The Accelerate 25 programme was announced by Mercedes at the end of the 2020 season “after a considerable amount of study, research and work […] to deepen our understanding in this area and develop our culture and practices,” with the target for at least 25% of all new starters at our team to come from under-represented groups.”
This came six months after the Hamilton Commission was launched by the seven-time champion Lewis, which after a year of research made ten recommendations, including calling “on those in leadership positions to work harder to show Black children that STEM subjects, engineering and motorsport ARE for them, and to excite them about the opportunities that they offer.”
In addition to this F1 has announced its own diversity and inclusion programme, with ten scholarships put on offer across six universities.
Now Mercedes has further added to its push with Sutton. The Trust was set up by Sir Steven Lampl, a Viennese immigrant, educated as a child in the UK before a successful career in private equity, who then set out on mission in later life to ensure others from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds as himself could get the same opportunities.
“I am delighted to welcome the Sutton Trust as the newest partner for our Accelerate 25 programme,” said Mercedes team’s Chief Paul Mills.
“Working together, we hope to enable talented young people to take the next step in progressing their educational ambitions and careers, hopefully encouraging many of these students into the STEM fields through their experiences and interactions with our team. There is a significant amount of work to do to bridge the education gap for those from disadvantaged groups, and I very much hope the work we do with the Sutton Trust will pave a way for more young people to access a high-quality education.”