6 reasons to love the 2026 FOS Future Lab

It's hands-on, not hands-off

Forget velvet ropes and "do not touch" signs, FOS Future Lab invites you to get stuck in. Think flying a lunar simulator across the moon's surface, testing your reflexes like a Formula 1 driver, or interacting with humanoid robots that respond to your commands. It's active exploration where you can become part of the story. Whether you're discovering how to pilot drones, explore the cosmos, or map Earth’s unseen oceans, every exhibit is designed to put world-changing technology directly into your hands.

Four extraordinary worlds under one roof

The 2025 FOS Future Lab was organised around four groundbreaking themes capturing humanity's boldest ambitions. New Industrial Revolutions showcased how AI and robotics, pioneered by organisations like The National Robotarium, were transforming industries. Mobility for Humanity explored how we'll move in future — from Extreme H's hydrogen-powered racing to Certo Aerospace's revolutionary VTOL aircraft.

Exploring Spatial Intelligence delved into VR, AR and the metaverse through immersive experiences like Atlantic Studios' Cosmos in Focus. Finally, Our Big Blue Dot celebrated oceanic exploration, including how marine scientists mapped Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition ship, which was thought lost forever in 1915. It's a journey from the depths of our seas to the edge of the universe, all within walking distance of the Hillclimb.

Tim Peake's seal of approval

When a British astronaut and former International Space Station crew member champions an exhibition, you know it's something special. Sir Tim Peake serves as FOS Future Lab Ambassador, and his endorsement carries weight.

For space enthusiasts, this connection runs deep, past exhibitions have featured exclusive launches like ESA and NASA's Lunar Horizons experience and stunning imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope. With Sir Tim's involvement, Future Lab bridges the gap between motorsport innovation and space exploration, proving the pioneering spirit driving both fields is often the same.

Where motorsport heritage meets tomorrow's technology

Just as F1 technologies like hybrid systems and active suspension have inspired road cars, the innovations showcased at FOS Future Lab represent motorsport's DNA applied to broader challenges. The BMW Vision Driving Experience, for instance, demonstrates the Heart of Joy control unit — technology that will power BMW's next-generation electric vehicles.

Extreme H proves hydrogen power works in the world's most demanding racing conditions. The E1 Series reimagines marine motorsport with zero-emission electric RaceBirds. FOS Future Lab doesn't just sit alongside the Festival of Speed's celebration of automotive excellence; it extends that innovative spirit into every corner of human endeavour.

STEM learning that doesn't feel like school

Every exhibit in FOS Future Lab includes a STEM angle, but the brilliant part is that young visitors don't realise they're learning; they're too busy having fun. Whether it’s building an F1 car crumple zone with Williams Racing, discovering how autonomous underwater vehicles navigate 6,000-metre depths with Seabed 2030, or understanding semiconductor production in microgravity with Space Forge's pioneering work.

This is the rare exhibition where parents and children engage equally, where a seven-year-old piloting a lunar simulator and a teenager programming robotics find themselves equally captivated. It's education disguised as adventure, and it's precisely why FOS Future Lab has become a particular favourite with younger Festival of Speed visitors.

Talk to the innovators in the Randox Studio

It’s not every day you get to meet the Wing Commander of the world-famous Red Arrows, talk to a test pilot helping F1 teams nail their pit stops, or discover what space scientists have been getting wrong about supermassive black holes — all before lunch. The Randox Studio brings together visionaries, engineers and trailblazers for podcast-style sessions you can sit in on and ask questions.

The fully air-conditioned space also provides some escapism from the rest of the event, and an opportunity to lose yourself in some fantastical, futuristic topics to tell your friends about.

Your 2026 invitation

FOS Future Lab represents the Festival of Speed at its most ambitious — a celebration not just of where we've been but where we're heading. Centrally located and open all four days of the event, it's the perfect complement to the Hillclimb's heritage and spectacle. Whether you're a motorsport fanatic, a technology enthusiast or simply someone who believes the future is worth getting excited about, FOS Future Lab offers something genuinely unmissable.

Tickets for the 2026 Festival of Speed are now on sale. Don't just witness automotive history — experience the technologies shaping our tomorrow.

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Photography by Toby Whales, Sam Stephenson, Steven Stringer and Raife Smith.