Jessica Hawkins, head of Aston Martin’s Formula One Academy, racing driver and ambassador, is perched on a stool atop the rooftop container at Aston Martin’s Silverstone office. They’ve transformed their outside space in the English countryside into ‘The Lawn’, a hospitality space for a three-day event hosting friends, family and guests of the F1 team during the F1 British Grand Prix. There are barbecues, live performances from the likes of Tinie Tempah, gourmet food, Glenfiddich on tap and, of course, Elemis goodie bags. It’s only a five-minute walk from the roar of the Silverstone circuit, and yet miles away in terms of what one might assume goes on at the British Grand Prix. 

To clear the air, I turned to Jess, asking her to explain what exactly F1 is for those who may not be familiar. “It’s 20 of the most elite drivers in the world, athletes even, in a fiercely competitive championship where teams go head-to-head against one another to claim the drivers’ championships, but also to claim the best team,” she explains. “It’s the World Championship. So it doesn’t get any harder. The technology and innovation and development behind it are incredible. It’s not only a race against drivers, it’s a race in technology as well. It’s the elite of all elite sports”.

F1 isn’t just a sport; it’s also seemingly a mania for the legion of fans who spend days camping to just get the split-second glimpse of these top-speed cars buzzing past. For others, it’s an exclusive club you pay handsomely to get into. The helicopters buzz by like flies throughout the entire weekend, dropping off some of the more extravagant attendees. For the drivers, Jessica reminds me, it is an endurance test and no easy task. “I think it’s overlooked how fit drivers need to be. I think a lot of people see them just sitting in a car, turning a steering wheel and pressing a few pedals. But really, you have to be so insanely fit, dealing with the heat. The races can be quite long. G forces on your body are a lot, a lot, and they get higher and higher as you go through the ranks.”

My arrival into this world began before the wheels of my transfer had even hit the M1. In Piccadilly Circus, I spotted a horde of fans queuing up to have their turn on a race car simulator. Then, Slawn was announced as the world’s first artist to paint an F1 vehicle. I even spotted him in the small crowd gearing up for their Hot Lap session, a ride around in a supercar by a driver who takes you scarily close to the speeds of an F1 car.

“We’re crossing cultures and we’re going into music, sport, more fashion and entertainment. So, you can most definitely expect more music collaborations, building on top of Tems, Rolling Stone, Dave... you know, the amazing things we have done so far this year,” says Aston Martin CMO, Rob Bloom, in response to whether we will see Aston Martin work in equally creative ways. This British Grand Prix, they have a focus on the beauty sector with collaborations and activations with Elemis. They also had an ‘Aston Matcha’ pop-up in Covent Garden. “You can expect to see us delivering on a promise of more cultural crossovers outside the category conventions, because that’s where the breadth and the amazing sport of F1 really comes to life in ways that are relevant and meaningful for the global fanbase.” 

The cars, in all their technical glory, are like pinboards for brands. Every curve, every aerofoil, tattooed with sponsors. A lady in the media lounge tells me that a lot of the brands often sponsor with the intention of getting into the prized Paddock Club, as opposed to any real return on advertising investment. The Paddock Club, F1’s premium hospitality offering, is situated right atop the garages of each F1 team, overlooking the Pit Lane where the cars rush off to complete their laps. Spaces are limited, with prices starting at £850 and reaching highs of nearly £15,000. The Aston Matcha begins to make a lot more sense in terms of barrier to entry. Nowadays, everybody can get a taste of the action. 

I am one of the chosen few, clutching my Paddock lanyards like little laminated badges of honour. In the Paddock, you might bump into a rushed Gordon Ramsay who’ll take near ten on-the-go selfies with fans, Tom Holland might bounce past with a smile, or, if you’re extra lucky, Charles Leclerc might give you a humble smile as he’s ushered away from the garage to his next pitstop. You can’t get much closer to the action. 

F1 is open to all, and that’s really important. We want diversity of thought and experiences in our team

The Fan Forecourt is a spectacle in itself. A DJ, perched precariously on scaffolding, blasts the masses with DnB remixes of “Come Together, Right Now” and house anthems. But this isn’t a rave; this is a good chance for a glimpse of Lando Norris or a rare up-close and personal sighting of Lewis Hamilton. On the lawns, the “lads and dads” are stripped to the waist, sun-worshipping in their deckchairs. Families have brought the kids out. The English summer heat is clear, sharp, the shade a fleeting but blissful reprieve. All the while, the dulcet tones of Silverstone 87.7 serenade our every step through speakers placed all across the walking paths on site. Everyone seems to be turning up and getting involved.

The sport, it turns out, is a magnet for the young. Bloom puts it succinctly: “All brands have to think about younger audiences, because if you don’t, your brand dies out.” This isn’t just a general concern about brand ageing, but a strategic move at the sporting level. With the success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive and new races in the US like Las Vegas and Miami, “the sport is growing so brilliantly right now, to a point of having over 850 million fans worldwide.” And here's the kicker: “If you look at markets in the US, the fastest-growing demographic is your 18- to 24-year-old audience. Interestingly, over 50 per cent of that audience is female, which is pushing against established category conventions in sport, which tends to skew more male.”

Aston Martin’s F1 team was formed in 2021. They see a huge opportunity to engage these new fans, recognising that they are on TikTok and have other areas of interest, like music, fashion, art and culture. Right now, Aston Martin’s own TikTok has amassed an impressive 2.4 million followers, with videos of their drivers and teams taking part in trending TikTok dances, responding to fan comments and ‘day in the life’ vlogs from the mechanics. They lean in to welcome them to the sport and make viewers “part of the F1 story.”

But the brand has always had a crossover into culture (most famously associated with James Bond). These new ventures are about being true to their essence as a culturally relevant brand outside of the automotive and F1 space. As Bloom notes, “[with] any brand now, you have to have the humility and the awareness of modern fan behaviour and consumer behaviour to recognise that there are millions of fans on TikTok. Fans are no longer on the sidelines. They’re shaping the culture. We see it. We love it.”

When asked about how one gets into driving, Hawkins shares her own journey. “I was a young kid and I saw a go-kart circuit, and I begged my dad to let me have a go, really. And that’s how it all started.” It was never supposed to be a career: “It just kind of happened.” For aspiring drivers, she says, “karting is probably the best place to start. To be honest, it’s definitely where most Formula One drivers originate from.” For those a bit older or just looking for fun, “track days are always great.” While some people pick it up fast and others take longer, “seat time is important for any driver. You know, no one gets to where they are without a lot of seat time.” There are also spaces like the F1 Academy, which provides a platform for young female drivers to hone their skills and gain crucial experience, helping them develop and progress on their climb up the motorsport ladder.

Hawkins has witnessed significant change in F1, particularly with “more females being into scenes over the last few years.” She recalls a time when she could think of maybe five women on one hand. Not many of them were figureheads in the sport, “but now there are so many.” While the ratio still isn’t where it needs to be, it’s “a lot further forward”. She believes they are on the right track to get more women into the sport, noting “there’s now a platform for young females to look up to in the Academy, and there’s been lots of visibility for women with the help of Aston Martin as well”. Her own F1 test inspired lots of young women.

The message is clear. As Bloom summarises: “F1 is open to all, and that’s really important. We want diversity of thought and experiences in our team.”