Sally Reynolds, CEO of Silverstone Heritage Limited, said: “We were delighted to hear that our bid has been successful. This means that work on the project can start in the New Year and that the Silverstone Heritage Experience can open to the public in spring 2019.”

Half a million visitors per year

The project will bring the extensive heritage of Silverstone and British motor racing to life for an estimated half a million visitors a year, through the creation of a dynamic, interactive and educational visitor experience. 

[quote=Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF]“Thanks to National Lottery players, more of the stories in this exciting heritage can now be told.”[/quote]

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF, said: “Silverstone is a place where so many legends of British motor racing have their roots. The speed and the glamour, though, are only part of the success of British motorsport since the late 1940s. 

“Thanks to National Lottery players, more of the stories in this exciting heritage can now be told; stories of drivers and sporting glory, yes, but also of the extraordinary creativity of British engineering and of all the people behind the scenes who, quite literally, have kept the show on the road.”

Exciting plans

The Silverstone Heritage Experience will include:

• A permanent exhibition that will take visitors on a two-hour journey through motor racing past, present and future
• The latest technology to tell stories of the people that have been part of the site’s history, from medieval monks and Second World War air crew to the racing drivers, riders, engineers and marshals of today
• A Collections and Research Centre, offering museum and archive accredited storage
• A series of themed tours

Opening up our motor racing heritage

The Silverstone Heritage Experience will ensure that the heritage of Silverstone and British motor racing is opened up and in so doing inspire the next generation of world-class engineers and motor sport experts. It will celebrate the circuit and the country’s position at the very heart of the global motor sport industry.

Tracey Crouch, Sport, Tourism and Heritage Minister, said: "Silverstone is famous the world over as the home of British motorsport and I am delighted that this Heritage Lottery Fund grant will create a new permanent exhibition at this iconic track."