Formula 1 extends Oxford engineering scholarships with £2.4 million investment

Formula 1 has extended its Engineering Scholarship Programme at the University of Oxford for another three academic years, committing more than £2.4 million to support students from backgrounds under-represented in motorsport and engineering.

Announced on Oct 28, the extension will fund 10 new scholars annually from the 2026/27 academic year through 2028/29. The programme operates across five partner universities: the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Strathclyde and MUNER, the Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna in Italy.

The scholarship combines financial assistance with academic and professional development opportunities. At Oxford, two students are selected each year for support covering the full tuition fees and a grant towards living costs for the four-year undergraduate Master of Engineering (MEng) in Engineering Science.

Formula 1 said the extension builds on a programme that has supported 48 students since its establishment in 2021, including 10 Engineering Science students at Oxford.

Who can apply for the Oxford scholarship?

The Oxford scholarship is aimed at UK offer-holders from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds who are entering the undergraduate Engineering Science course and come from low-income households. The programme specifically focuses on Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi students, while applications from female offer-holders are particularly encouraged.

The eligibility criteria mean the award is not a general scholarship open to every engineering applicant. Students must first hold an offer for the relevant Oxford undergraduate course and meet the programme’s background and financial requirements.

By covering tuition fees and contributing towards living costs, the scholarship is designed to reduce the financial barriers that can prevent talented students from accessing engineering education and pursuing careers in motorsport.

The financial support lasts for the full four years of the MEng course. This allows recipients to plan their studies and participate in academic and professional opportunities without having to meet the entire cost of their education independently.

Scholarship includes placements with Formula 1 teams

Beyond financial assistance, the programme gives students opportunities to gain practical experience of the motorsport industry.

During their second year, Oxford scholars can undertake a work placement with one of Formula 1’s 10 teams. The programme also provides career-development opportunities, a visit to Formula 1’s Media and Technology Centre and the chance to experience a Grand Prix behind the scenes.

These opportunities are intended to help students understand the engineering work behind competitive motorsport and explore potential career paths. Engineering roles in Formula 1 can involve areas such as vehicle performance, aerodynamics, materials, data analysis, simulation and mechanical design.

The programme does not guarantee employment with a Formula 1 team after graduation. Instead, it combines university education with exposure to professional engineering environments, helping recipients develop skills and understand the range of careers available within the sport.

Formula 1 has described the scholarship as part of its wider effort to make motorsport more accessible to people who have historically been under-represented in the industry.

Programme has supported 48 students since 2021

The Engineering Scholarship Programme was established in 2021 to widen access to engineering education and careers in motorsport. Its initial funding commitment followed a US$1 million donation from former Formula 1 chairman Chase Carey.

The programme has subsequently expanded through additional funding commitments. In February 2022, Formula 1 announced an extension that enabled scholarships to be offered to 10 more students annually through 2025. A further expansion was reported in 2024, when Formula 1 said another 20 students would receive scholarships over 2024 and 2025.

The latest extension commits more than £2.4 million to the next phase and continues the programme across its five partner universities. Formula 1 said 10 new scholars would join each year from 2026/27 to 2028/29, while its Oxford announcement recorded 48 students supported since the scheme began.

The programme is one part of Formula 1’s broader diversity and inclusion efforts. The sport has also developed apprenticeships, internships, STEM education initiatives and other activities intended to introduce young people to engineering and motorsport careers.

Formula 1 reports wider education and outreach efforts

The scholarship extension was announced alongside Formula 1’s first sport-wide Social Impact Report, which brings together the activities of Formula 1, the FIA, its 10 teams and race promoters during the 2025 season.

According to Formula 1, more than 500,000 young people across 71 countries accessed or benefited from its education, STEM and inspiration programmes in 2025. The report also recorded more than 1,000 skills and talent-development opportunities across the sport.

Other initiatives include STEM Racing, in which more than 29,000 schools participate annually, and the British Council’s Learning Sectors education programme, which supports STEM learning. Formula 1 said more than 700 schools across the UK, South Africa, India and Brazil participated in the latter programme.

The social impact report is intended to provide a consolidated account of the sport’s education, skills-development and community initiatives. Formula 1 said it would strengthen its approach to measuring and reporting results to assess the longer-term value of these programmes.

The renewed engineering scholarship forms part of that wider strategy, focusing on the financial and professional barriers that can restrict access to university-level engineering and subsequent careers in motorsport.

For Oxford, the extension means that eligible engineering offer-holders will continue to have access to a programme that combines degree funding with industry exposure. The next phase will run through the 2028/29 academic year, with 10 new scholars to be supported annually across the five participating universities.