The former air base that typifies modern F1
During the second world war, Silverstone was a Royal Air Force bomber base. Eight decades later, it draws the largest crowd on the Formula 1 calendar.
Over the course of four days culminating with the British Grand Prix on Sunday, Silverstone expects 565,000 spectators to pass through its gates.
That’s an increase from last year’s record-breaking attendance of 500,000. It’s a cumulative figure, meaning that fans who attend several days are counted more than once — but impressive nonetheless. It around the same number of people that go to Wimbledon, which is two weeks long.
Attendance has boomed since F1 clocked 4mn spectators across 20 races in 2017, the first year of Liberty Media’s ownership of the sport.
The US group has expanded the calendar to 24 races, with cumulative attendance of 6.75mn in 2025. New races in Las Vegas and Miami have helped to drive the surge, but the old guard at Silverstone have played their part too.
It’s all part of the bigger picture. Liberty Media wants hosts to think about more than racing.
Celebrities turn out in style. There are fan zones and the Silverstone Museum. Hospitality. Music every day, from DJ David Guetta to English singer-songwriter James Arthur. Courtesy of F1 partner Lego, the drivers will “race” a lap of the circuit in minicars made from the toy bricks before the main event.
But the business model has become riskier. All of the above comes at a cost, so the pressure is on the British Grand Prix to deliver. Around half Silverstone’s yearly revenue comes from the event. It is owned by the British Racing Drivers’ Club, a non-profit.
In its own words, “Because of its high fixed cost base, it is important for the group to minimise the risk of revenue falling short of expectations.”
To that end, the demand for tickets is a huge help. But the British Grand Prix wasn’t always booming.
When Bernie Ecclestone ruled F1, Silverstone’s place in the sport was in doubt. F1’s former supremo wasn’t averse to threatening to move the race to a new circuit.
Even after Liberty bought control of the sport’s commercial rights in 2017, the relationship was rocky.
You can read more about the turnaround under Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle in this piece, which explains why the British Grand Prix will stay on a former airfield until at least 2034.