of the year, with the final December image revealing her engagement ring and the caption:
2024 with a single picture for each month. Bit early, but I'm pretty sure December can't be topped!
FAQs about Bernie Collins
- Who is Bernie Collins? Bernie Collins is a Formula One (F1) strategy analyst for Sky Sports and F1TV and a former F1 strategy engineer for the Aston Martin F1 team.
- What is Bernie Collins’ educational background? Bernie Collins studied Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast and graduated in 2009 with a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree.
- What is Bernie Collins known for? Bernie Collins is best known for her work with McLaren, Force India, Racing Point, and Aston Martin, and currently serves as a strategy presenter for Sky Sports F1 and F1 TV.
- Who is Bernie Collins' husband? Bernie Collins is not married but is engaged to Ryan McGarva, a former Formula One mechanic who worked with the Mercedes team.
- Which teams did Ryan McGarva work for in F1? Ryan McGarva began his career at HRT, then moved to Sahara Force India, and later joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas, where he worked until early 2022.
- What teams has Bernie Collins worked for in Formula One? She has worked for McLaren, Force India, Racing Point, and Aston Martin in various engineering and strategy roles, including Head of Race Strategy.
- Why did Bernie Collins leave her role at Aston Martin? Bernie Collins stepped away from full-time team strategy work due to burnout and the intense travel schedule.
- Which book has Bernie Collins written? Bernie Collins co-authored How to Win a Grand Prix: From Pit Lane to Podium with motorsport journalist Maurice Hamilton. It was published in 2024.
Wrapping up
Is Bernie Collins married? No, Bernie Collins is not married, but she is engaged to Ryan McGarva. The couple announced their engagement in December 2024, offering fans a rare look into Collins’ private life. With no wedding date shared so far, the F1 presenter continues to focus on her career while keeping her relationship mostly out of the spotlight.
Are you looking for more information about Rachel Brookes? Tuko.co.ke shared an informative article about the British presenter’s F1 career, husband, family, and net worth.
Rachel Brookes is well known for presenting Formula 1 news, Formula 2, Formula 3, and cricket on Sky Sports News HQ and Sky Sports F1. Apart from working as a journalist, she hosts events and webinars for corporations. Read the article to learn more about her.
Source: TUKO.co.ke