Formula 1 will continue promoting access to higher education and the training of new professionals by renewing its engineering scholarship program for another three years, until 2029. The initiative includes an investment of £2.4 million, equivalent to approximately €2.9 million, and aims to expand opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds, removing some of the economic and access barriers that make entering the engineering world more difficult.
The announcement followed the publication of the sport’s first Social Impact Report, which revealed that more than 500,000 young people from 71 countries have participated in the various educational and social programs promoted by the competition. The renewal also ensures the continuation of an initiative launched in 2021, inspired by driver Lewis Hamilton, which has so far provided support to 48 students interested in pursuing a professional career in engineering.
A program to expand access to engineering within Formula 1
Formula 1’s engineering scholarships were created to address some of the main challenges faced by students from historically underrepresented groups when accessing higher education. These include tuition fees, living expenses and a lack of opportunities to gain exposure to a highly specialized industry. Therefore, the program covers the full cost of tuition and living expenses for its beneficiaries, while also offering experiences that directly connect their academic training with high-performance motorsport.
The initiative also includes professional internships with teams from the category, exposure to the technologies used to develop single-seaters and exclusive visits to the Formula 1 Media and Technology Centre. These opportunities are complemented by experiences during Grand Prix weekends, allowing students to gain first-hand insight into the workings of a competition that brings together some of the most advanced engineering innovations. The goal is to ensure that talent and abilities carry more weight than economic circumstances or personal backgrounds for those seeking to enter the industry.
F1’s commitment to diversity coincides with its economic growth
The renewal of the scholarships is part of a broader strategy to strengthen diversity and inclusion in motorsport. In 2024, Formula 1, its ten teams and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) introduced a new Diversity and Inclusion Charter, developed with the support of the Royal Academy of Engineering. This initiative continued the work of the Hamilton Commission, presented in 2021 by Lewis Hamilton, which identified various barriers to entering and progressing within the competition. Other measures adopted include the creation of F1 Academy, a women’s single-seater championship designed to open up new opportunities for women in motorsport.
From the category’s leadership, its president and chief executive officer, Stefano Domenicali, highlighted the importance of turning institutional commitments into tangible opportunities for younger generations. Along the same lines, Ellen Jones, Formula 1’s head of ESG, noted that the championship’s international growth must be accompanied by a positive impact on communities. This social commitment coincides with a favorable financial landscape: in 2025, the competition generated revenue of $3.873 billion, while Liberty Media, its parent company, closed the year with a positive net income of $555 million. These resources and the category’s commercial growth are part of a period in which Formula 1 seeks to expand its reach beyond the racetrack and strengthen its connection with education, innovation and professional development.
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