75 years of F1 racing at Silverstone celebrated
The tracks history is celebrated in a new exhibition at Silverstone Museum.
Today marks 75 years since the very first Formula One World Championship race which was held at Silverstone on 13 May in 1950 at exactly 3pm.
A new special exhibit celebrating the anniversary is now open at Silverstone Museum showcasing some iconic F1 cars across the decades for the first time.
In a world-first for the Museum, it will showcase iconic F1 cars which raced in every decade of the FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship, in a line-up of legendary motorsport machines.
The collection of classic and modern day F1 cars on display together as the award-winning Museum showcases supercars past and present
Guests can drive the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit behind the wheel of Silverstone Museum’s professional grade simulators, which deliver a hyper-realistic racing experience, in its state-of-the-art Sim suite and enjoy exclusive tours of the Museum and race on its Scalextric track.
Steph Sykes-Dugmore - is Head of Collections and Research and says getting 75 years into the exhibit has been quite a challenge:
"I think the challenge is trying to cut down 75 years into a suitable amount of text and information and storylines, and trying to do the history justice. Making sure we that we get across the drama and influence of Formula One since 1950."
Steph says it's taken a lot of time and experts to get the exhibit ready for the public.
Rob Jaina is Head of Learning and Engagement at the Museum and says it's about inspiring the next generation of F1 stars with their outreach to local schools:
"Most of them are from around the local areas, be that Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, those kind of areas. And the young people that come here get a STEM education visit and get to be part of this fabulous exhibition but also hold Lewis Hamilton's wheel or Max Verstappen rear wing and those kind of things.
"We do spend a lot of time on those career talks, and saying this may be one of Lewis Hamilton's wheels but how is it made, what is the technology that's going in there."