Great Britain2023

Silverstone

When was the track built?

Little did those laying the perimeter road to the RAF Silverstone airfield in 1942 know that they were setting down what would become one of the world’s greatest race tracks. But, well, they were! The Silverstone circuit was first used for a proper motor race in 1947 – although sadly, a local sheep lost its life during the proceedings…

When was its first Grand Prix?

Silverstone was the first Grand Prix, hosting the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship round on May 13 1950. Old campaigner Giuseppe Farina, who’d take that year’s title, won the race in his Alfa Romeo 158.

What’s the circuit like?

At the 2018 British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton compared a flat-out lap around Silverstone to flying a fighter jet, which should tell you all you need to know about the Northamptonshire circuit. Despite numerous layout changes over the years, Silverstone has always maintained its essential character as one of the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar, while historic corners like Maggotts, Becketts and Abbey provide some of the biggest challenges for racing drivers anywhere in the world.

Why go?

It’s hard to stop the goose bumps from prickling as you walk around one of the great cathedrals of motorsport, while in terms of atmosphere, the British fans are always reliably raucous – this is the country that invented football (that’s soccer, mind), after all.

Where is the best place to watch?

The Becketts grandstand has to rank highly on the ultimate list of places to watch an F1 car in action – believe us, your eyes will be on stalks when you see how quickly the drivers zip through Maggotts and Becketts. Further along the track, the Stowe grandstands will place you at one of the best overtaking spots, while watching the drivers chuck their cars into that corner on their own is nearly as good.