THE CIRCUIT
SILVERSTONE
As Grands Prix go, they really don’t come more iconic than the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Once an RAF airfield, it became a racetrack in 1947 before having the honour of hosting the inaugural round of the Formula 1 World Championship in May 1950, a race won by Giuseppe Farina in his Alfa Romeo 158.
Great Britain
CIRCUIT LENGTH
5.891 km
NUMBER OF LAPS
52
RACE DISTANCE
306.198 km
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.
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.
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.
