Formula 1 shows Britain at its best – let’s get behind it
(Adrian Dockerty / Alamy)
4 min read
Britain has a habit of talking itself down. Yet there are arenas where we remain not just competitive, but genuinely world‑leading. Formula 1 and the wider motorsport sector is one of them.
A sport I fell in love with aged eight years old, watching Ayrton Senna win for McLaren, goes from strength to strength. Over my 40 years as a fan, I’ve cheered on British World Champions from Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and most recently Lando Norris. But even when it's not a British driver on the top step, chances are the technology drivers have driven to get there are fundamentally British in design and build.
This season, five British drivers line up on the Formula 1 grid, with reigning world champion Lando Norris among them. Ten of the sport’s 11 teams are headquartered or have operational bases in the UK. At the opening race in Melbourne in March, five of the first eight finishers were Brits. No other country comes close to matching that depth of talent.
That success is no accident. Formula 1 grew out of postwar industrial capability, as engineers with aerospace expertise found new applications for their skills. Today, Formula 1 underpins a UK motorsport industry worth around £12 billion a year. This is largely centred in Motorsport Valley, a geographical area within a roughly 70 mile radius of Silverstone – which includes my Mid Buckinghamshire constituency – and employs tens of thousands of highly skilled engineers, designers, technicians and software specialists. These are well‑paid, future‑facing jobs: advanced manufacturing, data, materials science and clean technology – supported by international investment.
When global companies choose to base their Formula 1 operations here, they are buying into more than historic prestige. They are choosing a unique ecosystem – dense clusters of world‑class suppliers, specialist universities, start‑ups and established firms working together at extraordinary speed. That environment is one of the UK’s genuine competitive advantages, and one that policymakers should champion with confidence.
Formula 1 also projects Britain’s strengths internationally. Each race weekend is watched by an average of 70 million viewers worldwide. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone remains the highest‑attended single‑weekend sporting event in the country, drawing fans from across the globe. On that global stage, British teams, engineers and drivers reinforce a reputation for technical excellence that few industries can replicate at this scale.
Crucially, the sport is not standing still. Formula 1 is now renowned as one of the most demanding testbeds for sustainable technologies. From this season onwards, cars are racing with advanced sustainable fuel designed for use in any traditional engine and made entirely from renewable sources.
The relevance beyond racing is clear. Advanced sustainable fuels have a potentially critical role to play in the decarbonisation of transport sectors where electrification alone will not be sufficient – including aviation, shipping, and the existing road vehicle fleet. Formula 1’s ability to push technologies rapidly from development to real-world testing makes it a practical proving ground for that transition.
Here government policy matters. Cross-party work recently led to the passage of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act. This provides a practical example of how clear, long‑term signals from policymakers can help crowd in private investment, scale domestic production and give producers certainty that a future market exists.
That matters not just for Formula 1 fans, but for the wider economy. Technologies developed for the racetrack frequently find their way into road cars, aerospace, defence, medical devices and even supermarkets. The pace and intensity of Formula 1 innovation shorten development cycles in ways few other sectors can match.
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Formula 1 and Motorsport, I see strong support for the industry across the political divide. But goodwill is not enough on its own. Continued investment in skills, infrastructure, research and internationally competitive regulation will be essential if the UK is to retain its position as the global centre of motorsport engineering.
As another British sporting summer approaches, Silverstone will once again draw global attention. It is worth being clear‑eyed about what Formula 1 represents: a highly productive British industry, exporting technology, talent and ideas worldwide.
Let us back Britain by coming together to celebrate the sport as it returns to these shores in July, roared on by over 500,000 fans. And as policymakers, let us be creative in how we continue to protect and promote it at home and abroad.
Greg Smith is the Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, and chair of the Formula 1 and Motorsport APPG
