Motorsport in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Motorsport
is a popular sport in the United Kingdom
. The United Kingdom is a key player in the world of motorsport, hosting rounds of the Formula One
World Championship, World Rally Championship
and Grand Prix motorcycle racing
, amongst others. It is also the home of many of the current teams in Formula One, such as McLaren
and Williams
, while teams such as Red Bull Racing
, Mercedes GP
and Renault
are also based in England
. There are also a range of popular national series held such as the British Touring Car Championship
. The Motor Sports Association
is the official governing body of motorsport in the United Kingdom.
became the first British world champion in , defeating Stirling Moss
, labelled by many as "the greatest driver never to have won the world championship". The country won four consecutive titles between 1962 and 1965, with Graham Hill
, Jim Clark
(twice) and John Surtees
. Hill won again in 1968, and was succeeded by Jackie Stewart
, who won in , and . James Hunt
was world champion for McLaren in , and was the last British champion until , when Nigel Mansell
won for Williams. Damon Hill
, son of Graham, was champion in , while Lewis Hamilton
and Jenson Button
won back-to-back titles for the country in and .
Other than the Italian Scuderia Ferrari
, the most successful teams in Formula One have been based in Britain. McLaren
and Williams
are the most successful of these, with former teams Team Lotus
and Brabham also winning multiple titles. Of the 12 teams currently competing in Formula One, eight are based in England.
Silverstone Circuit
currently hosts the British Grand Prix
every year. Silverstone hosted the first ever Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in . Aintree Motor Racing Circuit
and Brands Hatch
have also previously hosted the British Grand Prix. The European Grand Prix
was held at Brands Hatch in 1983 and 1985, and at Donington Park
in 1993.
currently hosts rounds of MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship
. Britain's Leslie Graham
won the inaugural Grand Prix Motorcycling World Championship in 1949. Geoff Duke
, John Surtees
and Mike Hailwood
all won multiple world titles during the 1950s and 1960s. Phil Read
was world champion in 1973 and 1974, while Barry Sheene
won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. Britain has struggled in the top 500cc/MotoGP class since then.
Britain has enjoyed greater success in the Superbike World Championship, with Carl Fogarty
winning four titles in the 1990s. Neil Hodgson
won the title in 2003, while James Toseland
won the title in 2004 and 2007. The United Kingdom is currently well-represented in the Superbike World Championship.
The British Superbike Championship is the leading motorcycle racing
series in the United Kingdom. Road racing events are popular, with Northern Ireland
hosting the North West 200
. Motocross
and motorcycle trials
are also popular forms of motorcycle sports.
is a popular form of motorsport in the United Kingdom. The RAC Rally began in 1932, and has since evolved into Wales Rally GB, the country's round of the World Rally Championship
. Colin McRae
won the World Rally Championship in 1995, and Richard Burns
won in 2001, both for the Banbury
-based Subaru World Rally Team
. Both were recognised as two of the sport's most famous and popular drivers, but Burns and McRae died in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
The British Rally Championship
is the national rally championship of the United Kingdom.
The British Touring Car Championship
is the country's most popular national racing series. Its popularity was highest during the 1990s and the Supertouring
era, when it attracted a range of well-known international manufacturers and drivers. Although spiralling costs meant that the series declined during the early 21st century, the series is now regaining popularity.
The United Kingdom also has a presence in the World Touring Car Championship
, with Guernsey
's Andy Priaulx
winning three consecutive world championships between 2005 and 2007. Brands Hatch
hosted the UK's WTCC round, the FIA WTCC Race of UK
, until 2009. This race is now hosted by Donington Park
.
Brands Hatch also annually hosts a round of the prestigious German touring car series, DTM
. This series is notable for a host of ex-Formula One racers, such as Ralf Schumacher
and David Coulthard
, and a strong representation from UK drivers. The 2010 championship was won by Scotsman Paul di Resta
, who in 2011 graduated to the Force India
team in Formula One.
. Britain has had more winning drivers than any other nation, including France
. Derek Bell
won the race five times during the 1970s and 80s. Jaguar and Bentley
have taken 15 wins between them.
Silverstone currently hosts rounds of the Le Mans Series
and FIA GT1 World Championship
.
The British GT Championship
is the major national sportscars series, with Britcar
and many other smaller championships also running.
was regarded as one of the most important series below Formula One, with former champions including Nelson Piquet
, Mika Häkkinen
, Ayrton Senna
and Emerson Fittipaldi
. Due to the emergence of successful junior formulae in mainland Europe, the series does not attract the quality of drivers it once did, but is still the most important of the national Formula Three
series.
The British Formula Renault Championship
is a popular series, with both Kimi Räikkönen
and Lewis Hamilton
being former champions of the series. The British Formula Ford Championship
and Formula Ford Festival
are also known for producing talented young drivers.
(BRSCC) and Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC). Each club holds a range of meetings throughout the year, with each meeting consisting of races in several different categories.
and Silverstone Classic.
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
is a popular sport in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The United Kingdom is a key player in the world of motorsport, hosting rounds of the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Championship, World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
and Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
, amongst others. It is also the home of many of the current teams in Formula One, such as McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
and Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
, while teams such as Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
, Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team, the trading name of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited, is a British-based Formula One racing team and constructor, owned by Mercedes-Benz and racing under a German licence since the 2010 season....
and Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
are also based in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There are also a range of popular national series held such as the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
. The Motor Sports Association
Motor Sports Association
The Motor Sports Association , is the official governing body of motorsport in the United Kingdom.-Responsibilities:...
is the official governing body of motorsport in the United Kingdom.
Formula One
The United Kingdom has been a major player in the Formula One World Championship since it began in 1950, providing ten different world champions, winning 14 titles between them, more than any other nation. Mike HawthornMike Hawthorn
John Michael Hawthorn was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.-Racing career:...
became the first British world champion in , defeating Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
, labelled by many as "the greatest driver never to have won the world championship". The country won four consecutive titles between 1962 and 1965, with Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
, Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
(twice) and John Surtees
John Surtees
John Surtees, OBE is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He was 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956 and 1958–60, Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels...
. Hill won again in 1968, and was succeeded by Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
, who won in , and . James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
was world champion for McLaren in , and was the last British champion until , when Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
won for Williams. Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
, son of Graham, was champion in , while Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
and Jenson Button
Jenson Button
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...
won back-to-back titles for the country in and .
Other than the Italian Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
, the most successful teams in Formula One have been based in Britain. McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
and Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
are the most successful of these, with former teams Team Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
and Brabham also winning multiple titles. Of the 12 teams currently competing in Formula One, eight are based in England.
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
currently hosts the British Grand Prix
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
every year. Silverstone hosted the first ever Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in . Aintree Motor Racing Circuit
Aintree Motor Racing Circuit
Aintree Motor Racing Circuit is a 3-mile motor racing circuit in the village of Aintree, Merseyside, England. The circuit is located within the famous Aintree Racecourse and used the same grandstands as horse racing...
and Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
have also previously hosted the British Grand Prix. The European Grand Prix
European Grand Prix
The European Grand Prix is a Formula One event that was reintroduced during the mid-1980s and has been held regularly since 1999. From 2008 it will take place for at least another 7 years...
was held at Brands Hatch in 1983 and 1985, and at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
in 1993.
Motorcycle racing
Silverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
currently hosts rounds of MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
. Britain's Leslie Graham
Leslie Graham
For the English footballer and manager see Leslie Graham Robert Leslie Graham DFC was a British motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1930s and 1940s...
won the inaugural Grand Prix Motorcycling World Championship in 1949. Geoff Duke
Geoff Duke
Geoffrey Ernest Duke OBE is a British multi-time motorcycle Grand Prix road racing world champion.Geoff Duke dominated motorcycle racing in the 1950s, winning six world championships and six Isle of Man TT races...
, John Surtees
John Surtees
John Surtees, OBE is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He was 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956 and 1958–60, Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels...
and Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability...
all won multiple world titles during the 1950s and 1960s. Phil Read
Phil Read
Phillip William Read is an English former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer nicknamed "The Prince of Speed." Although he would often be overshadowed by his contemporary, Mike Hailwood, he would become the first man to win world championships in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc classes.-Biography:In 1964,...
was world champion in 1973 and 1974, while Barry Sheene
Barry Sheene
Barry Stephen Frank Sheene MBE was a British World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.-Early life:...
won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. Britain has struggled in the top 500cc/MotoGP class since then.
Britain has enjoyed greater success in the Superbike World Championship, with Carl Fogarty
Carl Fogarty
Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty is the most successful World Superbike racer of all time in terms of the number of championships and number of race wins...
winning four titles in the 1990s. Neil Hodgson
Neil Hodgson
Neil Stuart Hodgson is a former British motorcycle racer who won the 2000 British Superbike Championship, and the 2003 Superbike World Championship titles. Neil then went on to have a moderately successful 4 years in the American Superbike Championship, with a best 5th place championship finish...
won the title in 2003, while James Toseland
James Toseland
James Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...
won the title in 2004 and 2007. The United Kingdom is currently well-represented in the Superbike World Championship.
The British Superbike Championship is the leading motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
series in the United Kingdom. Road racing events are popular, with Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
hosting the North West 200
North West 200
The North West 200 is a motorcycle race meeting held each May in Northern Ireland. The course, made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush is one of the fastest in the world, with speeds in excess of . It is one of around fifteen events run on public...
. Motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
and motorcycle trials
Motorcycle trials
Motorcycle trials, also termed observed trials, is a non-speed event on specialized motorcycles. The sport is most popular in the United Kingdom and Spain, though there are participants around the globe....
are also popular forms of motorcycle sports.
Rallying
RallyingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
is a popular form of motorsport in the United Kingdom. The RAC Rally began in 1932, and has since evolved into Wales Rally GB, the country's round of the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
. Colin McRae
Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver born in Lanark.The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the...
won the World Rally Championship in 1995, and Richard Burns
Richard Burns
Richard Alexander Burns was an English rally driver. He was born in Reading, Berkshire. He was the 2001 World Rally Champion, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. He also helped Mitsubishi to the world manufacturers' title in 1998, and Peugeot in 2002...
won in 2001, both for the Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
-based Subaru World Rally Team
Subaru World Rally Team
The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003...
. Both were recognised as two of the sport's most famous and popular drivers, but Burns and McRae died in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
The British Rally Championship
British Rally Championship
The Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship is a yearly rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It comprises seven events with eight scoring opportunities throughout the British Isles. The first championship was run in 1958 and it has been licensed by the MSA Motor Sports Association since...
is the national rally championship of the United Kingdom.
Touring cars
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
is the country's most popular national racing series. Its popularity was highest during the 1990s and the Supertouring
Supertouring
Super Touring, Class 2 or Class II was a motor racing Touring Cars category defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile for national touring car racing in 1993. It was based on the "2 litre Touring Car Formula" created for the British Touring Car Championship in 1990...
era, when it attracted a range of well-known international manufacturers and drivers. Although spiralling costs meant that the series declined during the early 21st century, the series is now regaining popularity.
The United Kingdom also has a presence in the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
, with Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
's Andy Priaulx
Andy Priaulx
Andrew Graham Priaulx, MBE is a British racing driver from Guernsey. He is a European Touring Car Championship champion, three times World Touring Car Championship champion and the only FIA Touring Car champion to win an International level championship for four consecutive years...
winning three consecutive world championships between 2005 and 2007. Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
hosted the UK's WTCC round, the FIA WTCC Race of UK
FIA WTCC Race of UK
The FIA WTCC Race of UK is a round of the World Touring Car Championship that takes place in England.The race was first run at Silverstone in 2005, but moved to Brands Hatch in 2006, where it used the full Grand Prix layout. In 2011, the race will move to Donington Park in Leicestershire.-Winners:...
, until 2009. This race is now hosted by Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
.
Brands Hatch also annually hosts a round of the prestigious German touring car series, DTM
DTM
In sport:* Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a motor-racing series staged annually in Germany since 2000* Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, a motor-racing championship staged in Germany from 1984 to 1995In computing:...
. This series is notable for a host of ex-Formula One racers, such as Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher
Ralf Schumacher is a German racing driver, and the younger brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher...
and David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
, and a strong representation from UK drivers. The 2010 championship was won by Scotsman Paul di Resta
Paul di Resta
Paul di Resta is a British racing driver from Scotland, currently competing in Formula One with Force India. He is also a former DTM champion.-Personal life:...
, who in 2011 graduated to the Force India
Force India
Sahara Force India Formula One Team, the trading name of Force India Formula One Team Limited, is a Formula One racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom which currently holds an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and...
team in Formula One.
Sportscars
British teams and drivers have enjoyed many successes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. Britain has had more winning drivers than any other nation, including France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Derek Bell
Derek Bell
Derek Bell may refer to:* Derek Bell , Northern Irish musician and composer, long with The Chieftains* Derek Bell , British racing car driver* Derek Bell , American baseball player...
won the race five times during the 1970s and 80s. Jaguar and Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
have taken 15 wins between them.
Silverstone currently hosts rounds of the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
and FIA GT1 World Championship
FIA GT1 World Championship
The FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
.
The British GT Championship
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...
is the major national sportscars series, with Britcar
Britcar
Britcar is an Endurance Motor Racing series formed in 1997, as a result of a discussion in a Nürburgring bar between Willie Moore and James Tucker. Folklore has it that James Tucker and John Veness formed the organizing European Endurance & Racing Club with a £10 note found on the ground...
and many other smaller championships also running.
Junior formulae
The British Formula Three ChampionshipBritish Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
was regarded as one of the most important series below Formula One, with former champions including Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
, Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
, Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
and Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
. Due to the emergence of successful junior formulae in mainland Europe, the series does not attract the quality of drivers it once did, but is still the most important of the national Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
series.
The British Formula Renault Championship
British Formula Renault Championship
The United Kingdom has two Formula Renault championships: Renault Sport UK's Formula Renault UK championship and the British Automobile Racing Club's BARC Formula Renault championship. Generally, the UK series is recognized as the British Formula Renault.-History:The "British Formula Renault...
is a popular series, with both Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
and Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
being former champions of the series. The British Formula Ford Championship
British Formula Ford Championship
The Formula Ford Championship single seater category is a motor sport category which gives many racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting...
and Formula Ford Festival
Formula Ford Festival
The Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford powered single seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county of Kent, in Southern England...
are also known for producing talented young drivers.
Club racing
The United Kingdom has a large 'club racing' scene, with a wide range of series for amateur drivers, with each containing a diverse range of drivers and cars. Clubs include the British Racing and Sports Car ClubBritish Racing and Sports Car Club
The British Racing and Sports Car Club is one of the major organisers of motorsport events in the United Kingdom.-History:The 500 Club, as it was then known, was founded in 1946. The club promoted racing in 500 c.c. single-seater racing cars, later known as Formula Three. Motor Sport reported in...
(BRSCC) and Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC). Each club holds a range of meetings throughout the year, with each meeting consisting of races in several different categories.
Historic racing
Historic racing is popular in the United Kingdom. Major events include the Goodwood RevivalGoodwood Revival
The Goodwood Revival is a three-day festival held each September since 1998 for the types of road racing cars and motorcycle that would have competed during the circuit's original period—1948-1966. It is one of the world’s most popular motor race meetings and the only UK event which recreates the...
and Silverstone Classic.
Circuits
Current venues- Aintree Motor Racing CircuitAintree Motor Racing CircuitAintree Motor Racing Circuit is a 3-mile motor racing circuit in the village of Aintree, Merseyside, England. The circuit is located within the famous Aintree Racecourse and used the same grandstands as horse racing...
- Anglesey CircuitAnglesey CircuitThe Anglesey Circuit, or Trac Môn in Welsh is a motor racing circuit located in Aberffraw, Anglesey, Wales. It plays host to a variety of motorsport events, including rallycross...
- Brands HatchBrands HatchBrands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
- Cadwell ParkCadwell ParkCadwell Park is a motor racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England, south of Louth. It is owned and operated by Jonathan Palmer's Motorsport Vision company....
- Castle Combe CircuitCastle Combe CircuitCastle Combe Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Wiltshire, England, approximately from Bristol. The circuit used to be the perimeter track of a World War II airfield, and opened to racing in 1950.- History :...
- Croft CircuitCroft CircuitCroft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. The tarmac circuit is just over long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit...
- Donington ParkDonington ParkDonington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
- Goodwood CircuitGoodwood CircuitGoodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...
- Knockhill Racing CircuitKnockhill Racing CircuitKnockhill Racing Circuit in Fife is Scotland's national Motorsport centre. The circuit is located in the Fife countryside about north of Dunfermline. The track, initially opened in 1974, is long and 10 metres wide and was created by joining service roads to a nearby disused mineral railway,...
- Lydden Hill Race Circuit
- Mallory ParkMallory ParkMallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley. With the full car circuit measuring only 1.35 miles it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK...
- Oulton ParkOulton ParkOulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...
- Pembrey CircuitPembrey CircuitPembrey Circuit is a racing circuit outside Pembrey village, south Wales. It is deemed to be the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks...
- Rockingham Motor SpeedwayRockingham Motor SpeedwayRockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport...
- Silverstone CircuitSilverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
- Snetterton Motor Racing CircuitSnetterton Motor Racing CircuitSnetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
- Thruxton CircuitThruxton CircuitThruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
Former venues
- Birmingham SuperprixBirmingham SuperprixThe Halfords Birmingham Superprix was a motor racing meeting held on a street circuit at the heart of Birmingham, England, from 1986 to 1990. Until 1990 the principal event was a round of the European Formula 3000 Championship, but support races included BTCC and Formula Ford 1600 rounds, as well...
- BrooklandsBrooklandsBrooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
- Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace (circuit)Crystal Palace circuit was a motor racing circuit in Crystal Palace, London, England. The circuit was located within Crystal Palace park. The route of the track can still be seen on maps providing access to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre that is also located in the park.- History :The...