Silverstone Circuit

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Lore & Background

The site began as RAF Silverstone, a Royal Air Force bomber station operational between 1943 and 1946 for the No. 17 Operational Training Unit. Its three classic WWII triangle runways now lie within the outline of the present track. Motorsport arrived in September 1947 when an ad hoc group held an impromptu race on the deserted airfield. Driver Maurice Geoghegan, living nearby, led eleven others over a 2-mile (3.2 km) circuit where he ran over and killed a sheep that wandered onto the tarmac; his car was damaged but not written off, leading to the event being locally dubbed the 'Mutton Grand Prix.' By August 1948, the Royal Automobile Club leased the airfield, marking out the first British Grand Prix with oil drums and straw bales. The race took place on October 2, 1948, drawing an estimated 100,000 spectators to watch Scuderia Ambrosiana's Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari take the top two spots.

In Their Own Story

The 1950 British Grand Prix was a historic milestone, attended by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth—the first and only time a reigning monarch has attended a motor race in Britain. This event marked the start of the World Championship of Drivers. In 1991, the track underwent a major redesign, transforming from an ultra-fast circuit into a more technical layout. The reshaped track's first Formula One winner was Nigel Mansell, who celebrated in front of his home crowd. On his victory lap, Mansell picked up stranded rival Ayrton Senna to give him a lift on his side-pod after the McLaren ran out of fuel on the final lap. Tragedy struck in 1994 following the deaths of Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola, prompting immediate safety changes: the Abbey kink was modified into a chicane in just 19 days for that year's Grand Prix, and the entry from Hangar Straight into Stowe was altered in 1995 to improve run-off areas.

Reader's Guide

The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire borders, accessed via the A43. Nearby towns include Towcester (5 mi), Brackley (7 mi), and Buckingham (6 mi), with Milton Keynes being the nearest city. Aston Martin is the closest F1 team to the track, having built a new base under a kilometre away. A modern Formula One lap begins at the Hamilton Straight leading into Abbey (Turn 1), an eighth-gear flat-out right-hander. This flows into Farm (Turn 2) before braking for Village (Turn 3). Drivers must sacrifice the exit of Turn 3 to line up The Loop (Turn 4), the slowest corner at 56 mph, setting up a blast through Aintree and down the Wellington Straight. After braking hard for Brooklands (Turn 6) and navigating Luffield (Turn 7), drivers flick through Woodcote (Turn 8). The high-speed esses of Maggotts and Becketts (Turns 10–13) generate lateral g-forces exceeding 5g, leading into Chapel and the 770 m Hangar Straight. Here, speeds reach 202 mph under DRS before braking for Stowe (Turn 15), Vale (Turn 16), and Club (Turns 17–18) to finish the lap.

Did You Know?

• The circuit is built on the site of RAF Silverstone, a WWII bomber station with three runways arranged in a triangle.
• In the very first motorsport event at the airfield in 1947, driver Maurice Geoghegan ran over and killed a sheep that wandered onto the track, leading to the race being locally nicknamed the 'Mutton Grand Prix'.
• King George VI attended the 1948 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, making him the only reigning monarch to attend a motor race in Britain.
• After Ayrton Senna ran out of fuel on the last lap of the 1991 British Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell stopped his car and Senna climbed onto the side of Mansell's car to hitch a ride back to the pits after the race had ended.
• The Abbey corner was modified from a flat-out kink into a chicane in just 19 days following the fatal accidents at Imola in 1994.

Inaugural History and Global Expansion

The 1948 British Grand Prix was run on a circuit consisting of the perimeter road and runways running into the center of the airfield. The race covered 239 miles (385 km) at an average speed of 72.28 mph (116.32 km/h). Scuderia Ambrosiana entered two Maserati 4CLT/48s for Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari, who finished first and second ahead of Bob Gerard in his ERA R14B/C. The following year, the International Trophy became an institution at Silverstone. Run on August 20, 1949, it consisted of two heats and a final; Giuseppe Farina won heat one, Bira won heat two, but Ascari took the final driving a Ferrari Tipo 125. For this meeting, the chicane at Club was dispensed with, establishing a shape that lasted for 25 years.

Safety Evolution and Configuration Changes

The first two races in 1948 and 1949 used runways separated by tight hairpin corners marked by hay bales. For the 1949 International Trophy, the track switched to the perimeter layout. In 1952, the start line moved from Farm Straight to the straight linking Woodcote and Copse, a layout remaining largely unaltered for 38 years. A chicane was introduced in 1975 to tame speeds through Woodcote, though motorbikes continued using the circuit without it until 1986. Bridge corner was subtly rerouted in 1987. Following safety concerns after Imola in 1994, the flat-out Abbey kink became a chicane within 19 days for the 1994 Grand Prix. In 1995, the entry from Hangar Straight into Stowe was modified to improve run-off areas. Parts of the circuit, such as the starting grid, are now 17 m (19 yd) wide to comply with safety guidelines.

Record Holders and Statistical Milestones

The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first race in the newly created World Championship of Drivers. It also carried the title of the European Grand Prix. The attendance for the 1948 inaugural race was estimated at 100,000 spectators. In the 1949 International Trophy final, Ascari drove a Ferrari Tipo 125 to victory from Farina and Villoresi. The 1949 British Grand Prix used a full perimeter track with a chicane at Club, measuring exactly three miles per lap over 100 laps, making it the longest post-war Grand Prix held in England with an average speed of 77.31 mph (124.42 km/h).

Circuit Classification and Data Standards

Silverstone was operational as a Royal Air Force bomber station between 1943 and 1946, serving the No. 17 Operational Training Unit. The track layout evolved from an impromptu 2-mile (3.2 km) circuit in 1947 to a formal perimeter road by 1948. In 1955, the British Grand Prix began rotating between Silverstone, Aintree, and Brands Hatch until it settled permanently at Silverstone in 1987. The circuit is accessed from the nearby A43, with the town of Buckingham located 6 mi (9.7 km) away.