Britain’s motorsport business community is eager to get started on meeting the challenges and opportunities for growth, outlined in the UK Automotive Strategy announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable today. This places the world-class capabilities of UK motorsport companies firmly at the heart of the resurgent automotive sector, as it seeks to cement its position as a world leader in low emission vehicles over the next 25 years.
Chris Aylett, chief executive of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) which has been closely involved in the development of this strategy, said: “Our automotive industry is at the heart of advanced engineering in the UK, and this joint industry and government strategy is very welcome. It is good to see, at last, that the exceptional engineering talents of UK motorsport are recognised, and the significant role it can play in helping the British automotive industry meet its exciting objectives for more efficient, sustainable vehicles. UK motorsport, with its unique ability to deliver innovative, energy-efficient solutions and prototypes, quickly, is well placed to help meet these challenges.”
Aylett continued: “Over the last sixty years, Britain’s leaders in motorsport engineering and technology have built, autonomously, a capability that leads the world – yet that has never been fully utilised by the domestic automotive industry. The Government and the Automotive Council now declare their determination to enhance further collaboration between the motorsport sector, the automotive vehicle manufacturers and top tier suppliers, and charged the MIA to help fulfil that plan urgently. We are delighted to accept that challenge on behalf of UK motorsport.
“Motorsport programmes are driven by unending commitment to research and development, particularly across Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) four to seven, often named the ‘Valley of Death’ for technology. The UK has a weakness in the quick delivery of pre-production prototype projects to meet the demands of a fast-changing market. Speed and innovation are needed now more than ever, and motorsport will use its proven fast-response capability in lightweight, energy efficient propulsion systems and technology, to make the British automotive sector even more competitive.”
The British motorsport industry employs more than 40,000 people, with an overall turnover in excess of £8 billion. Eight of the world’s F1 teams are based in the UK’s Motorsport Valley*, as well as leading WRC, sportscar and touring car manufacturers and teams.
