Lewis Hamilton’s Mission 44 charity partners with Festival of Speed

It’s no secret that the world of motorsport, and Formula 1 most famously, has struggled to nurture a more diverse community. The costs involved with entering the business have historically limited opportunities to individuals with a substantial financial background, while lesser access to the highest levels of education and encouragement in STEM subjects has further narrowed the pool of talent for the sport to tap into.

Hamilton maintains his status as the only black driver to ever race in F1, and he remains one of an astonishingly low number of people of colour involved in the sport more generally. 

And it’s not just race at the heart of this issue. A female driver hasn’t featured at a Grand Prix since Giovanna Amati in 1992, but you have to go back to Lella Lombardi in 1976 for the last time a woman actually started a race. 

Opportunity is the key word here. Who’s to say how many women or people of colour possess the talent to become a World Champion? But without the opportunities for them to showcase that potential, it’s impossible to know.

Hamilton’s mission for diversity in F1

Hamilton’s ambition for change was spurred by the lack of diversity he saw in his Mercedes team’s 2019 end-of-year photo. Inspired by the struggles he faced in his youth and the barriers he had been forced to break down throughout his career at the pinnacle of motorsport, he set up The Hamilton Commission to develop a deeper understanding of the underrepresentation of black people in the industry. 

The outcomes of that ten-month process, completed alongside The Royal Academy of Engineering, formed the basis of what would become Mission 44. 

Five years on, the charity is now an international organisation with around 30 employees, working with numerous partners to engage with 550,000 young people across the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Brazil, but the vision and drive of Lewis Hamilton remains at the core.

While growing up in humble circumstances, Hamilton struggled with dyslexia throughout his school life. He was wrongly excluded during his final year of education, a moment that could well have ended his hopes of a future in motorsport, but the decision was ultimately overturned.

Mission 44 CEO Jason Arthur has become a close ally of Hamilton’s as he seeks to deliver the seven-time World Champion’s vision for change, and we caught up with him ahead of the Festival of Speed to find out more about what Mission 44 is working on, and what we can expect from the event’s Official Charity Partner for 2026. 

Driving real change, not just in motorsport

Arthur, who only met Hamilton for the first time five years ago, has developed a deep understanding of exactly what it is that the seven-time Champion is trying to achieve.

“For him those experiences as a young person, before entering a very expensive, elite sport where there are no other black drivers, has meant that he’s always focused on inclusion. Talent is everywhere, and he’s the perfect epitome of talent, but opportunity isn’t. 

“What we’re really looking at is what is happening within motorsport at the moment. Why aren’t we seeing greater diversity there, particularly for people within the black community? When The Hamilton Commission finished, I think Lewis wanted to put his money where his mouth was.” 

He put £20million into the foundation of Mission 44, and immediately got to work driving change, “not just within motorsport but systemically in education, in pathways into STEM.”

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths; a focused approach taken by schools and universities to encourage the development of skills that are vital in a modern technical landscape — the kind of skills that young people will need to embrace if they fancy a career in motorsport. 

Mission 44 invests in grassroots organisations and education charities, and works closely with policy makers in government to try and influence thinking when it comes to the provision of STEM and wider education. 

“Our mission is ultimately to transform young people’s lives, to make sure they feel included in their schools, so they can thrive there, and then gain access to great careers in STEM,” Arthur said.

There’s also a focus on the behaviours of employers. Once these young people have completed their training; they need to have the right doors opened for them to make the most of it. 

So far, Mission 44 has invested millions of pounds in organisations that can actively improve the education system for disadvantaged young people. It has also provided scholarships for those who have shown a keen interest and aptitude for a career in motorsport. 

Thirteen scholarships have given young people the opportunities to study engineering at master’s level and engage with F1 teams to gain a clearer understanding of the potential career pathways open to them. Eight of those 13 have since secured jobs in motorsport. 

That investment has also gone towards forming future legislation, Arthur explained. Together with partners, Mission 44 designed a campaign to engage the Prime Minister and the Education Secretary, something Arthur said resulted in commitments made by the government. 

Pushing for progress all over the world

At the core of this work, however, is a strong community of motivated organisations that are all striving for measurable and meaningful change. 

“We work with 43 brilliant charity partners,” Arthur explained, “and we collaborate with other funders who are interested in education opportunities or progression into STEM.

We would love to see more people in this space, but there are some pretty great leaders — great leaders of colour actually, not just in the UK but in the US and Brazil. Our job is to empower them, not just to duplicate effort.” 

“One of our key activities is finding charities and grassroots organisations to invest in who can raise the aspirations of young people, whether that’s girls or young people of colour who might not think that STEM is the place for them.” 

Among those organisations is upReach, which focuses its attention on assisting undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds to access improved career opportunities, and the Association for Black Engineers, which goes into schools to provide extracurricular opportunities for students. 

And it’s not just Hamilton’s financial support that’s helping to deliver results; his obvious ties with F1 are also generating opportunities for young people to engage with. His current Ferrari team have offered access to the garage during race weekends, while other partners have provided STEM activities at Grands Prix. 

“He’s super engaged for a guy who’s travelling to 20-odd countries every year racing for his day job,” Arthur said. “He’ll be feeding into our strategy, he’s meeting with a group of young people at the Miami Grand Prix and learning about their experiences.  

“He supports us with fund raising; we’re visiting a school with him in the middle of May. He influences our strategy, but he’s also been clear that Mission 44 needs to stand on its own two feet.”

Mission 44 is looking to the future

The plan for progress is clear. After five years, Mission 44 currently engages with 550,000 young people, and Arthur states the target for ten years is to reach five million under-represented people all over the world.  

“Success for us means more young people in STEM jobs, more young people studying STEM at higher education and further education. When it comes to schools, we want more young people to feel a sense of belonging, to be attending school, because too many young people are not in school at the moment. They’re either being excluded or staying at home, and we want to see them achieving.

“Ultimately, we want young people to be able to fulfil their potential and succeed.  We think about the journey of a young person in education, we want them to feel as though they belong. We want them to access the jobs of the future, the jobs that are going to be shaping our economies.

“We will hold ourselves accountable to the degree to which our work directly and indirectly leads to more young people from under-represented groups getting jobs in STEM and motorsport, and how many of those young people feel a greater sense of belonging and are attending school. 

“In terms of the enablers for that, are we seeing more diverse teachers who have a better understanding of how to support young people from vulnerable backgrounds? Are we seeing more employers making commitments to improve their recruitment and retention? 

“We want to see better outcomes for those young people, but we want to make sure that the people around those young people are doing the right things in a very thoughtful and structured way.” 

Mission 44 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Collaboration with events like the Festival of Speed are essential for amplifying Mission 44’s message. Never before has motorsport been the subject of such mainstream popularity, and Arthur’s optimism for the future is clear as he looks ahead to what’s next. 

“We’re hoping to use it as an opportunity for attendees to learn about Mission 44, but also to create opportunities for young people to explore motorsport, get excited about the sport and some of the careers that exist within it.”

Mission 44 will have a substantial presence at the 2026 Festival of Speed, where visitors will be able to learn about the charity’s work at its stand in the all-new FOS Fan Zone, where they will also be hosting a series of panel discussions on the main stage. Furthermore, Mission 44 is bringing 60 young people to the event, giving them a closer insight into the world of motorsport and its STEM career opportunities.  

This charity’s work aligns perfectly with what Goodwood is trying to achieve with its STEM showcase within FOS Future Lab presented by Randox, so this is the perfect partnership for parties to amplify an extremely important message. You’ll be able to learn more, and donate to Mission 44, throughout all four days of the Festival of Speed.

Tickets for the Festival of Speed are limited. Friday, Saturday and four-day passes are now sold out and Thursday tickets are selling fast. If you’re not already part of the GRRC, joining the Fellowship means you can save ten per cent on your 2026 tickets and grandstand passes, as well as enjoy a whole host of other on-event perks.

Main image courtesy of Getty Images.