GREAT British Presence at US Grand Prix

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The UK's strong presence at the second annual US Grand Prix in Austin was in full effect at Friday evening's Best of GREAT Britain Showcase, held at ACL Live. Among the 300 guests were racing legends Sir Jackie Stewart and Damon Hill, and Texas Governor Rick Perry, who arrived in a GREAT-branded McLaren 12C.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131118/DC19529)

Remarks on the event are as follows:

Director General, UK Trade & Investment Danny Lopez:

"The UK is the home of Formula 1, and we were delighted to be part of the weekend when 500 million people around the world watched the US Grand Prix. F1 is the embodiment of everything that is great about Britain's engineering excellence. We are proud to work in the field of automotive technology and to have been joined by so many great British companies in Austin this weekend."

Geoff McGrath, Managing Director of McLaren Applied Technologies:

"As a British company at the cutting edge of global high technology, McLaren has been proud to fly the flag for UK innovation here in the USA. Formula 1 is a high speed technology incubator, but with its global reach it also provides access to fast growing economies, like here in Texas. We hope that Governor Perry enjoyed his ride in our GREAT 12C, which not only highlights our support for the campaign, but also acts as a fast moving demonstrator of world beating McLaren innovation."

Texas Governor Rick Perry:

"It was great working with our British friends to welcome F1 racing back to Austin and the Circuit of the Americas for the second annual U.S. Grand Prix. F1 racing is a natural fit for us in Texas – we do things big and our passion for sports runs deep. And since F1 is the most-watched annual television sport around the globe, Texas put on another great race for all the world to see."

British Consul General Andrew Millar:

"F1 has a strong British heritage – the UK is, in fact, the cradle of modern motorsport. Given that the US Grand Prix in Austin is already massively popular with the F1 teams and drivers, it's obvious Texans share our passion for motorsport. We were delighted to celebrate this race with our US friends."

SOURCE British Consulate-General Houston