Silverstone

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Silverstone started life as a wartime bomber airfield and held its first race in 1948. It hosted the first ever Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950 and it's still the home of the British Grand Prix and the British round of MotoGP. For a lot of people it's the bucket list track day, simply because you've watched it on telly for years.

Most open pit lane days run on the National circuit, 2.639km and six corners, using Copse, Maggotts, Brooklands, Luffield and Woodcote from the full track. It's quick, wide and easy to learn, which suits novices. Grand Prix circuit days cost more but give you 5.9km and the whole Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel sequence, which is worth doing at least once. Bike days run here too, booked direct with the circuit. Being an old airfield it's flat and exposed, so the wind plays a big part.

A lap of Silverstone

Layout: National, 2.639 km (1.64 miles)

On the National you start on the straight past the old pits and the first corner is Copse, a fast right. Brush the brakes before you turn in, clip the kerb, then let the car run out to the left-hand kerb on the exit. Don't go past it, track limits are watched. Ease back across to the right to get ready for Maggotts.

Maggotts is a short left-right flick, and this is where the National peels off the Grand Prix track. It's a hard, short stop for most cars, usually down to third, then you hug the kerb until you're on the link and let the car run wide as you build speed onto the Wellington Straight. Use the straight to drift right and check your mirrors, because faster cars will be coming.

Brooklands is a long left with a late apex and the best place to pass in a race. Don't turn in early, it's very easy to end up on the infield. Take the longer, wider line and you'll be quicker overall. It runs straight into Luffield, a long right where you come in from the right side of the road, brake smoothly and stay tight to the inside kerb. Squealing tyres on the way in mean you braked too late or turned too hard. Squealing mid-corner means too much throttle.

Last is Woodcote, a fast right onto the straight. Keep your inputs small and the wheel light in your hands. There's not much time to gain, but plenty to lose with a twitchy exit. On Grand Prix days you also get Abbey, Farm, Village, the Loop and Aintree, then Becketts, Chapel, the Hangar Straight, Stowe, Vale and Club, where the heavy stops into Village and Vale are the bits that eat pads.

Track day tips

• Track days use the Dadford Road main entrance and the National pits and paddock, not the Wing. Follow the signs for the National paddock.
• There's a fuel station on site selling high-octane fuel, and a BP on the A43 northbound near Towcester if you need cheaper fuel.
• Watch the exits of Club and Woodcote and the first kink into Maggotts on Grand Prix days. They catch out cars with lift-off oversteer and the run-off is tighter than you'd expect.
• It's a flat old airfield and very exposed. A strong headwind or tailwind changes your braking points for Brooklands and Copse noticeably.
• In the wet the racing line goes greasy. Try a slightly wider line, there's often more grip off the rubbered-in groove.
• National days are busy, so learn the lap in the first sessions and save the hard laps for later in the afternoon when the session thins out.

Getting there

Silverstone sits on the A43 between Towcester and Brackley, on the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border. From the south, leave the M40 at Junction 10 and follow the A43 north. From the north, use the M1 at Junction 15a and take the A43 south past Towcester. Birmingham and Luton are the closest big airports. There's a hotel on the circuit itself, and Towcester, Brackley and Milton Keynes all have plenty of places to stay, though prices go silly on Grand Prix and MotoGP weekends.