Tottenham to build karting track beneath stadium as part of Formula 1 partnership
By Sean Walsh
Tottenham Hotspur have announced a strategic partnership with Formula 1 that will include the creation of a karting track underneath their £1bn stadium.
It will allow the arena to uniquely host football, NFL, boxing, rugby, concerts and motorsport.
The karting track is set to open in the autumn of 2023.
In a statement, Tottenham said: "Tottenham Hotspur is delighted to announce a 15-year strategic partnership with Formula 1 that will bring a brand-new motorsport experience to London.
"The partnership brings yet another popular global sport brand to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, now uniquely hosting the Premier League, NFL and F1, supporting worldwide fan growth.
"With music concerts, boxing and rugby now also being staged in London N17, it means an estimated 5.9billion people globally are interested in events held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - equating to nearly 80% of the world’s population.
"The partnership will see the exclusive delivery of the world’s first in-stadium electric karting facility and London’s longest indoor track, based below Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s iconic South Stand - the latest example of how the multi-use nature of the stadium is attracting a wide range of sports and events, creating a wealth of opportunities and experiences for partners, fans and visitors.
"The one-of-its-kind experience, which will be seen at no other football stadium in Europe, will include separate tracks for both adults and juniors and has been accredited by the National Karting Association, making the facility a potential future venue for national karting championship races. In addition, the experience will also include interactive motorsport activities and food and beverage facilities."
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Tottenham added: "The karting experience will be the focal point of a long-term partnership between the Club and F1, that will aim to create apprenticeship and career opportunities for local young people and bring greater diversity to the motorsport industry, particularly for women and underrepresented groups. It will also provide F1 with a touchpoint in London from which to further grow its fanbase throughout the world.
"A driver academy programme will widen the motorsport talent pool and help to identify the next generation of F1 drivers. The Club and F1 will deliver educational activities for schools to engage local young people in motorsport and showcase career opportunities and pathways in areas such as engineering and software development.
"Tottenham Hotspur and F1 will collaborate throughout the partnership on initiatives that promote environmental responsibility. F1 is committed to be net zero carbon by 2030 and that target forms part of every decision F1 makes and every initiative they embark on. Tottenham Hotspur is the Premier League’s greenest club and, as a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework’s 'Race to Zero', is committed to halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and become net zero by 2040."
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said: "Since building this stadium our ambition has always been to see how far we can push the boundaries in delivering world-class experiences that will attract people from around the world all year round. We have been able to bring the biggest names in sport and entertainment to London N17. We are extremely excited about what this long-term partnership with F1 will bring for our global, national and local communities."