Silverstone was opened as a World War Two airfield in 1943, near the leafy village of the same name. Once the war had ended in 1945 Britain was left with a number of redundant airfields but without a major race track Donington Park was still a military vehicle storage depot, Brooklands had been sold off, Crystal Palace was in a state of disrepair and Brands Hatch was still under-developed.The Royal Automobile Club was interested in Silverstone as a potential site and approached the Air Ministry in 1948 and a lease was arranged. At this time the centre of Silverstone Circuit was a farm producing cereal crops and also a piggery so the RAC employed farmer James Wilson Brown to create the first Grand Prix circuit at the site and gave him just two months to build it.
On October 2nd, 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.The 3.67 mile course sent the 23 competing cars racing round part of the perimeter track, up the two former runways and back to the perimeter. This layout meant cars were racing towards each other head-on until they turned sharp left and returned to the perimeter. For this reason canvas screens were erected across the centre of the circuit to stop the drivers being distracted whilst the spectators were not allowed in the centre of the circuit because of the potential damage to growing crops.
The winner of the inaugural race at the Silverstone circuit was Luigi Villoresi in a Maserati, who recorded an average speed of 72 mph to claim the first prize of £500. A year later, after the hazardous runways were eliminated and a chicane was inserted at Club on the full perimeter road, Silverstone hosted a second major event in May 1949 – the Formula One Daily Express International Trophy – virtually a second Grand Prix, won by Alberto Ascari.
Another of Silverstone's most famous classics also began in August 1949, the Daily Express International Trophy for Formula One cars and for this meeting the Club chicane was dispensed with and the circuit took up a shape that was to last for a quarter of a century.
Since 1952 the start line exists from the Farm Straight to the present Finish Straight; for the next 35 years, this layout remained for the most part unaltered. After further slight modifications (additional chicane), the track underwent a major reform between the 1990 and 1991 races. The redesigned track's first F1 race was conceivably the most unforgettable of contemporary years, as Nigel Mansell won in front of his home crowd.
A large quantity of circuits were modified after the tragic deaths of Senna and fellow GP driver Roland Ratzenberger at Imola 1994 with the purpose of reducing speed and improving driver safety.
Accordingly, the opening from Hangar Straight into Stowe Corner was modified in 1995 so as to make its opening less risky, but also less challenging; further, the flat-out Abbey curve was transformed to a chicane in just 19 days before the 1994 GP.
On 30 September 2004 British Racing Drivers' Club president Jackie Stewart made known that the 2005 provisional race calendar would not include the British Grand Prix, and if yes, the race would probably not take place at Silverstone. Conversely to this, an agreement was reached with Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, which made certain that the circuit would host the British Grand Prix until 2009.
Subsequently, Donington Park was supposed to become the new host of the British Grand Prix, yet Donington Park leaseholders suffered financial problems resulting in the BRDC (British Racing Drivers Club) signing a 17 year deal with Bernie Ecclestone according to which Silverstone was to continue to hold the British Grand Prix.
A £25m redevelopment of the circuit was approved and announced in August 2007, including the building of new grandstands, pit facilities and a development centre planned.
However, the turmoil over which circuit was to continue holding the British Grand Prix arose anew.
After much back and forth, BBC News finally reported in October 2009 that Donington had failed to raise the £135 million, necessary to hold a British Grand Prix and thus making Silverstone Circuit the winner. On 7 December 2009, the latter was decisively awarded the rights to host the British Grand Prix for the next 17 years, for which the circuit also agreed to build a new pit lane.On 11 February 2010, it was declared that the British Grand Prix would use the "Arena" circuit formation, in this way increasing the track's length by 760 metres.
| Circuit type | Race |
| Capacity | 120,000 |
| First Race Held | 1948 |
| Time zone | GMT |
| Circuit length | 5.901 km (3.667 mi) |
| Race length | 306.747 km (190.604 mi) |
| Number of laps | 52 |
| Circuit Turns | 18 |
| Circuit Direction | Clockwise |
| Number of races held | 43 |
| Lap record | 1:30.874 (Fernando Alonso, 2010) |
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