F1 at Downing Street - with the UK Prime Minister, James Vowles, Oliver Bearman + Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon

0:05This weekend, F1 celebrates its 75th anniversary at Silverstone, where the first World Championship race was held back in 1950. But before the racing, some of the biggest names from the sports past and present had a very special invitation. Thank you to all of you for being here. It's fantastic to welcome you here in Downing Street. This is the very centre of government. I'm Tom Clarkson and this episode of F1B on the Grid is not being recorded at a racetrack or in the F1 paddock. I'm in central London at number 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister. I'm really pleased that we've got the whole teams here in Downing Street.

0:48It's a statement of intent as to how important this is to us as a government. Sakia Starmer has invited drivers, team bosses and some people who are just starting their careers in F1 to a reception. It's all to mark 75 years of the World Championship and to celebrate how important F1 is to the UK. I've stepped through the famous black front door. We're in the back garden of number 10, just next to the cabinet room. We're here to speak to Haas driver Ollie Behrman ahead of his first British Grand Prix. I can't lie, it's been 12 months where I've been absolutely ecstatic to come to Silverstone as a fully fledged davon driver.

1:26We're going to talk to team principal of Cadillac, Graham Loudon. Cadillac Formula One team is an American team. There's a real buzz, a real excitement. You know, we want to get the fans involved in that as well and, you know, really bring another dimension to Formula One when the cars all hit the track next year in Melbourne. And of course, we're going to speak to the Prime Minister himself.

1:51F1 is a global sport. We race in 21 countries around the world. We have drivers from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and all over Europe. And this podcast has listeners in more than 150 countries. But the UK is F1's heartland. The World Championship began here 75 years ago. Seven of the 10 teams and F1 itself is based here. Tens of thousands of people work for them or their suppliers, and the sport's worth more than£12 billion, or more than $16 billion, to the UK economy every year. Next year, Cadillac and Audi join the grid, and they'll both have bases in the UK. They'll be joining many teams who have been here for decades, including Williams, one of the most ambitious outfits in F1 today.

2:43We all know how determined they are to get back to the top of the sport. To do that, they're spending money, They're building new facilities. They're hiring new people. They hope they will make the car quicker, but it's also good for the UK economy. So let's talk about all that with Williams team principal James Vowles and the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. Prime Minister, what do the words Formula One mean to you? Formula One means to me a fantastic sport, something enjoyed across the world. but it also means something special for the United Kingdom because so many teams are based here and that is something that is a massive contributor to the joy of so many people in this country who are watching and following.

3:30Massive contributor to our economy, to innovation, research and technology but also, frankly, the soft power of the United Kingdom. It is a brilliant thing and makes us all very proud that we are the home to so many teams and that so many British drivers have done so well. So it's wrapped up in so much beyond the immediate sport. It's very much part and part of the sort of DNA, if you like, of the United Kingdom. I'm really proud of that. And James, as someone who's worked in Formula One for 25 years, how would you answer that question? I think it's hard to beat that answer. But for me, the reason why I'm in this is it generates a passion that is extraordinary.

4:11We're here really on a world stage in front of 70 million individuals building cars in the UK with close to 1 ,000 individuals within Williams, and all teams are pushing that way. And you're continuously in a fight at a millisecond and a millisecond and a millisecond every week. And that constant drive to generate new ideas, generate innovation, generate excellence, is what I stand for. And you're going to see in Silverstone, we'll have half a million people screaming at the top of their voice for us as a sport. So passion really at the core of it. And this thing about half a million people at Silverstone is really incredible as well.

4:42But that issue about the jobs and the skill, 40 ,000 jobs tied up in this, the apprentices, and all searching for that little thing that might just make the difference. I just think it's a fantastic attribute. Prime Minister, can you tell us a little more about how the government is helping in terms of skills and jobs within the motorsport sector? Yeah, we're doing a lot of work on apprenticeships. and obviously that's central. I had the great pleasure just a moment ago of meeting some of the apprentices outside the front door of number 10 where we've got two of the cars parked. It was a great sign, I think, of statement of intent having the cars out there.

5:21But for apprentices, what we're doing is giving more flexibility, if you like, to employers to develop the apprentices and the apprenticeships in the way that works for them and actually moulding the apprentices and the apprenticeships. And I think that's really important, particularly in Formula One, where each of the teams are looking for something very special in their apprentices. And they've obviously got some fantastic apprentices here. And I'm really pleased that we've got drivers, we've got apprentices, we've got those that work behind the scenes. We've got the whole teams here in Downing Street.

5:53And as I said to them a moment ago, it's a statement of intent as to how important this is to us as a government. James Williams are based at Grove in Oxfordshire, but how multinational is your workforce? It is very. So bringing that point to it, over 13 % of our workforce is what I would call early careers. So apprentices, graduates. And from those, I would say, obviously we select the very best within the UK. So myself, I have relationships with Oxford and Cambridge, for example, making sure that we're pulling in the brightest and best that we can. But answering your question, we're also fortunate because you can attract the very best from all over the world.

6:29And what I love about that is you bring knowledge and IP to the UK and build on what you have here at the same time. So hard to put a percentage on it, but obviously primarily UK workforce, as you would imagine, but there is growth from all over the world. Prime Minister, I do wonder, have you ever wanted to have a go behind the wheel? Well, the furthest I've ever got is karting when I was being tutored by my friend and I clearly didn't have the knack. I think there is something, I think a spark or something in the mind of drivers that gives them something more than all the rest of us got. I'd love to have a go.

7:07I'm not sure how far I'd get. For them, the driving, I mean, to be clear, whilst I race, I am very amateur relative to the drivers that are here today. But the driving for them is instinctive and natural. And they start at age five or six. That's when they've started their professional career. And for them, all of their brainpower is spent on, I want to beat that car in front. How do I manage these four tyres? What's going on here? Is the weather coming in at the same time? what makes them great is the ability to process all of this in a natural way. Keir, James, thank you both very much for your time.

7:37Thank you. Thank you, James. It's an absolute pleasure. Thank you so, so much. Here at Downing Street, the Prime Minister's been meeting some of the current grid. Williams pair Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz are here, and the Haas drivers, Esteban Ocon and Oli Behrman. Of course, it was a year ago that Oli was confirmed as a full-time F1 driver with Haas. 12 months later, he's heading back to Silverstone for his first home race.

8:08Oli, welcome to the show. First of all, 10 Downing Street Garden. This is pretty awesome, isn't it? Yeah, I don't think I signed up for this when I was asking mum and dad to become an F1 driver back when I was five or six. But what a surreal experience. Growing up in the UK, that's a very famous door. and you know I'm not too much into politics but that was a very surreal moment walking in and being in this this building. Oli it's been an extraordinary first season for you think about it the introduction at the O2 in London in February then you go to the world premiere of F1 the movie you're now here at Downing Street.

8:44Yeah I think my expectations for the next few seasons are going to be incredibly high they're going to have to remind me that this is not the norm. We're not going to be closing down Times Square on an annual basis, nor entering the heart of government in the UK. So it's really cool. I'm having a great introduction to life here in Formula One. We're about to go to the heart of the British motorsport calendar, which is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. I mean, 12 months ago, you were announced as an F1 driver. Let's start with that. What do you remember of this weekend last year? Last year, British GP was special enough and I only did FP1.

9:25Seeing the amount of fans in the stands for the first practice session of the weekend made me incredibly excited for this year's event. I announced my contract at Silverstone last year, so overall it was a very happy weekend from my side. And I can't lie, it's been 12 months where I've been absolutely ecstatic to come to Silverstone as a fully fledged F1 driver. Well, what are your predictions? What are your hopes for this weekend? You've got new bits on the car, first of all. Indeed we do. I don't know how much the public know about our new package, but hopefully it brings a bit more performance to the car across a wider window.

10:04You know, Silverstone is a great track to test new packages. You know, very high speed. It really tests the downforce of these generation of cars. Silverstone will always be one of my favorite tracks to drive. So hopefully we can have a great performance. Being my home race as well, there's an extra motivation to have a great result. You talk about motivation. Are you an emotional driver? I mean, will that extra support make any difference to the lap time? It won't change the lap time, unfortunately, for better or for worse. At the end of the day, I go out there and when the visor is down, I give it my all.

10:35However, getting out of the car and seeing all of my family, you know, behind supporting me is going to be very special. And, you know, I'm really excited. It's the first time that I'm going to be able to have pretty much my entire family, grandparents included, at the race. I think that's going to be a really proud moment. You know, they've been following me every step of the way. And my first home race in Formula One, to have them there by my side like they were on day one, it's very emotional. It's a bit of a Bermond double whammy this weekend as well, isn't it? Because your brother Tom is racing as well.

11:09Yes, Thomas is racing in F4. he's off the back of a race win at Alton Park his last race out was a win so yeah I think he has the highest chance of scoring a podium out of both of us this weekend I haven't been able to attend any of his races actually because I've been incredibly busy with my own however the first one that I'm watching is going to be at the British GP so it's going to be incredible seeing him race for the first time it's the first time that F1, F2, F3 and F4 are racing on the same package the same weekend and you know to share that experience with my brother and the rest of my family it's going to be fantastic that's going to be huge now the premise for us being here at Downing Street today is we're celebrating Formula One in the UK we're also celebrating 75 years of F1 can you remember the first time you went to Silverstone I remember my first time at Silverstone it was I might make you feel old here but 2015 I was a spectator or were you driving as a spectator I was watching the British GP I remember that Lewis won there was a bit of rain at the end of the race there was a Ferrari on the podium and if you go back to the podium ceremony you might hear a little kid screaming Ferrari and that would have been me because Vettel was on the podium and I was a big fan my first time driving at Silverstone was probably 2018 or 19 actually in fact I wasn't driving but I was taken around Silverstone by my dad in his race car I learned what not to do and then a few years later I put it into practice myself and learn what to do at Silverstone.

12:41Every time I drive that track, I have a huge beaming smile on my face. That's awesome, isn't it? And just look at these trophies, Oli. I saw you earlier just looking at the names on the driver's trophy there. One day, hey? I do hope so, although it's running out of space. So let's see. It can make it bigger. Of course. But, you know, seeing some of these names on that trophy, it's incredibly humbling and impressive. Dating all the way back to 1950, It's really an honour to be here. I've never stood this close to the World Championship trophy, but hopefully one day I can stand a bit closer. Brilliant.

13:18Good luck this weekend. Thank you, Oli. Thank you. Oli's not the only British F1 driver on Beyond the Grid this week. In case you missed it, Lando Norris was my guest on Wednesday's episode. He told me why he loves Silverstone and what it would mean to win the race for the first time. I think he'll be bigger than Monaco. I think Monaco is incredibly cool, incredibly special, again, because of the history. But I think in terms of the meaning there, the track, the fans, the feeling, the atmosphere, I don't think you can really compare Monaco to Silverstone from that sense. There's a great atmosphere in Monaco, but it does not compare to, I think, anyone's home race.

13:58But I think for a Brit, Silverstone is that place where it's unbeatable. So I would pick a Silverstone win over a Monaco win. Have you ever discussed it with Lewis? I mean, he's a nine-time winner at Silverstone. How to win at Silverstone? You know, but just sort of like what it feels like to stand on the top step. No, in a way, I don't want to. I want to just, I just want to experience it. There's no point talking about it. I'd rather just experience it. Your own way. That's the plan. You can hear the full episode with Lando Norris right now. Just scroll down on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast feed.

14:33now as i said earlier the new teams joining the grid next season are opening bases in the uk both audi and cadillac and the team principal of cadillac is graham loudon and he's here at downing street too it's a real honor to be here silverson is the home of formula one british grand prix is a fantastic event and you know what better place to celebrate not just the sport but the industry behind the sport as well and then 10 Downing Street so it's yeah it's a real honor to be here. You are the team principal of Cadillac I imagine it's incredibly busy in your world right now but you're based at Silverstone you could have chosen anywhere in the world to set up this racing team why the UK?

15:15Well I think you know it's events like this that really reinforce in everyone's mind just the sheer amount of knowledge and expertise that exists in the UK and you know Cadillac Formula One team is an American team. Our flagship headquarters are being built as we speak at Fishers in Indianapolis. But it was also very clear right from the start that we needed to have a presence here as well. High performance teams are built around people. You know, I've often said it starts with people, it ends with people and the bit in the middle is all about people as well. And the reality is the people and the expertise that exists in the UK is tremendous.

15:51I think that was something that the guys at TWG and General Motors could see as well. You know, they both bring something very, very special to the mix as well. TWG's got incredible vision in motorsport and other sports. And General Motors is one of the biggest automotive manufacturers in the world with, you know, with a legacy of innovation and a history of innovation, I should say. and so those elements mixed with um you know formula one's a difficult sport it's not something that you can kind of just walk into and uh we need good experienced people and and the uk is where those people are the uk i can see is is a great location for you just how multinational is the workforce that you're building uh hugely i've become a world expert in um well i wouldn't say world expert in multiple languages because some would argue I struggle with English.

16:51But it's brilliant, you know. And also the fact that we're building a team from a blank canvas, it gives us a chance to, you know, to really focus on diversity. And the one thing that sets Formula One apart is, you know, this fact that you have to design and build your own car. It's not like racing a stock model. And anything to do with design is creativity. And so anything to do with creativity I think is improved by diversity so diversity of thought different ideas different perspectives and having that blank canvas and bringing all those people together it's it's a real honor actually I know it's an overused term but it genuinely is and and to see it all taking shape both here in the UK and and in the US you know is fantastic and I think as well you know So for UK PLC, if you like, it's a huge vote of confidence because, you know, our owners are investing hundreds of millions into facilities here and the US.

17:49And it's a great project that's bringing two really great countries together. It's a very exciting project. Just finally, how's next year's car coming along? Is it taking shape? It is. Yeah. So we actually had our first 2026 floor delivered in January of this year. and we didn't get the entry confirmed until March. So the floor came before the entry. We've now had our first 26 chassis, which we've done all of the homologation tests on. We'll have to do them again for the race one, for sure. But, you know, and it's great seeing real stuff turning up. There's a real buzz, a real excitement. You know, we want to get the fans involved in that as well and, you know, really bring another dimension to Formula One when the cars all hit the track next year in Melbourne.

18:37Graham, best of luck with it all. Thank you for your time. Thanks very much.

18:45Working in F1 is a dream job for me and for so many of the people we speak to on Beyond the Grid. You might be wondering how you or your kids could become an F1 engineer, a designer, an aerodynamicist. Well, F1 itself and the teams are helping people do just that. So far, 50 students have benefited from the F1 Engineering Scholarship, which covers the cost of studying mechanical engineering at universities in the UK. They get work experience at F1 teams too. Then there are apprenticeships, which allow aspiring engineers to learn on the job and gain the skills they need for a career in the sport.

19:24Now it's a dream situation to come straight out of university and get a job in Formula 1. And I'd like to introduce you now to Daniel McCullough, who is an aerodynamicist at Mercedes. Great to have you on the show, first of all. Thank you. Thank you. Tell us how you got to where you are today. I guess it would all really start when I applied to university. To be honest, when I applied and entered uni, I didn't really know that I wanted to be an F1 aerodynamicist. But quite quickly, once I got there and started getting involved in some of the kind of extracurricular clubs at university, I realised this is what I really love doing.

19:57Studied for three years. studied what Daniel? I studied aeronautical engineering aerospace aerodynamics and yeah really specialized in aerodynamics later on in my third and fourth year after my third year I took a placement year and went to work in F1 as a intern in aerodynamics that was a racing bulls it was AlphaTaur at the time but racing bulls. How easy was it to get that placement? It's difficult I'd be lying if I said it wasn't difficult I think I must have put in 20 30 40 applications and only got one that said yes so it's tricky you only need one exactly you only need one it is difficult to get it you have to put a lot of work in and also need a healthy dose of luck yeah once you're there you've got to really make your mark and put a lot of effort in and hopefully your enthusiasm work all kind of shines through you're now at mercedes yes tell us what you're doing for the team so i'm a graduate aerodynamicist i work to design kind of the external surfaces that face the airflow hoping to add some downforce and performance onto the car.

20:59I specifically work on the floor and diffuser and part of a great team both kind of small sub team and also part of Mercedes. And Daniel the floor and the diffuser is such an integral part of the performance on these cars isn't it? Yes it's a big kind of performance differentiator it's a lot of responsibility and it's also a lot of fun it's somewhere that we can find a lot of performance and you know that when you find that performance it makes a difference on the racetrack how compartmentalized is the aero department at mercedes how many people for example are working on the diffuser and the floor with you there's a fair few of us not a massive team not a small team either so yeah i work with a bunch of really really talented engineers they've helped me learn so much and yeah seeing how the group works to kind of really push and add performance to the car it's really eye-opening and yeah really rewarding to be a part of i think it's really really key to retain your enthusiasm.

21:55You do get a lot of rejections from teams. It is a very difficult industry to get into, but you've got to keep them going. You've got to keep on doing things outside your studies that really set you apart, get as much hands-on learning as you possibly can, and you've got to keep on having faith in your own skills. And hopefully one day, if you keep on putting enough effort in, hopefully you can get through. Good luck. Keep doing what you're doing. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks for your time. Thank you.

22:25We've spoken to the leader of the UK. Let's give the last word to the leader of the sport, F1 President and CEO Stefano Dominicali. It is an incredible time to be part of the sport. Something that has been part of our life for so long and the support of all of you here and the Prime Minister means a lot to all of us. I believe we are living a fantastic moment, a fantastic moment where also it's a great business car for this country around the world. And we are looking forward to have a future together.

23:04Thanks for listening to this special F1 Beyond the Grid from 10 Downing Street. Don't forget to check out our episode with McLaren's Lando Norris and join us next Wednesday for another in-depth chat with a big F1 name. F1 Beyond the Grid is produced by Formula One and Audioboom Studio.

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