BWT Alpine Formula One Team was delighted to welcome England Rugby’s Ellie Kildunne to its Enstone factory today to kick off British Grand Prix week at Silverstone.

Ellie is a special guest of the team this weekend at the iconic Silverstone Circuit for one of British sport’s most special events on the calendar.

New to Formula One, Ellie was keen to understand the detail behind the sport as she looks ahead to enjoying Formula One up close this Sunday, where the team prepares for Round Nine of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

Ellie was greeted at Enstone by a number of enthusiastic employees from the team’s Women in Motorsport group for a factory tour before she addressed staff in a Q&A session centred around winning culture and key dynamics of team sport. Ellie is widely regarded as one of Britain’s most talented athletes having been a key player in England’s Red Roses rugby union squad.

She finished in second place in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2025, Britain’s most prestigious sporting award, pipped by Alpine Formula One investor Rory McIlroy to top spot. Ellie had a stellar 2025, a memorable year for the women’s Rugby star where she played a vital role in England’s Rugby World Cup success.

After her staff address, hosted by broadcaster Rachel Brookes, Ellie met with the team’s F1 Academy Driver, Nina Gademan who is preparing for the latest round of the series on the Formula One undercard at Silverstone. Nina showed Ellie a simulator and took her through some exercises related to the sport before exchanging words of motivation as Nina looks to add to her one victory so far this season.

To conclude her visit, Ellie met with Race Driver Franco Colapinto who shared what it’s like to race a Formula One car and how he is preparing for Silverstone this weekend.

Dave Greenwood, Racing Director:

“As the team’s Diversity and Inclusion sponsor, it is always a huge pleasure to welcome special guests to Enstone and it was great to have Ellie with us today. She has had an incredible 12 months so it was invaluable to hear of her experiences and for staff members to feel inspired by her stories. We look forward to having Ellie with us on race day at Silverstone where we aim for another good on-track result.”

Ellie Kildunne

“Having seen some behind the scenes of Formula One today, it is safe to say I am more than impressed into how amazing the sport is. I must admit, my knowledge for Formula One is quite limited so it was interesting to understand how it all works. There is just so much which goes into designing and creating two cars! There are certainly some parallels to my sport, rugby, where we have so many elements which you often don’t see in creating a successful environment. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the cars and drivers in action on Sunday and also supporting Nina in the F1 Academy race!”