All you need to know about the home of the British Grand Prix: Silverstone

In 1943 RAF Silverstone opened on the border between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. It was operational until 1946, and then it was left deserted. In 1947 the Royal Automobile Club took out a lease on the airfield, to make a race track. 

The runways would each be a long straight with tight hairpin corners linking them up. It was ready to host its first British Grand Prix in 1948 – attracting 100,000 spectators.

The following year, the full perimeter track was used with a chicane inserted at Club Corner. This was the longest post-war British Grand Prix, with 100 laps of the 3-mile circuit in front of 120,000 people. The average speed for this race was over 77 mph.

In 1950, King George VI watched the race – still the only reigning monarch to attend a British Grand Prix. It was also the first ever World Championship Grand Prix. In 1951, the lease was taken up by the British Racing Drivers’ Club, who made the circuit more permanent.

The pits at Abbey and Woodcote were removed with a new pit installed between Woodcote and Copse Corner. The British Grand Prix was split between Silverstone and Aintree in this period, before Brands Hatch took over from Aintree in 1964.

The 1973 British Grand Prix saw the biggest accident ever on a British circuit, as Jody Scheckter lost control of his McLaren on the first lap which caused a major pile up. 9 cars were eliminated from the race, and it was a miracle that only one driver was injured. This incident prompted changes to the design of the track, with a chicane added at Woodcote corner to slow cars down.

In 1987, a decision was made to establish Silverstone as the official home of the British Grand Prix, which it has kept ever since. Then, in the early 90s there was a major redesign in an attempt to improve safety.

Since then, there have been minor changes to the circuit and major changes to the hospitality offerings. There are now so many places to sit, offering amazing views of the track, as well as street food outlets and places to get a drink. The impressive new grandstand at Hangar Straight will be open for the 2024 British Grand Prix.