When WWII ended there were many empty airfields around the country covering extensive areas of land and it was not clear what to do with them.

In 1948 the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) asked the Air Ministry whether Silverstone could become a site for motor racing. At that time there was a farm growing cereals in the fields that were to become the race track. The RAC employed the farmer and gave him two months to help create the first Grand Prix.

Silverstone's first ever racing event took place on 2 October 1948. The course was 3.67 miles long and had bales of straw and rope around it. Thousands of people came, delighted at the return of the Grand Prix which had just started to become popular before the war.

The first site was not as professional and as safe as it is today. 23 cars raced against each other at a time, but the way the course was laid out, cars would appear to race towards each other head on, until they took a sharp left turn to the rest of the course. To solve this problem, canvas screens were put up to avoid distracting the drivers. The spectators were not allowed in the centre of the course, to avoid damaging the farmer's crops.

In August 1949, the shape of the circuit was changed, for the Daily Express International Trophy for Formula One Cars. This new course lasted for a quarter of a century.

The Formula 1 Grand Prix is now set to stay in Northamptonshire, and Silverstone begins an exciting new chapter in its life, as it becomes home to the Moto GP.

Want to know more? Visit their website www.silverstone.co.uk