From airfield to racetrack
Silverstone began life as a Royal Air Force bomber station during the Second World War. When the war ended, its runways and perimeter roads made a ready-made racetrack, and the first Grand Prix was held there in 1948.
Two years later it made history: on 13 May 1950 it hosted the British Grand Prix, the very first race of the world championship. The circuit has been rebuilt many times since, but it still follows the flat, open spaces of the old airfield, and the wind sweeping across it can change a car's balance from one lap to the next.
Fast and flowing
Silverstone is a circuit of fast corners rather than big stops. Since 2011 the start line has sat on the straight between Club and Abbey, and a lap takes in some of the most famous high-speed corners in racing.
- Abbey and Farm. A quick right and a gentle left straight after the start.
- Village and The Loop. The slowest part of the lap, a tight sequence that feeds onto the Wellington Straight.
- Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote. A slow left, then a long right-hander that opens up onto the old start straight.
- Copse. A very fast right-hander taken with barely a lift.
- Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel. A sequence of quick left and right changes of direction that rewards commitment and punishes the smallest mistake.
- Hangar Straight and Stowe. The fastest part of the lap, ending in a fast right-hander.
- Vale and Club. A heavy stop for Vale, then a long right onto the straight to the line.
How to be fast here
Silverstone rewards flow. Keep the car moving through the fast changes of direction, use all the road on the exits, and save your hardest braking for Vale and The Loop.
Race it on Late Brake
Late Brake's Silverstone follows the real circuit's shape at true scale, run clockwise like the real thing. Set a lap and race your own ghost, take on up to three AI rivals, or race friends online, free in your browser. Beat the medal times above to unlock new car colours.