Celebrating the inaugural season of the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award

Formula 1 thrives on relentless excellence and innovation, and the sport’s global platform offers an incredible opportunity to drive positive change in the places it races.

Earlier this year, F1 announced its multi-year partnership with Allwyn – the world’s leading lottery-led entertainment and gaming company – based on a shared passion and ability to support communities. Together, in the first season of their official partnership, they launched the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award to recognise and fund local community efforts.

The F1 Allwyn Global Community Award, established in June 2025, puts local community-focused initiatives on a global stage, celebrating the powerful, positive impact they have on society.

It was designed to provide tangible support to deserving non-profit organisations, charities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), by recognising initiatives that deliver measurable impact or focus on at least one of the following areas:

• Empowerment and inclusion
• Education and opportunity
• Health and wellbeing
• Sustainability and innovation

2025 saw four winners selected by a rotating panel of judges based on representatives from Formula 1, Allwyn, and the local race promoter. Each winner received a generous €100,000 donation, courtesy of Allwyn, along with a prestigious trophy – presented in front of cheering crowds on the F1 Fanzone stage – and an unforgettable trip to a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

See all four F1 Allwyn Global Community Award winners below...

Dutch Grand Prix – Stichting HandicapNL

The very first F1 Allwyn Global Community Award was presented in August ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Stichting HandicapNL was recognised for its essential work in transforming event accessibility for the two million people with disabilities in the Netherlands.

The organisation’s efforts – which include providing specialised information and upgrading facilities – break down barriers and create a more inclusive society for all fans.

Accepting the award from Stichting HandicapNL was Jan Willem Koopman, who was presented the trophy on the F1 Fanzone stage in front of the accessible stand his organisation helped implement.

Koopman explained their shared goal to help people with disabilities access and inclusively attend a whole event, from start to finish – whether that’s an F1 race or a concert – and that the donation will ensure that four additional major events become more accessible.

United States Grand Prix – Girlstart

The next award was presented at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas to Girlstart – an Austin-based national organisation dedicated to engaging young girls in exploring STEM subjects.

The organisation provides hands-on programmes led by all-female mentors, directly addressing the historical under-representation of women in STEM careers.

The initiative has worked closely with F1 for years, bringing STEM to life at COTA through hands-on experiences that include robot coding and behind-the-scenes access to race technology and engineers. The young girls even got the opportunity to meet drivers like Lewis Hamilton.

During the race weekend, award recipient Shane Woods ensured that the next generation believed they had the potential to change the world through STEM – and thanks to the grant, they’ll be able to extend their programme with more teachers, training and supplies to reach over 1250 girls in Central Texas – while inspiring even more young girls in the future.

Mexico City Grand Prix – The John Langdon Down Foundation

The third award was presented to The John Langdon Down Foundation. The Mexico City-based institution was chosen for its pioneering integrated care and education programme dedicated to promoting the human rights, dignity, and potential of people with Down Syndrome.

The Allwyn donation will support 89 children aged six-18 and assist an estimated 445 family members with training and support, aiming to break down systemic barriers and improve social inclusion – ultimately shifting perceptions about the capabilities of people with Down Syndrome in society.

The foundation has a long-standing relationship with Formula 1, which has included opening opportunities for its students to take part in fun, inclusive games and activities at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, such as meeting drivers and testing their skills in racing simulators.

Prof. Sylvia Garcia Escamilla, president of The John Langdon Down Foundation, was presented her award by an emotional Federico Gonzalez Compean (the Grand Prix’s Director General), and expressed her gratitude for being able to implement a more integrated support system to foster greater inclusion in Mexico and beyond.

Las Vegas Grand Prix – Green Our Planet

The final award of the season was presented ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to Green Our Planet, which was recognised for its innovative HydroConnect programme that tackles food security and access to high-quality STEM education.

The initiative uses hydroponic systems – the world’s most water-efficient form of farming – to teach students how to grow food while mastering STEM, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.

Green Our Planet runs the largest hydroponics programme in the United States, operating in over 1,400 schools and impacting over 500,000 students. Formula 1’s support includes serving as the presenting sponsor of Green Our Planet’s Giant Student Farmers Market, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix team even installed a hydrophobic micro farm at the track, underscoring its commitment to sustainability.

The judges acknowledged how its important work could help inspire a future generation of sustainability and community leaders, and were incredibly proud to present Ciara Byrne with her award among the glamour of the Las Vegas Strip.

Looking ahead to 2026

The inaugural season laid a strong foundation for the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award, successfully spotlighting four exceptional initiatives and granting €100,000 per race from Allwyn to create a tangible impact.

Together, Formula 1 and Allwyn are actively exploring plans to extend the reach of the award for 2026, with the potential to cover even more races on the calendar and celebrate even more projects that are making a meaningful difference to communities around the world. They’re even exploring ways to integrate fans more, allowing the sport’s global audience to have greater involvement.

The success of the debut season truly demonstrates the power of the partnership in achieving global community impact.

Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, said: “With our shared commitment to positive change, our first year in partnership with Allwyn has truly shown the difference we can make when we come together.

"The competition for each of the awards has been exceptionally high and we thank everyone who has been involved, from the charities for their incredible work, through to our dedicated promoters, and of course Allwyn for their vision and dedication.

"The winning charities clearly demonstrated the passion they have for their causes, from supporting those with disabilities to improving education and wellbeing. We are confident that they will make great use of the €100,000 prize they each received and grasp the opportunity this award gives them to further raise their profile.

"This is just the start of our partnership with Allwyn, and I can’t wait to see the difference we can make together next year.”

Pavel Turek, Chief Officer Global Partnerships at Allwyn, added: “Allwyn is a leading lottery-led entertainment and gaming company renowned for its commitment to social responsibility. Supporting positive impact is fundamental to our purpose and our partnership with Formula 1 is the perfect opportunity to bring our shared commitment to a huge global audience.

"It is a great privilege to help these four exceptional initiatives continue their community endeavours, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to help recognise even more work next year.”