Silverstone’s Rich History, From Bombers to Racecars

Silverstone, where the British Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, is one of the most renowned tracks in Formula 1. The first Grand Prix was held there 74 years ago, at a rudimentary site that began life as a R.A.F. airfield during World War II.

In 1942, a flat piece of farmland between London and Birmingham was converted into an air base, which became R.A.F. Silverstone the next year, taking its name from the nearby village.

The base, built with three runways, became the home of the No. 17 Operational Training Unit for Wellington medium bombers.

“You’d get new aircrew who did basic training, and then you had the operational squadrons,” Stuart Pringle, Silverstone’s managing director, said. “In between were operational training units. They took newly trained crews and gave them exposure to the combat environment without being in the absolute thick of horrendous bombing missions, so they did things like pamphlet drops — propaganda drops — or they flew on the edge of bombing formations.”

The large site, with its runways, perimeter roads, hangars and various buildings, was used by the automotive company Rootes Group for vehicle storage and occasional test runs after the war. Soon, some local amateurs sensed an opportunity.

“It was unofficially discovered by a group of enthusiasts in 1947, who managed to get into the locked airfield and go for an informal race around the circuit, principally driving Frazer Nash sports cars,” Pringle said. “They famously managed to wing a sheep on there, which was grazing on the farmland. It became known as the Mutton Grand Prix.”