Why the future is bright for the British GP

Five short years ago, Silverstone bosses were poised to activate a break clause with Formula 1 because Bernie Ecclestone’s escalator fees meant hosting a race was decreasingly financially viable. Back then, Monaco seemed unimpeachable. How times change.

Now the UK’s flagship motorsport venue enjoys a “really strong” and “much more collaborative” relationship with Liberty Media, according to managing director Stuart Pringle. Just as Albert Park in Australia has recently confirmed a deal, Silverstone is “prepared to join hands and walk down the aisle” by signing a long-term contract extension. Most vital of all, it has kept pace with the changing landscape of F1 in this Netflix boom period to set an example for its at-risk historic counterparts.

Pringle has an appetite for more. His vision is not for Silverstone to match the criteria for a successful F1 race, but to set it, even if that means taking on the new extremes of Miami and Las Vegas.

“There will never be such a thing as a regular British Grand Prix,” he says. “I’m restless and I’m in a hurry. I know where we need to go and what we need to do to get there. The day we take our foot off the throttle and become complacent… it’ll be the start of the end of the British Grand Prix.”

Silverstone, which hosted the British and 70th Anniversary GPs during the COVID-battered 2020 season, is an ally to Liberty Media. It can be a further force for good and futureproof itself by targeting “F1’s really significant concern, which is about sustainability”. In the fields of rural Northamptonshire, the circuit truly strives to be ‘green’. “We are going to be, if not the most sustainable round that Formula 1 goes to, we will be in the top two or three,” asserts Pringle.

Pringle (right) has high ambitions for Silverstone and hosting the British GP

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Seven of the 10 teams being based within an hour’s drive of the track helps, as does having FOM’s offices in Biggin Hill. There is already a 238-bus-strong park-and-ride scheme in place for fans and (strikes depending) trains rented to boost the use of public transport. Those attending this weekend will then be able to sample more sustainable food options and eat with compostable cutlery before disposing of any waste at more recycling points. They’re the micro-level steps.

On a macro scale, the British Racing Drivers’ Club – which owns Silverstone and doesn’t make a profit to put money back into the circuit – will up its total investment to £2.8million to fund an eventual 2700 solar panels. This will ensure that, from 2023, the Wing will be a zero-carbon building. It will also mean 25-30% of the track’s annual energy needs are produced on site. The rest will be bought from sustainable sources.

"With Miami and Las Vegas coming online there is an expectation of a level of entertainment that has not previously been seen at Silverstone" Stuart Pringle

These efforts, Pringle hopes, will help dispel a motorsport myth: “There are numerous examples of why F1 innovation is great for this country. But some people don’t understand that. They just think we’re creating CO2 for fun. I’m determined to address that.”

The futureproofing doesn’t stop there. The post-lockdown appetite for live events plus F1’s overall popularity meant the 142,000 tickets for the 2022 British GP sold out quicker than ever before. But as an extension of the boss’s attitude, Silverstone isn’t resting on its laurels when it comes to keeping fans happy. One area organisers are keen to exploit is the ‘festival’ atmosphere. So far, that has largely been in a sporting context. But expect more chartbusting music acts to perform in the coming years.

Pringle continues: “To make sure we keep pace, it is to recognise that in Miami and with Las Vegas coming online there is an expectation of a level of entertainment that has not previously been seen at Silverstone. The challenge I set our team here is how do we do that in our own distinct style without being becoming some homogenised American-based product? The answer is we make it more of a British summer festival.”

The British GP is thriving with home heroes like Hamilton, Russell and Norris helping sell out Silverstone

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

The completion of a trackside hotel plus forthcoming luxury accommodation will accompany the Silverstone Interactive Museum (nee Silverstone Experience) as the whole venue seeks to become an outright destination. Further, thanks to a strong relationship with Westminster, even if the track isn’t state-backed as is the case with many new F1 races, there is an understanding that Silverstone doesn’t just revolve around one weekend in July. It can be a so-called ‘hub’ at the heart of a thriving engineering sector.

Alongside stimulating STEM subjects, an £8million pot to build an international karting facility should encourage a healthy home bloodline beyond Messrs Hamilton, Russell and Norris.

PLUS: Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?

The future looks bright for Silverstone and F1

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images