Our 2024 Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Round-Up

In Formula 1, getting a head start on the future is just as vital as getting ahead on track in the present.

It is one of the many reasons our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) programme means so much to our team.

Breaking down barriers now will help improve the breadth of high-performing talent at our team’s disposal in the years to come.

Below is a rundown of how we continued to try and improve the diversity of motorsport landscape for generations to come in 2024.

Graduation Day Back in February, we were again on hand to celebrate the latest round of Mulberry STEM Academy graduates at a ceremony in London.

The 107 Mulberry Schools Trust students were the third cohort to successfully complete the year-long extra-curricular programme.

Graduate Sara said: “Mulberry STEM Academy has helped me prove to myself and others that people from different backgrounds and my ethnic minority are able to break down barriers, which five years ago didn’t seem possible."

Read the full interview with Sara and her classmate Fahmida here.

Supporting Local Talent

In March we were delighted to host 40 engineering students from local Milton Keynes College for a Careers Insights Day at our factory.

Throughout the day, the team were on hand to answer the students’ questions on what a career path into Engineering may look like, what skills are needed, and how to stand out in their career/future learning applications.

Full Steam Ahead

Over the course of the summer months we were delighted to invite members of Stemettes into the factory for a series of networking and career clinics.

Groups of STEAM enthusiasts were able to chat with current graduates and apprentices from the team, and received a factory tour - all in the name of increasing their exposure to engineering and other STEAM subjects.

One particular visit followed two days of learning the basics of Agile Project Management as part of their Agile Certification Academy course, and resulted in all of the students declaring they would now pursue careers in STEAM.

A Mentor De Force

In August we celebrated another successful six-month mentorship between the team and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK) .

The group of 20 team members and 20 aspiring engineers came together to share stories from their time in the programme, discuss the next steps in their careers and tour our Brackley factory.

Our relationship with the AFBE is an important pillar of our EDI initiatives, which aim to improve diversity in motorsport and engineering, as well as our team's performance.

In October, as part of our internal activities to celebrate Black History Month, we invited AFBE Co-Founder Ollie Folayan MBE (PhD CEng FIChemE) to the factory for a special team talk.

"While Black History Month is important, it's those little things that we do daily that bring about real change,” said Ollie.

Accelerating Careers

Social mobility advocators The Sutton Trust also joined up with the team on multiple occasions in 2024.

Cohorts from the trust undertook two separate week-long work experiences in the spring.

Five 'Pathways to Engineering' and two 'Pathways to Law' students got a first-hand look at what it is like to work at Formula 1 factory, immersing themselves across a variety of departments including Test and Development, Aero, Car Build, Composites, IT and Legal.

Later in the year, we hosted the Sutton Trust again for a career insights day in Brackley.

"The day has given me sense of opportunity, to know that there are different options. There is not just one way into F1,” said one of group.

Read the full interview with some of those in attendance here.

The group were also treated to a series of team talks by members of our team on what it is like to work in F1, and the scope of roles available within a team.

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin was one of those speakers, and he was able to provide the students with some valuable early career advice.

Special Guests at Silverstone

Before the summer at the British Grand Prix we were delighted to bring a range of our EDI partners together as one for a unique day of networking at Silverstone.

The group was comprised of a selection of STEM students we have supported through our work with Mulberry Schools Trust, Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE-UK), Stemettes, and The Sutton Trust.

The day included a pit lane walk, tour of our garage, Q&As with both Lewis, Toto, and Chief Designer John Owen, as well as the chance to watch FP1 from our garage viewing gallery from within the heart of the team.

Head of EDI Hiran Odedra said: "As a team we want to create as many opportunities and experiences as possible that show aspiring engineers what their hard work can lead them to.

"We hope we have ignited their passion for their future careers and making their dreams a reality.”

Supporting STEM Scholarships

Formula One should be open to all. As well as leading on our own initiatives to help this happen, we have also teamed up with outside organisations to help increase the opportunity for those from under-represented backgrounds.

In April, we announced our support for Zero Gravity and their bespoke scholarships programme aimed at providing opportunity to high-achieving STEM students.

Over the course of the next two years, 146 recipients from low socio-economic backgrounds will be supported by the scholarship created by MGP.

In November, we launched a new scholarship programme with Imperial College London.

Starting in the 2025 academic year and running for three years, the team will fund a student’s full tuition across their four years of university and provide a living allowance to allow freedom to focus on their studies.

Girls on Track

For International Women in Engineering Day 2024 we teamed up with Motorsport UK and FIA Girls on Track to provide an exclusive factory day full of STEAM activities to 50 young girls.

Those in attendance got the chance to try a pitstop and batak challenge, a TV presenting skills workshop, a LEGO build, code, and race session, as well as being able to take in our Brackley home with a behind the scenes factory tour.

Enjoy a full recap of the day here.

Racing with PRIDE

"I think one of the hardest things in life can be when you internalise your worries and your fears. But when you talk to people, your fears seem a lot smaller than they are.”

The words of transgender racing driver and LGBTQ+ activist Charlie Martin , who we welcomed to the factory for a team talk to discuss her trailblazing motorsport journey.

Read our exclusive Q&A with Charlie here.

To continue our support for the LGBTQ+ community we again ran the PRIDE star on the nose of our race car for every race in the month of June in 2024, as well as further initiatives at home in Brackley to show our allegiance to the community.

Team Talks

Charlie Martin was not the only special guest we welcomed to the Brackley stage this year, as the team were lucky enough to hear from more incredible speakers with inspiring stories.

Henry Fraser had his life turned upside down at the age of 17 when an accident on holiday left him paralysed from the neck down.

His journey since is one of recovery and resilience and is nothing short of remarkable.

If stepping outside your comfort zone more is on your new year resolution list, you might want to follow the lead of Atlantic Ocean Rower Helen Butters .

Helen and her team 'Four Mums in a Boat' set a record in 2016 for becoming the oldest women to cross any ocean.

As she remarks: "You can't row the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

Click here for Helen’s full Q&A on inclusion and breaking down boundaries.