Business Secretary, The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP visited Motorsport UK’s headquarters at Bicester Motion to learn more about the UK’s globally-leading motorsport sector and the people, skills and innovation ecosystem that underpins its success.
Hosted by Motorsport UK Chair David Richards CBE and Chief Executive Hugh Chambers, the visit showcased the breadth of the motorsport ecosystem that makes the UK the global centre of the sport – from grassroots participation and volunteer-led community activity through to engineering skills, future fuels and advanced technology businesses.
The UK motorsport sector is one of the country’s most successful advanced engineering industries, generating £16bn in annual turnover and supporting 50,000 highly-skilled jobs. Over the last decade, the sector has grown from £9bn to £16bn turnover while increasing employment from 41,000 to 50,000 jobs. Today, 89% of motorsport businesses export goods and services, while companies invest heavily in research and development, helping transfer technologies and expertise into automotive, aerospace, defence and future mobility sectors.
The visit demonstrated how participation, skills development and innovation are connected across the motorsport landscape.
At Motorsport UK, Peter Kyle heard how the governing body’s Vision 2030 strategy is helping more people enjoy motorsport, more often through a focus on participation, accessibility, inclusion and talent development. He met Motorsport UK apprentices, learned more about the organisation’s nationwide network of clubs, volunteers and competitors, and was presented with a Motorsport UK competition licence.
The wider tour included visits to organisations across the Bicester Motion campus that showcase different parts of the motorsport ecosystem.
At Heritage Skills Academy, the Business Secretary met apprentice engineers developing specialist heritage engineering skills. At StarterMotor, he learned how automotive training and mentoring programmes are helping young people overcome barriers to employment. At Zero Petroleum, he saw how synthetic fuel technology is supporting innovation and helping shape the future of sustainable mobility.
The visit comes ahead of the British Grand Prix and National Motorsport Week, following a landmark period of success for British-based teams, drivers and engineers on the international stage. The UK’s continued global leadership in motorsport is underpinned by a unique ecosystem of talent, innovation, engineering excellence and community participation.
“It was a pleasure to welcome the Business Secretary to Motorsport UK and Bicester Motion today.
Motorsport is far more than a sport. It is a nationally important ecosystem that delivers economic growth, develops world-class skills, drives innovation and creates opportunities for people across the UK.
What makes Britain unique is the breadth of that ecosystem, from our clubs and volunteers through to apprentices, engineers, entrepreneurs and world-leading businesses.
As the national governing body, Motorsport UK’s role is to support that community, develop future talent and create opportunities for more people to participate in the sport. Those foundations help sustain the wider ecosystem that keeps the UK at the forefront of global motorsport.”
David Richards CBE, Chair, Motorsport UK
“Today’s visit by the Business Secretary allowed us to show how participation, skills development and innovation come alive in motorsport across the UK.
Whether through grassroots participation, apprenticeships, engineering skills or proving future technologies such as sustainable fuels, motorsport continues to create opportunities for people while making an important contribution to the UK’s economy and technological leadership.
Motorsport UK’s focus is ensuring more people can access those opportunities, develop their skills and enjoy motorsport more often. By strengthening the foundations of the sport, we foster future talent and innovation that will sustain the sector’s success for years to come.”
Hugh Chambers, Chief Executive Officer, Motorsport UK
“We have been a passionate advocate of how clusters can push the envelope of technology, not only in motorsport and automotive but across the mobility sector.
The community of Bicester Motion is the perfect representation of that – indeed, it was upon this concept that it was built.
Motorsport UK is embedded in so many of the specialists across Bicester Motion, whether it’s the many licence holders or those preparing cars in all manner of discipline, or developing components for the very top of the sport.
We are delighted to have had the chance to show the Business Secretary this proof of concept, and thank David Richards, Hugh Chambers and the rest of the Motorsport UK team.”
Daniel Geoghegan, Chief Executive Officer, Bicester Motion
“There is something about motorsport that has adopted the British spirit. Right the way through, you find people from all backgrounds who just have a passion that is sparked and ends up becoming world class.
When you look at the economic impact that motorsport has, it isn’t just directly the teams that are involved in all the different types of motorsport, it is the supply chains as well. They all feed into the ecosystem of motorsport valley, which contributes about 16 billion pounds into the British economy.
We should be really proud of our motorsport excellence. There are over 600 clubs around the nation, where families are coming together to have days out to compete, but also make the most of our motoring heritage. We should also know that this is something that is for girls as well as boys; this is a sport that is accessible, and an industry that is accessible.”
The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, Business Secretary
Click here for more information on Vision 2030.
