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JOY BATCHELOR
once again demonstrated why it is regarded as one of the finest events on the Formula 1 calendar. Alongside the record attendance, the weekend also showcased the depth of British talent, with Alisha Palmowski, Freddie Slater, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris all giving home supporters plenty to celebrate.
Success like that is never accidental. Every Formula 1 driver has travelled a pathway that began years earlier through local clubs, kart circuits and junior championships. Every race meeting, whether it attracts dozens of competitors or hundreds of thousands of spectators, depends upon people giving their time because they believe in the sport. Without that foundation there is no pyramid, and without the pyramid there is no pinnacle.
One answer came at the start of National Motorsport Week with the launch of the BRDC Driver Academy powered by Motorsport UK. By bringing together Motorsport UK’ s Driver Academy with the BRDC’ s Rising Stars and SuperStars programmes, we have created a single pathway to support some of Britain’ s most promising young drivers as they progress through the sport. Talent can never be manufactured, but it can certainly be nurtured, and providing the right coaching, mentoring and opportunities gives young competitors the best possible chance of fulfilling their potential.
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Lando Norris reads through the previous winners on the Hawthorn Trophy
Later that day, I joined David Richards to present, for the second year in a row, the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy to Lando Norris following his FIA Formula 1 World Championshipwinning season. Created in 1959, the trophy is awarded each year to the most successful British or Commonwealth Formula 1 driver and is named after Mike Hawthorn, Britain’ s first Formula 1 World Champion.
On the roof of McLaren’ s Team Hub in the Formula 1 paddock, after the photographs had been taken, Lando spent several minutes reading the names engraved around the base of the trophy, counting how many times Lewis Hamilton’ s name appeared.
That roll call of names reflects more than six decades of British success in Formula 1. The Academy is one part of ensuring that Britain continues to develop drivers capable of adding their own names to it.
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The Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle MP visits the Motorsport UK HQ at Bicester |
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Goodwood Festival of Speed celebrates the breadth of UK motorsport |
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Revolution Magazine |