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Welcome to the biggest hub of motor racing in the world: the Motorsport Valley. Also known as Silicon Fen, Motorsport Valley® refers to the cluster of firms based around Oxfordshire and the Midlands involved in supplying cutting-edge technology to Formula One, Formula E and many other motorsport sectors. They dominate the design and manufacture of components used in the majority of the world’s racing categories today.

The valley is also home to some of the world’s biggest and most recognised racing teams. It’s within the geography of this valley that science and technology take the forefront in pioneering the next big innovations in motorsports. The UK has won more Formula One titles than any other nation in history!

Itching for a taste of what the Motorsport Valley has to offer? Don’t worry, we got you covered! Here is a list of key unmissable motorsport experiences and events in the area and the UK.

1. Goodwood Members Meeting

Goodwood Motor Circuit, ~ Early-April

A weekend of thrilling racing and demonstrations from the finest historic and modern cars accompanied by a tremendous outdoor party with live music, stunning fireworks and a buzzing food market. More info here.

2. Formula 1 British GP

Silverstone, ~ Mid-July

Silverstone plays hosts every year to a race that’s the apex of all motorsports: Formula 1. The weekend also sees itself hosting the Formula 2 & Formula 3 races. More info here.

3. Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional

Buckinghamshire, ~Mid-July

Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional celebrates the cars that were the workhorses of their day: the base model saloons, hatchbacks and estates that were sold in their millions between roughly 1968 and 1989, and are now so rare. More Info.

4. Silverstone Classic 

Silverstone, ~Late-July

The weekend provides spectacular historic motor racing, free access to the paddocks and grandstands, displays from over 100 car clubs featuring more than 10,000 classic cars, plus interactive driving activities and dynamic demonstrations. More Info

5. MotoGP British Grand Prix 

Silverstone, ~Late August

Silverstone will play hosts to the British round of the MotoGP world championship in what promises to be an incredible 2019 season. The MotoGP race at Silverstone will be the pinnacle of two-wheel racing in the UK in 2019. More Info

6. FIA World Endurance Championship 

Silverstone, Dates vary every year

The 4 Hours of Silverstone is a great opportunity to witness the Spirit of Le Mans in the United Kingdom. Expect more cars, more racing, famous drivers and lots to see and do on and off track! More Info

7. Goodwood Revival 

Goodwood, ~Early September

Every September the Revival recreates the golden era of Goodwood Motor Circuit, between 1948 and 1966. This extraordinary event assembles the most significant racing cars and motorcycles along with legendary drivers and riders from the past and stars of today. More Info

8. Kop Hill Climb Festival 

Buckinghamshire, ~Mid-September

Kop Hill Climb Festival is your chance to get up close and personal with historic cars and bikes in action — admire their beauty and chat with their owners– the full experience. The event is set in a beautifully relaxed location with a real family friendly village atmosphere. More Info

(Source: https://www.driving.co.uk/news/events/uk-motoring-events-festivals-calendar-2019/)

9. Regent Street Motor Show

London, ~Early November

The annual Regent Street Motor Show is a unique free-to-view London motor show, previewing the famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and the Veteran Car Concours d’Elegance. The event takes place on a traffic-free Regent Street from Piccadilly to Oxford Circus. More Info

Here are some of the ways you can get inspired on your visit to Motorsport Valley. 

1. Silverstone Driving Experience 

A track day at one of the world’s most legendary circuits in some of the world’s fastest cars would seem like any motorhead’s dream come true. It’s time to put on your racing suits because this dream can become a reality. More Info

2. Motorsport Valley Tour 

July 15th — 16th 2019

The tour gives you first hand access to the ultra-secretive world of Formula 1. The expertly-curated two-day event will give participants an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with 3 leading Formula 1 teams — Red Bull Racing, Williams and McLaren. More Info

3. Track days and Racing experiences

There are several driving experiences that happen year-round within Motorsport Valley involving a wide range of cars and tracks to choose from. Here are some service providers that can arrange these thrilling experiences for you:
> https://www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk/driving
> https://www.trackdays.co.uk/driving-experience/
> https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/experiences

4. Sim Racing

The Race Hut located in Oxford features 16 state of the art triple-monitor racing simulators to help satisfy all your sim-racing needs! Various competitive events and experiences are also held on a regular basis to keep racing enthusiasts engaged. More Info

 

Welcome to the biggest hub of motor racing in the world: the Motorsport Valley®

Also known as Silicon Fen, Motorsport Valley® refers to the cluster of firms based around Oxfordshire and the Midlands involved in supplying cutting-edge technology to Formula One, Formula E and many other motorsport sectors. They dominate the design and manufacture of components used in the majority of the world’s motor racing categories today.

The valley is also home to some of the world’s biggest and most recognised motor racing teams. It’s within the geography of this valley that science and technology take the forefront in pioneering the next big innovations in motorsports.

History of motor racing in Oxfordshire

During the Second World war, the Thames Valley became important centre for aerospace engineering owing to its location which was ideal for building and servicing aircraft. Post the war many of the airfields and their engineers were no longer needed. This concentration of engineering talent was easily transitioned into motorsport alongside the abandoned airfields which proved to be the perfect infrastructure for racetracks. These conditions were too ideal to resist, and the valley saw motorsport companies flocking down to establish themselves here. The rest as they say was history — and the Motorsport Valley® was born!

Did you know?

The name Motorsport Valley has even been trademarked by the Motorsport Industry Association, the global trade association for the motorsport industry due to its unique qualities.

“No matter where you live in Oxfordshire, 7 out of the 10 Formula 1 teams are within an hour’s drive. The majority of Formula E teams as well as many F2, F3, GT3 teams and their suppliers are based here too. If you’re looking to work in the motorsport sector, Oxfordshire is definitely the best area to do so!”

(Mátyás Nagy– F1 Motorsport Engineer and former B-Hive Living resident)

Motorsport Valley Facts

• Motorsport Valley has around 4,300 companies that employ around 41,000 people; that’s a good-sized town in motorsport alone.
• Motorsport in the UK has a turnover of £9 billion (as of 2019), which has more than doubled in the past twenty years.
• Nearly 90% of the motorsport companies in the UK export overseas and the majority of this economic activity takes place in the Motorsport Valley®.
• Motorsport Valley companies spend a colossal amount on R&D at around 25–30% of turnover — that’s even more than the pharmaceutical industry (which spends 15%).
• 15 different universities in the UK offer motorsport engineering as a specific course, and these universities are clustered around Motorsport Valley® (more on that below).

The Big Players of motor racing

Get a glimpse of some of the major companies and teams at the forefront of motor racing which are based at the valley.

Formula 1

Mercedes– Brackley, Northamptonshire

For Formula 1 fans, the name Mercedes has become synonymous with victory. Mercedes has become one of the most successful teams in recent Formula One history, having achieved consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships from 2014 to 2018.

Official Webpage.

McLaren- Woking, Surrey

The McLaren Formula 1 team has been one of the most successful teams in the sport’s history. Since the team’s inception in 1966, they have won 182 races, 12 Drivers’ Championships and 8 Constructors’ Championships.

Official Webpage

Aston Martin Redbull Racing- Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH, the popular marketing line associated with the brand — Red bull gives you wings- seems to have been put into practice on track with the team dominating motor racing weekends and making their way into several podium finishes.

Official Webpage

Renault Sport — Enstone, Oxfordshire

French auto car maker Renault is currently involved in Formula One as a constructor, under the name of Renault F1 Team. They have been associated with Formula One as both constructor and engine supplier for various periods since 1977.

Official Webpage

Did you know?

Renault was responsible for introducing the first turbo engine in Formula One with the Renault RS01 when the company became a constructor in 1977

Williams Racing F1 — Grove, Oxfordshire

Founded in 1977, the team has racked up several Grand Prix wins and championship glory. The team has also nurtured some of the greatest talents in the sportincluding Nigel Mansell, Jenson Button, Alain Prost, and Ayrton Senna.

Official Webpage

Racing point F1- Silverstone, Northamptonshire

Having the team’s base established a stone’s throw away from the legendary British racing circuit Silverstone, Racing Point F1 steadily established themselves as a midfield force under the Force India name from 2007.

Official Webpage

Formula E

Envision Virgin Racing- Silverstone, Northamptonshire

Based on prime real estate at Silverstone, the team has been a active competitor in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship since it’s very inception. Virgin Racing becomes Envision Virgin Racing for the 2018/19 season after partnering with a digital energy company: Envision Group.

Official Webpage

Panasonic Jaguar Racing- Whitley, Coventry

Having joined the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in 2016, the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team is ready to head into its third season in the series with its new Gen2 Jaguar I-TYPE 3.

Official Webpage

Did you know?

With 54kWh of usable energy, the Gen2 Formula E battery could power an average British household for more than 4 days!

NIO Formula E Team – Oxford

The NIO Formula E Team is the racing arm of Chinese car maker NIO, and the evolution of Team China Racing. The team secured the inaugural FIA Formula E Drivers’ Championship in 2015.

Official Webpage

Automotive Companies & Suppliers Around Motorsport Valley

Catch sight of some of the companies and suppliers that make Motorsport Valley a hotbed for automotive innovation and talent.

Aston Martin– Gaydon, Warwickshire

Founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin is primarily associated with the manufacturing of grand tourers and luxury sports cars. Their cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.

Official Webpage

BMW Mini– Cowley, Southeast Oxford

MINI is a British automotive marqueowned by BMW since 2000 and is responsible for pioneering the Mini Cooper — one of the most legendary small cars in automotive history. Their main plant is located right outside Oxford.

Official Webpage

Jaguar– Whitley, Coventry

Founded in 1933 by William Lyons, Jaguar is an iconic British manufacturer and the name behind some of history’s most legendary cars like the Type-E. Its operations were completely merged with Land Rover to form the Jaguar Land Rover company.

Official Webpage

Bentley– Crewe, Cheshire

Bentley is a British manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs, founded in 1919 by W.O. Bentley and H.M. Bentley. The company claims to have one clear aim — to create extraordinary cars for extraordinary customers.

Official Webpage

Prodrive– Banbury, Oxfordshire

Prodrive is a well-known British motorsport group that designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Aston Martin, Mini and Volkswagen. Prodrive first became well known for its involvement with the Subaru World Rally Team, developing championship-winning cars for Colin McRae and Richard Burns.

Official Webpage

 

 

Our Hivers are an eclectic bunch of awesome individuals from all walks of life and corners of the globe. They are open-minded professionals, entrepreneurs and digital nomads who share a lust for living well. To give you a little more insight on who Hive residents are, we interviewed one of them – Francois.

Hello everybody! My name is Francois, I am originally from South Africa. I moved to the UK at the beginning of 2019 to pursue some good career opportunity as a finance manager for a company operating in the automotive industry and my dream has always been to move closer to Europe. Now that I am settled in the UK, I would love to travel Europe and get to know more of the culture and diversity of the different European countries.

Have you lived in a shared living space before? What made you choose coliving/our Hives as your home?

I have been coliving for quite some time now, I chose coliving as a convenient, affordable and flexible way of living. Plus, I am single, so having the opportunity to get to know more people and being part of a vibrant community of Hive residents is something I really value in this stage of my life.

How would you describe coliving as opposed to other types of accommodation you previously experienced?

For someone who is single coliving provide an affordable, convenient and fun way of living. I really have great relationships with the other Hive residents and we all live a pretty hectic lifestyle. Shared living makes much more sense for us given we spend so little time at home, and we all enjoy each other company.

What is your favourite part of your Hive home and why?

I love the spacious well-equipped kitchen, the living room with a super comfortable TV area (which we often use for karaoke or gaming), the large skylight dining area and the spacious bedrooms all equipped with private en-suite bathrooms. You can tell that each space in the Hive has been designed around resident’s needs.

In your Hive space you are more…

Coffee or Tea? Tea

Quiet housemate or social animal? Quiet but sociable

More at your room or a particular common area? Enjoy spending time in common area when Hivers are around to talk or simply watch a movie together. But I also need quiet time in my room at the end of a very busy day!

How would describe your “Hivemates”? What difference did they make to your life?

In my Hive there are people from different nationalities: from Spain, Italy, England, India and even Czech Republic. Each Hiver has a unique side to them, and I enjoy chatting to each of them and get to know more about their countries, passions, hobbies and lifestyles. Our diversity and the fact we all come from different walks of life makes our community very special. Plus, we all are professional people so I find it interesting to get to know their professional experience, especially given I am new to the UK market.

What’s the most unexpected thing you discovered about yourself or coliving being in a Hive?

One would think that living and sharing space with other people from different backgrounds would not be easy and problems could arise. This is not my experience living in the Hive, we get along all very well and if any issue arises, we resolve our differences very amicably.

Would you recommend B-Hive Living to a friend? Why?

Yes, for sure. I also love the calendar of the Hive Social sessions designed to inspire fun, connection and a healthier way of living for the residents. The social events are an opportunity to get to know Hivers better. I particularly enjoyed the bring and share social event at one of our Hives recently, everyone shared some food from their country and we enjoyed playing live music thanks to some very talented people in our community.

 

Hello! My name is Gabriel, I am a Brazilian/Portuguese with a passion for understanding and connecting natural and social ecology. I believe nature can help us discover new ways of living together, also in coliving homes, and my mission is to support rural and urban communities to thrive. Doing sports always makes me feel better, specially at a pristine natural spot, and with my favorite tunes playing in my earphones. I also love to discover new cultures and understand the potential that human beings have to collaborate.

Where is your passion for coliving coming from? Tell us your story.

After graduating I felt I wasn’t creating enough positive impact for society. That inspired me to create Favela Verde, an NGO that had the mission to harmonize the transition of two very different ecosystems in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The urban ecosystem – represented by the biggest slum in Latin America “Favela da Rocinha”, and the natural ecosystem – represented by one of the world’s largest urban forests, “Parque Nacional da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. Spending so much time in the slums made me realize the importance of community, the value it adds to the social fabric and the strength it provides to overcome even the worst deprivations. “Together we are stronger” – that was the motto.

Fast forward this passion for community has led me on a journey all the way to London where I worked at the world’s largest coliving building as a community facilitator. There, I had at my disposal all the physical infrastructure that one could possibly want to engage a community, but the sense of community was just not there. This experience has trigged a defining question in my head that has become a life quest: “What is necessary for a community to thrive”? In a building with 600+ people, from all over the world, with different cultures, agendas, intentions and values, can we actually find a common denominator that glue or holds the community together?

As an ecologist, I can say that we humans are the “ultimate social animal”. Our whole evolution has been based on our ability to connect, communicate and be empathetic towards each other. That’s arguably the very reason why we weren’t extinct thousands of years ago by predators since we could rely on our innate ability to care for each other. Greater urbanization has led us to continuously grow the size of our settlements and it simply doesn’t work for us. We need smaller spaces to be able to develop meaningful connections, meeting and interacting with people on a deeper level so that we can ultimately achieve a healthier lifestyle. A great example is London – a massive settlement with virtually infinite chances and spaces to meet new people, but where loneliness is rife.

I strongly believe coliving is the key for us to regain to reconnect in the mist of ever-greater urbanization. It gives us the opportunity to build and curate a community with a size that can translate into a healthier lifestyle. We are biologically designed to cope with a maximum of 150 meaningful connections.

Your passion is around people and communities. What in your view makes a great community and what do you need to foster a brilliant community experience?

For me it all comes back to trust. Trust is the main glue that holds the social fabric together. Without trust in the community we fall on this concept called “social trap”, coined by John Platt in the 1970’s. It can be described as a situation in which a group of people act to obtain short-term individual gains, which in the long run lead to a loss for the group as a whole. My mission is to empower communities to be able to grow and maintain their trust levels, and to design and implement spaces and experiences that will foster those meaningful connections. Finally it’s important that we accept that diversity is an invaluable asset in each and every space while ensuring people beliefs and identity are respect and they can be themselves.

What are your tips when it comes to design of coliving homes aligned to how communities and people want to live?

As a coliving operator or professional, you need to make an effort to get to know your community intimately. The customer journey should be designed and implemented with care and integrity. There’s no one-size fits all in this game. People should be at the heart of everything you do. By thoroughly exploring the pains and the gains of your potential residents for each development you are able to see through their eyes. If you put yourself in their shoes, you are more likely to create coliving homes where residents can be themselves. When people feel they can fully express themselves, they feel supported to reach their fullest potential. In that sense I’m very happy to collaborate with B-Hive Living, as I truly believe you are definitely aiming for nothing less.

 What do you see as the main trends in coliving, especially for the younger generation?

I really believe that technology plays a pivotal role for the success of this new way of living. As you know it’s is not a new concept, people have been living together since prehistoric times. But I believe that it’s the first time in history we have the resources to be able to design “smart” homes in which we give people a great deal of autonomy to literally to look after their health, convenience and lifestyle.

I think that the new frontier for coliving is to explore the potential of technology fully. Today we can help personalize our individual coliving homes from circadian lightning to seasonal room temperature, and create bespoke common areas to accommodate the needs of different types of people, with different drives and personalities. I see how B-Hive Living has been working on this direction, using biophilic design and leveraging technology to allow their residents to customize their room temperatures and etc and this is refreshing.  

When it comes to measuring the impact of coliving homes, what is important to measure and why?

I believe that in coliving there are three different systems interconnected and hence the need to take a system thinking approach. Firstly, we have the impact of the user experience. Here some topics to be explored are the health and well-being of the user/community, access to information and ways to reduce their ecological footprint.

The second level is building coliving homes itself. Here this is more connected to the environmental impact and carbon emission per space. It’s important that we look at issues such as what kind of materials are being used in the construction, what is the waste management strategy and the energy consumption levels.

And finally, there’s the external community level that it’s unfortunately often neglected. I really believe on the potential coliving has to bring a different level of social and human capital to a given area. For that to happen, a solid and holistic public engagement strategy must be developed and implemented since the conception of the project. Only with the integration of the internal & external community we are able to reap the whole spectrum of benefits this new way of living can provide to our cities.

Given what you’ve learned working in coliving so far, what is your best advice for residents who wish to make the most of their coliving experience?

Empathy is the key. Be open to explore new ways to relate to each other. You might not like everyone straightaway, but learning to respect and accept the differences from the outset will make you question some old assumptions and beliefs you might have. This is the time to unite, collaborate, exchange and coliving can help us massively to do that.

What is your hope for coliving in the present? And the future?

My hope is that coliving can be seen as a new way of engaging urban and rural communities. And that the new players entering the market would do that because they see that potential to transform society rather than just following the next trend. Open-source! In the future I would love to see more and more collaboration amongst the coliving developers and operators, where no one has to reinvent the wheel again and again, and the concept can be developed faster and more efficiently, supporting more and more people to connect, collaborate, and support the change we need to see in the world. Also, I would like to see the levels of depression and loneliness dropping as more and more people opt for coliving.

 

 

Part of our mission is to celebrate creativity while building inspiring coliving homes. Our Hives are the result of a plethora of collaborations with an eclectic mix of inquisitive artists, dreamers and crafts people in art, architecture, design or technology that share our ethos. We wish to give credit to Hayley and Steve from F&D (Father & Daughter), providing decorating services in our homes with precision and style.

1. Hi Hayley, Hi Steve! How did Father & Daughter start? Tell us your story.

Father & Daughter Painting and Decorating Services started when we both realised we wanted a change in our careers and had a very similar passion for art and design. Before starting our business, Steve (my dad) was an agricultural farmer for 43 years with some experience in properties. I (Hayley) had been in retail for 12 years, working as a Visual Merchandiser. I had an eye for product placement and loved remodelling and creating new designed spaces. Our work ethos and main passion is to transform a space from what someone could see as uninteresting into something very special. We also love the idea of being our own bosses, knowing that we can push ourselves as far as we want, with no one putting any limitations on us.

2. What do you like the most about working with your dad or daughter?

The best thing about working with my Dad is that he creates a great atmosphere with his positive attitude towards our work and we both enjoy bouncing ideas off one another. We also have our own job roles within painting and decorating which allow our work to flow very nicely.

I (Steve) love how self-motivated Hayley is, really pushes us as a team to keep going to the best of our abilities. Her ideas and concepts always seem to merge into mine creating harmonised decorative space or a design/art piece.

3. What are your favourite types of decorations/ painting? What do you like to do the most?

We love to keep up with different styles and techniques, trying new things in our spare time. Painting and drawing up new ideas help us to progress further in our skills.

One style that we are currently enjoying is geometric patterned feature walls. We have done many pieces that show different forms of this concept idea. We love how modern and on trend the geometric pattern is and have experimented in many ways for clients and self-art projects.

4. What impact you expect your work to have on the lives of our Hive residents?

We hope that the Hive residents enjoy the high quality of decorations we created in each Hive and help give them a positive outlook toward their living space. The colours and shapes on all feature walls are on trend and can add a modern feel to their lifestyle.

5. How was for you the experience of working with B-Hive Living, bringing to life new coliving spaces?

It was very fulfilling seeing the projects from beginning to end. B-Hive vision for coliving was focussed on the wellbeing of their residents, we couldn’t be happier to be part of the projects and help the B-Hive Living team bring them to life. It really got us motivated watching the process and contribution of all the talented individuals putting their particular skills into each stage and transforming B-Hive Living vision into reality.

6. What inspires and drives you to do what you do these days?

Our inspiration for decorating services comes from all kinds of sources. Something as simple as Pinterest and Instagram, or interior design magazines and art galleries. These different inspirations allow us to follow other creative minds, see new and upcoming decorating techniques, spark ideas in our minds and let us understand what is on trend at that time. Meeting new people and exploring different cultures plays a big part to colour choices, styles and techniques of the painting and decorating that we produce too.

7. Being a local what do you like the most about Bicester and Oxfordshire? What are your top tips for people moving in the area?

The location is great for getting around and seeing the great city of London (only 45 min away by train!) or Oxford which is also a very short bus or train journey away (15 min). Oxfordshire has some amazing galleries and museums that you can visit. You can also find different types of entertainment such as cinema, crazy golf, escape rooms, theatre showings etc. There are many restaurants and shops too. Our favourite part is the surroundings with all the stunning architecture throughout Oxford, really picturesque! If you are in Bicester make sure you pop for a drink at The Angel, this pub dates from 1674 and offers over 60 different gins and local craft ales!