Welcoming the 2025 Bruce McLaren Award Recipients to the UK

The NZUK Link Foundation is delighted to welcome the 2025 recipients of the Bruce McLaren Racing Award and the Bruce McLaren Automotive Award, who have now touched down in the United Kingdom to begin their placements with McLaren. This year’s awardees, Ethan Sillay and Irina Kishi, are exceptional young engineers from the University of Auckland whose achievements and ambitions reflect the pioneering spirit of Bruce McLaren.

Irina Kishi, recipient of the 2025 Bruce McLaren Automotive Award, is a Part III Mechanical Engineering student with a strong record of academic and practical excellence, including major contributions to the University’s Formula SAE (F:SAE) team. In her message of thanks, Irina described the award as “a dream come true,” emphasising how the opportunity to spend time at the McLaren Technology Centre will expand her technical skills and inspire her future career in high-performance mechanical design. She spoke of her desire to use this experience not only to advance her own aspirations but also to encourage and support the next generation of engineers, especially women entering the field.

This year’s Bruce McLaren Racing Award recipient, Ethan Sillay, brings with him a lifelong passion for motorsport. From childhood, he has been immersed in racing - watching his father compete, learning trackside, and later helping to engineer race cars in their home workshop. Ethan wrote that the award represents “the realisation of a lifelong passion,” and that working with McLaren Racing will take him one step closer to his dream of designing the fastest race cars in the world. His commitment to learning, problem-solving, and continuous improvement aligns strongly with Bruce McLaren’s own legacy of innovation and ingenuity.

These awards are made possible through the generosity and collaboration of the NZUK Link Foundation, the Bruce McLaren Trust, and the UK Friends of the University of Auckland. Together, these partners continue to invest in emerging talent and strengthen the enduring connection between New Zealand and the United Kingdom through education, innovation, and cultural exchange.

Irina and Ethan will spend the coming months immersed in the world-class environments of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing, gaining exposure, mentorship, and technical insight that will shape their future careers. We look forward to sharing updates on their experiences as the year progresses.