F1 champions vital cause with multi-million-pound investment and important report

Formula 1 has announced a £2.4 million investment in its Engineering Scholarship programme alongside the publication of its first sport-wide Social Impact Report, highlighting efforts to make motorsport more accessible to underrepresented groups.

The report reveals that more than 500,000 young people across 71 countries benefited from education, STEM and community outreach initiatives delivered throughout 2025.

The findings bring together the contributions of F1, the FIA, all 10 teams and 24 race promoters, demonstrating the sport's commitment to improving diversity and accessibility.

The initiatives also build on recommendations made by the Hamilton Commission, established by seven-time F1 drivers' champion Lewis Hamilton and the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2021.

F1 has committed more than £2.4 million to extend its Engineering Scholarship programme for another three academic years, through to 2028/29.

Launched in 2021, the initiative has supported 48 students from underrepresented backgrounds, covering tuition fees and living expenses while providing placements with F1 teams. A further 10 students will join annually over the next three years.

F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: "Formula 1 has an extraordinary power to inspire, and we want everyone to believe there is a place for them in our sport.

"We are turning our commitments into action, working across motorsport to break down barriers and widen access for future generations."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed the findings and continued investment.

"Motorsport has the power to transform lives, and we have a responsibility to ensure its benefits reach beyond the racetrack," he said.

"Together, we are breaking down barriers, developing future talent and creating new pathways into our sport."

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The report also highlights more than 1,000 skills and talent development opportunities, while over 29,000 schools participate annually in the STEM Racing initiative.

More than 150,000 students across four countries have also benefited from the British Council's Learning Sectors education programme.

F1's head of ESG, Ellen Jones, described the scholarship renewal as "offering sustained support that can remove financial barriers and help more students from underrepresented backgrounds take their first steps towards engineering careers".

UK skills minister Jacqui Smith MP also praised the initiative.

"Engineering is one of the industries most critical to our economic future, and we need more young people, from all backgrounds, to see it as a career for them," she said.

F1 intends to expand its existing programmes while strengthening how its impact is measured and reported.