Silverstone Circuit
The Silverstone Circuit in England: a former air base that became the first circuit of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950.
The Silverstone Circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border in England. The site is a former RAF bomber station, operational from 1943, whose three runways lie within the present track outline. The circuit is owned by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC).[1],[2]
The current Grand Prix layout is 5.891 kilometres long with 18 turns.[1],[2]
At a glance
| Place | Northamptonshire / Buckinghamshire border, England[1],[2] |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Endurance series | ELMS |
| Period | 1948-present |
| Length | 5.891 km, 18 turns[1],[2] |
| Former use | RAF bomber station (from 1943)[1],[2] |
| Owner | British Racing Drivers' Club[1] |
Landmarks of the circuit
- Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel
- Maggotts and Becketts form a high-speed sequence of esses (turns 10 to 13), followed by Chapel, which leads onto the 770-metre Hangar Straight.[1],[2]
- Copse and Stowe
- Copse (turn 9) and Stowe (turn 15) are two of the fast corners of the lap.[1]
- Abbey, Woodcote, Luffield and Club
- Abbey is turn 1 and Woodcote turn 8; Luffield is turn 7. Club, made of turns 17 and 18, is the last complex of the lap.[1]
Key dates
- 1943-1946 — RAF Silverstone is an operational air base.[1],[2]
- September 1947 — An informal race, nicknamed the "Mutton Grand Prix", is the first motor race on the site.[1]
- 1948 — The circuit opens; the 1948 British Grand Prix is held there, but it does not yet count for the World Championship.[1],[2]
- 1950 — The 1950 British Grand Prix is the first round of the Formula 1 World Championship.[1],[2]
- 2012-2019 — The 6 Hours of Silverstone of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) are held there; the European Le Mans Series also stops there.[1],[2]
In the game
This circuit is part of the Circuit game: a heavily zoomed photo of one of its landmarks that you have to recognise. Play Circuit
Sources
The numbers in brackets refer to the sources listed at the bottom of the page.