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

F1: Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

Leisure, Sports, Technology, Automotive

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 July 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

To celebrate 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer invited drivers, Team Principals and others from the sport to 10 Downing Street - the heart of government in the UK.

In a special episode of F1 Beyond The Grid, the Prime Minister tells Tom Clarkson why he's 'proud' of the sport's success and its £12bn annual contribution to the UK economy. Williams Team Principal James Vowles explains how teams find the very best young engineers.

It is one year since Oliver Bearman was announced as a full-time F1 driver for Haas. Sitting in the Downing Street garden, he describes the 'surreal' feeling of stepping through Number 10's famous black front door, and looks forward to racing in front of his home fans at Silverstone.

Cadillac join the F1 grid in 2026. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon tells Tom about their dual bases in the US and UK, and gives a peek at preparations for their first Grand Prix.

Plus, Mercedes graduate aerodynamicist Daniel McCulla talks about how he got his start in F1, what he studied at university and the importance of never giving up on a career in the sport. Formula 1 and the UK government support aspiring engineers with scholarships, Apprenticeships and work placements at Formula 1 teams.

Listen to more official F1 podcasts
Lando Norris: raising his game - this week on F1 Beyond The Grid
F1 Nation previews the 2025 British Grand Prix
The story of the British Grand Prix - this week on F1 Explains

Transcript

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0:00.0	This weekend, F1 celebrates its 75th anniversary at Silverston, where the first world championship race was held back in 1950.
0:14.0	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
0:23.0	being here. It's fantastic to welcome you here in Downing Street. This is the very centre of government.
0:31.1	I'm Tom Clarkson and this episode of F1B on the grid is not being recorded at a racetrack or in the F1 paddock.
0:38.7	I'm in central London at number 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister.
0:44.5	I'm really pleased that we've got the whole teams here in Downing Street.
0:47.9	It's a statement of intent as to how important this is to us as a government.
0:52.5	Sarkia Stama has invited drivers, team bosses, and some people who are just starting their careers
0:58.0	in F1 to a reception. It's all to mark 75 years of the World Championship and to celebrate
1:04.3	how important F1 is to the UK. I've stepped through the famous black front door. We're in the
1:10.5	back garden of number 10, just
1:12.4	next to the cabinet room. We're here to speak to Hasdriver Ollie Baerman, ahead of his first British
1:17.8	Grand Prix. I can't lie, it's been 12 months where I've been absolutely ecstatic to come to Silverstone
1:24.1	as a fully fledged up on driver. We're going to talk to the team principal of Cadillac Graham Loudon.
1:29.3	Cadillac Formula One team is an American team.
1:32.3	There's a real buzz, a real excitement.
1:34.3	You know, we want to get the fans involved in that as well
1:37.3	and, you know, really bring another dimension to Formula One
1:41.3	when the cars all hit the track next year in Melbourne.
1:45.0	And of course, we're going to speak to the Prime Minister himself.
1:52.0	F1 is a global sport. We race in 21 countries around the world. We have drivers from Australia,
1:58.0	New Zealand, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and all over Europe.
	...

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