Chris Tagnon, who is currently studying an MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management (ISMM) at the Institute for Manufacturing, is one of 8 graduates of Black and mixed Black ethnic backgrounds to be awarded a Masters in Motorsports scholarship.

Presented by The Royal Academy of Engineering and Sir Lewis Hamilton’s charitable foundation Mission 44, each recipient receives £28k to study for a Masters in motorsport engineering or associated discipline.

“Being awarded the scholarship is such a great feeling” says Chris, “especially with the link to Lewis Hamilton. I’ve been passionate about motorsports since I was a kid, and he has been an idol of mine throughout my journey to this point. I’m so excited to be a part of this initiative and the doors it will open.”

Mission 44 was founded to build a fairer, more inclusive future for young people in underserved communities through grant-making, research and advocacy. The Masters in Motorsports Scholarships aim to help address the under-representation of Black and mixed Black ethnic engineers and accelerate the rate of progress of change.

“I have been focussed on a career in motorsports since I started my academic journey. I was previously a part of the Accelerate 25 Mentorship Programme, which aims to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue a career in STEM subjects, and undertook a placement in the Performance and Simulation department at Red Bull in Vehicle Dynamics and Performance Engineering during my undergraduate studies. I was recommended the scholarship from my mentor and chose the ISMM course for the broad overview of manufacturing and management, in particular the ability to learn and develop transferrable skills that can be applied to the motorsports sector” explains Chris.

The new awardees were welcomed to the programme at a special event on 11 November at the Formula 1® Exhibition at Excel London, where the scholars had the opportunity to have a Q&A session with engineers from Formula 1® and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team. In addition, the scholarship also offers awardees the benefit of several networking events throughout the year, where they will have the opportunity to meet industry professionals and gain additional experience and knowledge about the sector.

“Motorsports has some of the most innovative and cutting-edge manufacturing facilities, with the ability to produce custom, ultra-specialised and precision parts for some of the most well-engineered cars in the world. After ISMM, I would like to work at the intersection of motorsports and wider industry, bridging the gap and applying the specialised engineering know-how to impactful applications, like venture development in aerospace, energy or clean mobility” says Chris, “but the ultimate dream is to be a team principal in Formula 1® – there are only 10 in the world!”.

Find out more about Mission 44 and how it is building a fairer and more inclusive future for people around the world: https://mission44.org/