EVENTS

Silverstone was opened as a World War Two airfield in 1943, near the leafy village of the same name. The Royal Automobile Club leased the track in 1948. On October 2 1948, amid straw bales and ropes, Silverstone's first event took place, the RAC Grand Prix. The crowds came in their thousands, thrilled to see the return of Grand Prix racing after so many years of war austerity.

Silverstone alternated with Brands Hatch as the home of the British Grand Prix until the late 1980s, after which time it became the undisputed ‘Home of British motor racing’. Major circuit upgrades in recent seasons have cemented that position.

Circuit website www.silverstone.co.uk