In Pixar’s Cars 3, who becomes Lightning McQueen’s racing instructor?

In Pixar’s Cars 3, Cruz Ramirez becomes Lightning McQueen’s racing instructor.

Cruz begins the film as a high-tech trainer at the Rust-eze Racing Center. Her job is to prepare racers with simulators, fitness-style exercises, and data-driven techniques. Lightning initially resists her methods because he wants to train like the older racers who shaped his career.

Their relationship changes when Cruz joins Lightning on a road trip and helps him reconnect with Doc Hudson’s approach to racing. She also reveals that she once wanted to race herself but had been discouraged from entering the competitive track. Lightning eventually recognizes her talent and supports her ambitions.

Cruz is sometimes described only as Lightning’s trainer, but her role develops into something more important. By the film’s conclusion, she becomes a racer and takes on Lightning’s number 95. Natalie Certain is a racing analyst, not Lightning’s instructor.