Stewart family’s Race Against Dementia gains momentum in Australia

Sir Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia charity celebrated its 10‑year anniversary with a high‑profile fundraiser in Melbourne during the Australian Grand Prix. Over 400 guests contributed about $500,000, which Dementia Australia matched to bring the total to roughly $1 million. The event highlighted the growing Australian support for the family‑run initiative that applies motorsport’s speed and teamwork to fast‑track dementia research.

Why it matters:

Dementia now affects one in three people over 65, and leveraging Formula 1’s global platform can accelerate research and attract new donors.

The details:

• Attendance & funds – Over 400 guests raised about $500,000; Dementia Australia matched the amount, pushing the total to roughly $1 million.
• Fellowship model – Five‑year fellowships for early‑career researchers have multiplied the charity’s impact, with alumni securing further grants and driving additional funding.
• Tech partnerships – F1 engineers collaborate with fellows, cutting lab test cycles from weeks to days and enabling up to eight times more experiments.

What's next:

Stewart aims to make the Melbourne dinner an annual event and replicate the model worldwide, targeting enough fellowships to sustain a pipeline of discoveries that could yield a cure or preventive therapies within the next decade.