Milton Keynes College's Formula One apprentices meet Prime Minister to celebrate 75 years of motorsport
Milton Keynes College apprentices, who are all working in Formula One, met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as part of celebrations of 75 years of motorsport.
The group of students, who are all working in Formula One, celebrated the milestone birthday for the sport with a visit to Downing Street.
During the visit they met Sir Keir as well as famous names within Formula One, including Sir Jackie Stewart, a former British Formula One driver who won three World Championships in the sport during the 1960s and 1970s.
Among the apprentices on the visit was Miah Wilson, an apprentice machinist at Red Bull Racing, who earlier this year was the youngest-ever finalist at the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards.
Reflecting on the experience Miah said: “Visiting number 10 was an honour and a privilege.
“Seeing likeminded apprentices and others coming together at Downing Street to celebrate 75 years of F1 is an experience I will never forget.”
The group were led on the visit by Jordan Smith, an engineering workplace trainer at Milton Keynes College Group, who said: “The apprentices were quite nervous at the beginning, so I asked them who they’d most like to speak to, and they said Sir Jackie Stewart, so we just walked up and said hello.
“The apprentices are all big fans, but he was so nice to them.
“He told them they are the future of the motorsport industry, that they should be proud of their part in it, and he even thanked them for being involved.”
Milton Keynes has a rich motorsport heritage with the city currently home to the base and factory of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, which has won six constructors and eight drivers championships throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
The college’s connections with Formula One continued over the weekend with its catering and hospitality students spending three days preparing, cooking and serving food for guests at the British Racing Drivers Club marquee in Silverstone.
In a post on social media the college described it as an incredible opportunity for the students writing: “From high-pressure kitchens to top-tier service, the students gained real industry experience, developed new skills, and absolutely smashed it.”