75th Anniversary of Formula 1

Lord Bailey of Paddington Excerpts

Thursday 12th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a very good point. One of the roles of Formula 1 has been as a driver for cultural change, whether in health and safety, as it has developed safer cars, or in making things that were seen to be unacceptable acceptable in terms of technology and going to the cutting edge. In 2026 we will see a hybrid car for Formula 1, with a new sustainable fuel source. I look forward to seeing how that develops for the commercial market.

[Lord Bailey of Paddington (Con)]

My Lords, would the Minister agree that, when we talk about innovation, we should also support Formula E? It is a fully battery-raced series, which is innovation at the top level. Will the Government do more to promote Formula E and inspire young people to get involved? Before I sit down, I offer my services in celebrating 75 years of Formula 1; I am a massive McLaren fan.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I think we are all proving to have our own teams today. Personally, I started with Damon Hill.

Formula E is a significant development. We have seen the wider Formula 1 pipeline through Formula E and the also very important F1 Academy programme to encourage women to come through. There is also Mission 44 to encourage more diversity and engagement from every part of society. How Formula 1 can be a case for developing wider participation and engagement in a sustainable way needs to be celebrated. The Minister for Sport is meeting with the industry in January to talk about how we can frame that through the celebration of 75 years of Formula 1.