The Silverstone motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire will celebrate 75 years since hosting its first F1 World Championship Race this summer with the 2025 edition of the annual Silverstone Festival. The event in August will celebrate 75 years since the famous former airfield first hosted Formula 1’s first-ever points-scoring Grand Prix in 1950.  

The weekend will feature a wide range of track demonstrations and races, with many classic F1 cars on display in four different race grids. However, one of the highlights will be a race featuring a wide variety of classic 500cc Formula 3 cars, which featured in the support race for the first championship Brand Prix. 

Back then these little half-litre, motorbike-engined racers were the perfect proving ground for the next generation of both drivers and engineers. Indeed, the Silverstone grid that year included a 20 year-old Stirling Moss and an even younger Peter Collins, both future British Grand Prix winners. What’s more, with their engines mounted behind the driver rather than under the bonnet up-front, these game-changers were the pioneers of future Formula 1 design. 

75 years later, a huge field of nostalgic 500s will be rolling back the years at Silverstone to honour their role in entertaining the 120,000+ crowd back in 1950. Duncan Rabagliati of the 500 Owners Association commented, “We are expecting a full capacity 54 car grid with historically period entries coming from ten countries and featuring at least 18 different marques, such as Bond, Effyh, Emeryson, Kieft, Staride, IOTA and Cooper.

The F3 race will be on a line-up featuring four anniversary F1 races, plus a huge variety of cars in action over weekend, with more grids to be announced as part of a 20-race programme. The festival also feature live music, classic car displays, amusements, shopping and entertainment for all the family.   

The Silverstone Festival 2025 takes place from August 22nd to 24th.  For more information please click here.