TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex attend British F1 Grand Prix and thank McLaren for their support of Do It 4 Youth and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Earl and Countess of Wessex attended the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone today to watch the British leg of the F1 Grand Prix and thank McLaren Racing for the support of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award charity.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex met with Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo and the whole McLaren Racing team to thank them for their support and wish them and all the drivers in the British F1 Grand Prix the best of luck as they compete in the first F1 race this year that is fully open to the public.

McLaren Racing is joining forces with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to encourage everyone to take part in the charity’s new fundraising challenge ‘Do It 4 Youth’. The key themes behind the challenge are core values shared by both McLaren and DofE: resilience, teamwork and mental wellbeing, and the vital funds raised through the campaign will help enable a million more young people from the hardest hit communities to take part in DofE across the UK, regardless of their background.

The McLaren MCL35M driven by Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo has proudly carried The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award logo during the British Grand Prix weekend.

Lando Norris, McLaren Formula 1 driver, said: “At McLaren, we share many of the same values as the DofE, with teamwork, commitment, resilience and self-belief important to our success as a team, so it’s great to be working together. It was great to meet the young people who are doing their Award and hear about their experiences. I’m excited to get involved in this new challenge, Do It 4 Youth, and encourage others to take part. The past year has been difficult for so many young people, so this is a great way to get active, challenge yourself and raise important funds to help more young people discover their strengths and support physical and mental wellbeing.’”

Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the UK said: “The need for the DofE has never been greater. The effect of the pandemic means young people are facing unprecedented challenges like unemployment, rising mental health issues, missing out on education and deepening inequality. Young people are facing an uncertain future and the DofE offers them the chance to take on their own challenges, to follow their own passions, discover new skills and talents that they never knew they had – all of this helps build their resilience so they can take on whatever life throws their way.”

“It is 65 years since HRH The Duke of Edinburgh founded the charity and the DofE has had a huge positive impact on millions of lives. We want to continue to build on that legacy ensuring every young person, especially those from the toughest backgrounds, can take part in the DofE.”

Zak Brown CEO, McLaren Racing, said: “We are delighted to be working with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to help raise awareness and funds for the incredible work the charity does with young people, work that has never been more vital. Young people across the UK are struggling to cope post-lockdown, and the DofE is a powerful way for any young person to build belief in themselves. We want to help raise £1 million for young people from the toughest backgrounds to gain the confidence, skills and experience they need. We’d love our fans to get involved in their own ‘Do It 4 Youth’ challenge this summer and raise money to help make a real difference to the lives of young people by giving them new opportunities through The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.”