McLaren Formula 1 car: Ukraine benefits from the technology. (Source: IMAGO/imago)Image: keystone
British developers bring motorsport knowledge to the war against Russia. New long-range weapons should be lighter, faster and less dependent on US components.
June 22, 2026, 04:23June 22, 2026, 04:23
British defense companies are using Formula 1 technology for new long-range weapons in Ukraine. According to information from “Daily Mail” Aerodynamics, sensors and carbon technology from motorsport are being incorporated into drones that will attack Russian targets in the future.
The focus is on the company MGI Engineering. It was founded by Mike Gascoyne, who previously worked for Formula 1 teams McLaren, Lotus and Jordan. His company develops autonomous drones that are said to be lighter and faster than comparable systems.
“Formula 1 is 25 years ahead as an industry because teams spend any amount to get an advantage,” Gascoyne told the Daily Mail. Great Britain is a world leader in Formula 1 and aerodynamics. “We are ideally positioned to bring deep knowledge and technology to the defense sector.”
Racing technology for the battlefield
According to the report, carbon composites and aerodynamic processes from racing will be used, among other things. “These long-range drones are not that far removed from a racing car,” said Gascoyne. “A large part of the technology, materials and design was therefore transferred seamlessly.”
Sensors from Formula 1 will also be installed in the drones. They are intended to capture the terrain and enable additional target acquisition if Russian jamming systems block GPS navigation. This means that technology from motorsport could not only influence the speed and weight of the drones, but also their ability to operate under electronic interference.
Another aspect is the origin of the components. Like other British manufacturers, MGI relies on materials and components from Great Britain, according to the Daily Mail. This enables Ukraine to use the weapons against targets on Russian territory. Systems with US components, on the other hand, may be subject to licensing rules that exclude or make attacks more difficult outside of Ukraine.
MGI Engineering was selected together with MBDA UK and Rotron Aerospace for the British “Project Brakestop”. The goal is to develop comparatively inexpensive ground-launched weapons that can hit targets more than 300 miles (483 km) away and carry a warhead weighing around 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
The British Secretary of State for Defense, Louise Sandher-Jones, praised the project. “Project Brakestop shows what happens when we combine British support for Ukraine with the talent and ingenuity of British industry,” she said, according to the Daily Mail. In less than a year, British companies would have taken a concept from design to flight testing.