Festival to mark Silverstone’s 75th anniversary
Event formerly known as the Classic will recall Silverstone’s first grand prix in 1948 among a packed weekend schedule
When it was all just fields: the start of the first Silverstone grand prix in 1948
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There is no doubt about it – our first post-war RAC International Grand Prix at the new Silverstone circuit on October 2 was an immense success, and must be repeated in 1949,” wrote Bill Boddy in these very pages in the November 1948 edition. “Now that Silverstone and Goodwood are established we in this country can breathe more freely than we have been able to do at any time during the last nine years, and anticipate excellent racing next season.”
Nearly seventy-five years on, the Silverstone Festival on August 25-27 will commemorate that historic occasion, at which Luigi Villoresi became the new airfield circuit’s first grand prix winner in a Maserati 4CTL/48. He’d barely recognise the place now. But the cars would ring a bell, particularly those that line up for what is likely to be a highlight of the event formerly known as Silverstone Classic.
Eras vary, grids are large
Silverstone
The Historic Grand Prix Cars Association has invited 30 front-engined and 30 rear-engined pre-1966 F1 cars for what promises to be a pair of unforgettable races – plus a third solely for the front-engined brigade, dubbed the 75th Anniversary Grand Prix Trophy. Two cars that raced in the 1948 grand prix are expected to line up: the Talbot Lago T26 Philippe Étancelin qualified on the front row and ERA R5B, aka ‘Remus’, as driven by John Bolster.
Keeping to the best Classic traditions, the Festival will feature a bumper crop of historic races across a wide variety of favourite categories and eras. A welcome addition will be the Historic Formula Libre thrash, celebrating the catch-all single-seater races that used to be a staple of the UK scene. A mix of pre-’78 and ground-effect F1, F5000, F2, FAtlantic, F3 and FF2000 cars are expected to form a suitably eclectic grid.
Crowds flock to the event formerly known as Silverstone Classic, now established in its late-August bank holiday slot.
Silverstone
Beyond the race programme, the themed parades this year include more 75th anniversary celebrations, for Porsche and, more intriguingly, for NASCAR. A dozen genuine US stock cars have been promised, including an ex-Clint Bowyer 2014 Toyota Camry owned and run by BTCC champion Andrew Jordan. The Jack Sears 1963 Ford Galaxie that revolutionised saloon car racing in the UK (see page 106), will head a Ford-themed parade. Then there’s a post-DFV era F1 display that is likely to include ex-McLaren and Ferrari ace Stefan Johansson, who will be reunited with the Toleman TG185 he tested but never got to race in 1985. “I did the pre-season Rio test and it was fantastic,” Johansson told Motor Sport. “It was probably the best F1 chassis I ever drove, the car was phenomenal.”
Museum entry is an added bonus
An added bonus is that all tickets purchased for the Festival will include free admission to the Silverstone Museum, situated at the circuit’s entrance. “For anyone who hasn’t been yet, it really is a must,” said event director Nick Wigley. “And as the content is constantly evolving, it’s still worth a return visit for those who have been before.”
Live music is also an increasing part of the Festival weekend, the line-up this year including Motor Sport office wireless staples McFly and Sugababes, plus 1980s survivors ABC and The Christians.
Visit Silverstone.co.uk to find out more
