Formula 1's Williams Racing team is bringing its first-ever North American summer camp to Austin next year, giving local kids ages 9 to 11 a weeklong crash course in motorsport engineering. Campers will build small-scale race cars, hop into racing simulators, and tackle engineering challenges designed and led by actual Williams F1 team members.
Why Austin Got the Nod
Williams F1 selected Austin as its inaugural camp location because of the city's growing reputation as a motorsports destination, according to WFAA. Circuit of the Americas, just outside the city, hosts major international racing events including Formula 1 and MotoGP, cementing Central Texas as a hub for the sport. That status got a long-term boost last October, when Formula 1, Travis County and COTA finalized a contract extension securing the United States Grand Prix in Austin through 2034, according to Community Impact, making it the longest-tenured active U.S. venue on the F1 calendar.
The camp announcement lands the same weekend as this year's United States Grand Prix in Austin, per the same report. Williams is previewing the program now at its Fan Zone at 800 Congress Ave., which runs through Saturday, October 24 and features STEM challenges, racing simulators and reaction tests families can try out firsthand. Families can also speak with camp representatives on-site and learn about registration, though organizers have not yet announced registration dates, pricing or specific dates for the summer 2027 camp — interested families can join an official waitlist for updates instead.
A Camp Built Around STEM, Not Just Speed
Williams F1 team education lead Katherine Solomon said the best way to inspire future engineers and innovators is to offer hands-on STEM learning, per the station's report. Organizers say the activities are designed to develop teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills, combining Formula 1 racing with science and engineering education rather than treating the camp as a mere fan experience.
The approach is already well established on the other side of the Atlantic. Williams F1 runs STEM education initiatives at its headquarters in Oxfordshire, England, and more than 25,000 young people have participated in its educational experiences across the United Kingdom, the outlet notes. The team welcomed over 13,000 students to its Grove headquarters in 2025 alone through fully funded day programs, according to The Manufacturer, which also reports that interest in engineering rose from 52% to 87%.
From Classroom to Career Pipeline
For Williams, the youth outreach isn't just goodwill — it feeds the team's own talent pool. The team's Early Careers programs account for 12% of Williams' workforce, according to Grand Prix 247. Williams plans to offer new Fan Zone learning experiences and North American camps from 2027, according to the same report.
The Austin activation also fits into a broader pattern of growth for Williams in North America. Williams is holding an October Fan Zone at 800 Congress Avenue. The event comes amid a surge in American interest in the sport: Formula 1 averaged a record 1.3 million U.S. television viewers per race on ESPN during the 2025 season, a 135% jump over 2018, according to Racer, before American broadcast rights shifted to Apple TV this year.
Backing From Austin's Booming Race Economy
Williams' private investment in Austin comes against the backdrop of a race weekend that local tourism officials say is an economic juggernaut. Visit Austin estimated last October that the annual Formula 1 race weekend generates up to $1 billion in local economic impact, contributing more than $10 billion to Central Texas since COTA opened, according to KVUE.
Williams Racing itself has undergone a financial transformation in recent years. New York-based private equity firm Dorilton Capital acquired the team in August 2020 for $200 million, and the team's valuation has since climbed to an estimated $2.5 billion as of this past July, per The Race. Texas's motorsports footprint is also expanding beyond Austin: the NTT INDYCAR Series opened single-day ticket sales this month for the 2027 Grand Prix of Arlington, according to INDYCAR.
