Historic Formula 1 to headline Silverstone's 75th anniversary

Silverstone Festival set to offer fresh grids and more historic grand prix cars than you can shake a stick at

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Silverstone’s forthcoming Festival event will celebrate the circuit’s 75th anniversary with a packed racing programme of classic and historic machinery, with front-engined Formula 1 cars getting a prime slot.

The Silverstone Festival (formerly known as The Classic) will take place on August 25-27 and will feature a whopping 14 different categories taking to the track, with the new 75th Anniversary Grand Prix Trophy race promising to be a standout addition.

In partnership with the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association (HGPCA), Silverstone is working to put together a field of 30 front-engined, and 30 rear-engined F1 cars, which will compete together as a 60-car grid across two 20-minute sprint events.

However, a third race will run exclusively for front-engined cars, of the type that were raced at Silverstone during its formative years in the late 1940s, such as Aston Martins, Ferraris, Maseratis and Scarabs. This race will be run for the 75th Anniversary Grand Prix Trophy.

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In addition, there will be daily parades of classic grand prix cars that have a racing history at Silverstone. The first race event to take place at the Northamptonshire venue was an International Grand Prix meeting in 1948, and just two years later the circuit hosted the first round of the new FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the British Grand Prix.

There will also be a celebration of Jaguar cars at the Festival, with a new Big Cat Challenge Trophy being organised by Motor Racing Legends. This race will feature pre-1966 Jaguars such as early E-types, D-types and C-types plus models like the XK variants and Mk1 and Mk2 saloons.

Can-Am cars in HSCC Thundersports

HSCC Thundersports crowd-pleasers

More modern offerings include a new Historic Formula Libre grid for high-powered single-seaters from the 1960s and ’70s, which is set to include pre-’78 and ground-effect F1 cars, F5000, F2, Formula Atlantic, F3 and Formula Ford 2000 machinery.

There will be classic touring cars and GT racers in action too thanks to Masters Endurance Legends, the Masters GT Trophy and the Transatlantic Trophy for pre-’66 Touring Cars.

The 20-race programme will be completed by grids from the Historic Sports Car Club, such as Roadsports and Thundersports.

From the archive

“We really wanted to mark Silverstone’s 75th anniversary with a bumper track programme celebrating the circuit’s incredible heritage – notably its unique place in Formula 1 history,” said Silverstone Festival event director Nick Wigley. “While the Festival is broadening its appeal, the racing remains tight at its heartbeat, and I’m thrilled with the fantastic range of grids we’ve assembled to make this important landmark in Silverstone’s ever-evolving story.”

Silverstone Festival tickets are now on sale, with a range of camping and hospitality options. Details can be found at Silverstone.co.uk.

The 2023 Silverstone Festival Racecard can be found below.

Classic F5000 machinery at Silverstone

The rumble of F5000s could return with the new HSCC Silverstone Formula Libre grid

2023 Silverstone Festival Racecard

Historic Formula Junior

HGPCA Pre-’66 Grand Prix Cars – incorporating the 75th Anniversary Grand Prix Trophy for front-engined GP cars

HSCC Road Sports Trophy

HSCC Silverstone Formula Libre Trophy

HSCC Thundersports

International Trophy for Pre-’66 GT cars

Masters Endurance Legends

Masters GT Trophy

Masters Racing Legends (1966-1985 DFV-era F1 cars)

Masters Sports Car Legends

MRL Big Cat Challenge Trophy

MRL Historic Touring Car Challenge

MRL Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy

Transatlantic Trophy for Pre-’66 Touring Cars

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