F1 representatives visit the UK government

The leaders of the UK-based Formula 1 teams today visited the London residence of the country’s prime minister, where a business meeting was held with representatives of the UK government.

It is no coincidence that this event coincides with the upcoming race at Silverstone, as the main topic of discussion was the importance of Formula 1 and the entire motorsport industry to the UK economy. The British Grand Prix alone generates around £100 million in revenue for the local Northamptonshire company over the race weekend.

At the same time, the motorsport industry employs more than 40,000 people across the country and Formula 1 teams invest around £1 billion annually in research and development.

Those invited to 10 Downing Street included Toto Wolff and his wife, who heads the F1 Academy, Christian Horner, Otmar Szafnauer, James Vowles and Gunther Steiner. Although Haas F1 is an American team, they have a base in the UK.

Also in attendance were Stefano Domenicali, president of Formula 1, Martin Brundle, a former racing driver and now popular Sky Sports F1 TV commentator, and Damon Hill, 1996 world champion.

But the visit of representatives of the racing community was not limited to a conversation about economic topics. Toto Wolff and Stefano Domenicali issued a call to prevent a repeat of last year’s incident, when eco-terrorists tried to disrupt the UK stage of the championship.

“We are not here just to discuss different issues,” Domenicali told Sky Sports. “We are convinced that it is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous to take actions aimed at disrupting the competition, which is attended by hundreds of thousands of fans.

I think there are other ways to express what you want, and we really hope people understand that racing is not the place for such actions. In addition, our industry takes environmental issues very seriously.”

“People need to understand that our industry is looking for new ways to solve environmental problems, we already use fuel derived from renewable sources and in 2026 Formula 1 will switch completely to biofuels,” continued Toto Wolff. “Innovative technology is an important part of Formula 1 and our cars can reach speeds in excess of 300 km/h. And yet there are people who put their lives and our pilots in danger.

I can speak for our drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. They don’t want to put anyone in danger, neither themselves nor the fans. The circuit is not a place for risky actions, especially when you hurt so many people.

Also, the head of the Mercedes team said a few words about Lewis Hamilton: “He is definitely the most important figure in our sport, because he is a very versatile person. Lewis is not just a racing driver – he also promotes the ideas of ecology and diversity in our sport. He is successful in business and makes political statements, and from my point of view he is one of the most interesting people I know. We owe him an eighth league title.”