England rugby union star Ellie Kildunne visited Alpine’s Enstone headquarters ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, touring the factory, addressing staff on winning culture and meeting race driver Franco Colapinto and F1 Academy driver Nina Gademan before attending Round Nine of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Kildunne, widely regarded as one of Britain’s most talented athletes, played a pivotal role in England’s Rugby World Cup triumph in 2025 and finished second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award that same year, behind Alpine Formula One investor Rory McIlroy.
The visit began with a factory tour led by members of Alpine’s Women in Motorsport group. Kildunne then took part in a Q&A session hosted by broadcaster Rachel Brookes, where she spoke to staff about building a winning culture and the key dynamics of team sport. She later met with Gademan, who showed her the team’s simulator and walked her through exercises related to the sport. Gademan, who has one victory so far this season, is preparing for the latest round of the F1 Academy series on the Formula One undercard at Silverstone. The pair exchanged words of motivation ahead of the weekend’s racing.
Kildunne also spent time with Colapinto, who shared insights into what it is like to race a Formula One car and how he is preparing for the British Grand Prix.
“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,” Kildunne said. “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.”
Dave Greenwood, Alpine’s Racing Director and the team’s Diversity and Inclusion sponsor, welcomed the visit. “It is always a huge pleasure to welcome special guests to Enstone and it was great to have Ellie with us today,” Greenwood said. “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.”
Kildunne will attend the British Grand Prix as a guest of the team, marking her first experience of Formula One up close at one of the sport’s most iconic venues.