Former WWII airfield that hosted the first FIA Formula One World Championship race in 1950; permanent home of the British Grand Prix and British MotoGP.
Origins
Silverstone was built not as a racetrack but as a wartime airfield. RAF Silverstone operated as a bomber station from 1943, and when the war ended its wide runways and perimeter roads were repurposed for motor racing. The first British Grand Prix was held there in 1948, and in 1950 Silverstone staged the inaugural round of the new FIA Formula One World Championship — the first world-championship Grand Prix ever run, won by Giuseppe Farina for Alfa Romeo.
The circuit
The modern Grand Prix layout measures 5.891 km across 18 turns and is defined by its high average speed. Its most celebrated section is the Maggotts–Becketts–Chapel sequence, a rapid series of direction changes regarded as one of the great tests of a Formula One car's high-speed balance. The long Hangar Straight, the fast entry at Copse and the heavy braking zone at Stowe complete a circuit that rewards aerodynamic stability and driver commitment.
Racing at Silverstone
Although the British Grand Prix rotated between Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch for much of the mid-20th century, it has been held at Silverstone continuously since 1987 and remains one of the best-attended races of the season. The venue also hosts the British round of MotoGP, rounds of the British Touring Car and British GT championships, and endurance racing in the European Le Mans Series. The Formula One lap record stands at 1:27.097, set by Max Verstappen for Red Bull in 2020.