| tish Grand Prix is back in this July and the whole of the | | | | and spectator stands. The circuit was altered to a |
| nation will be on the edge of their seats praying | | | | 2.927 mile course and the start and finish lines moved |
| wonder-boy-racer Lewis Hamilton wins again at his | | | | to Woodcote Corner. |
| home circuit of Silverstone. | | | | The first 100mph lap was set in 1953 and the Grand |
| During the Second World War, in 1943 Silverstone was | | | | Prix moved itself into one of the top events on the |
| opened as a military airfield. When the war ended, | | | | sporting calendar. |
| Britain had a number of redundant air fields but no race | | | | In the seventies, Jackie Stewart made a name for |
| track. The Automobile Association picked Silverstone | | | | himself, winning the drivers championship three times in |
| and by 1948 the lease was signed and the site was | | | | total. Woodcote Corner became legendary — |
| developed into a race track. In just two months, a | | | | it was without a doubt one of the most legendary |
| farmer, James Wilson Brown was commissioned to | | | | corners in the F1 world. Speeds in excess of |
| design and build a race track in working order. | | | | 160mph were set by the bravest drivers tackling this |
| Mission accomplished and in October of 1948 the first | | | | corner. |
| race took place at Silverstone. After years of no | | | | In the 1980s names in F1 included Mansell, Prost, Senna |
| Grand Prix races, the crowds were eager to see the | | | | and Piquet. Major changes were made to Woodcote |
| race take place and flocked in their thousands to see | | | | Corner in an attempt to reduce speeds which were |
| the drivers battle it out. The winner of the maiden race | | | | spiralling out of control. Great wins for Mansell in the |
| at Silverstone was Luigi Villoresi in a Maserati. An | | | | late 1980s made races that have gone down in history |
| average speed of 72mph was recorded and Luigi | | | | as being the most exciting. |
| scooped the first place prize of £500. | | | | Still one of the fastest courses on the Grand Prix |
| By 1950, the drivers championship was created and | | | | calendar, Silverstone saw Damon Hill take to the |
| the first World Champion event occurred at | | | | Podium and following the deaths of the legendary |
| Silverstone in may of that year. Attended by King | | | | Ayrton Senna and Roland Razenburger at Imola great |
| George VI and Queen Elizabeth, this is the first and last | | | | lengths were taken again to reduce speeds on the |
| Grand Prix that was attended by a monarch. | | | | track. Other winners at Silverstone in the 90s included |
| An Alfa Romeo was the winning car in this first World | | | | Villeneuve, Schumacher and Coulthard bringing it home |
| Championship race. Guiseppe Farina was the driver | | | | in 1999. |
| and in third place was a British driver — Reg | | | | The last few years have seen great changes to |
| Parnell. | | | | Silverstone both to the track and the surrounding |
| By 1951, and under new ownership, Silverstone | | | | infrastructure. The most exciting change however is |
| underwent changes and renovations were made to | | | | the emergence of young British stars Jenson Button |
| make the track a permanent feature — out | | | | and Lewis Hamilton. |
| went the haystacks and in came the crash barriers | | | | |