Silverstone signs new 10-year deal to host British Grand Prix

By Sports Desk February 08, 2024

The future of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been secured for another decade following the announcement of a new long-term deal.

Silverstone’s five-year contract with F1’s American owners Liberty Media was up for renewal this summer.

And while – unlike in previous years – the race at the Northamptonshire track owned by the British Drivers’ Racing Club was not in major doubt, Thursday’s announcement safeguards one of the jewels of the country’s sporting summer until at least 2034.

The deal is understood to be worth around £300million, or £30m per year.

A record-breaking crowd in excess of 150,000 attended last year’s Grand Prix with nearly half a million spectators passing through the gates over the course of the weekend.

F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “I am delighted to announce that the British Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for 10 more years with this agreement.

“Silverstone is an iconic venue at the heart of F1 history and as it approaches its ninth decade hosting Grands Prix, the event continues to attract fans from around the world for fantastic racing on track and the amazing fan experience off it.”

Silverstone chief executive Stuart Pringle added: “This long-term commitment reflects the importance of the British Grand Prix to Formula 1 and their acknowledgement of our ability to deliver a world-class experience.

“The cheers of support for the home teams, and particularly for the British drivers on the grid, makes the Silverstone atmosphere unique.”

The British Grand Prix has been an ever-present on the F1 calendar, dating back more than 70 years, with Silverstone staging the sport’s first world championship race.

Liberty has flirted with the idea of staging a street race in London, but a number of roadblocks have thwarted any serious progress.

Liberty has also been criticised for taking the sport away from its traditional European heartland. But the American conglomerate’s commitment to Silverstone comes just weeks after a new race in Madrid was confirmed from 2026.

The new F1 season starts in Bahrain on March 2, with Silverstone hosting the British GP on July 7.

Related items

  • Jamaican sensation Alex Powell claims first F4 win in Italy Jamaican sensation Alex Powell claims first F4 win in Italy

    Jamaican Alex Powell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior, claimed his first European F4 victory in one of the most exciting races of the year at the famed ‘Temple of Speed’, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy, on Sunday.

    Ninth on the grid for the first race of the weekend, Powell had a blistering start, which saw him move up four positions on lap one, before the first of several Safety Car appearances paused racing. It was a race with multiple incidents and re-starts, but Powell remained focused and was consistently sharp for every start.

    After a three-way battle, the Jamaican sensation executed a breathtaking pass for the race lead, before a final incident brought out the Safety Car again, with Powell crossing the line first as the race finished.

    In addition to the outright race win, Powell also secured first among rookie drivers, claiming the two top trophies in the race. His performance also assisted Prema Racing to secure the team title for the 2024 Euro 4 Championship.

  • McConnell confident heading into rounds three and four of Nitrocross Championship in Utah McConnell confident heading into rounds three and four of Nitrocross Championship in Utah

    Jamaican racing sensation Fraser McConnell is gearing up for an intense weekend of action as he heads into Rounds three and four of the Nitrocross championship on October 5 & 6 in Utah.

    Following a stellar performance at the season’s opening rounds in Richmond, Virginia, McConnell holds second place in the overall standings, just 11 points behind leader Kevin Eriksson.

    McConnell’s dominant showing at Richmond Raceway on September 7 & 8 saw him secure a third-place finish in Round 1, followed by a thrilling battle for first in Round 2. 

    After clinching the top qualifier spot and winning his semi-final, McConnell started the Round 2 final in pole position. Despite taking an early lead, a dramatic half-spin pushed him off his racing line, allowing Eriksson to take the win. McConnell finished second ahead of Viktor Vranckx.

    Looking ahead to the Utah rounds, McConnell remains optimistic about his chances.

    “I’m really looking forward to this weekend, going back to Utah, the birthplace of Nitrocross,” he shared.

    “It all started there with the Nitro World Games in 2018 and 2019, so it's a very special place for everyone involved.”

    McConnell also highlighted the challenge of the upcoming track. “Salt Lake is one of the craziest tracks on the calendar, with the biggest gap jump and a lot of demanding corners. It requires high speed from us drivers. I'll just go out there and hit my marks as usual, trying to extract as much as I can from the car while proudly repping Jamaica.”

    With back-to-back podium finishes in Rounds 1 and 2, McConnell is confident about continuing his strong run.

    “We’re second in the championship with 107 points, and I’m looking forward to continuing that streak this weekend,” he said.

    McConnell currently leads defending champion Robin Larsson by four points and is poised to close the gap further in his pursuit of overtaking Eriksson.

    McConnell's season is sponsored by JustBet, Proven, Tru Shake, Rainforest, and the Jamaica Tourist Board.  

     

  • Reggae Racers Gore, Summerbell secure creditable finishes in race five of ADAC GT4 Germany series Reggae Racers Gore, Summerbell secure creditable finishes in race five of ADAC GT4 Germany series

    Jamaica’s team of Tommi Gore and Senna Summerbell produced a creditable showing in the fifth race of the ADAC GT4 Germany series as they secured two top-15 finishes at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Styria, at the weekend.

    The Jamaican duo, dubbed the Reggae Racers, displayed their prowess as they drove their Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sport to a 14th place finish after qualifying in ninth position in race one.

    They were up with the pace from a strong start but later faded down the track in a fiercely competitive field.

    However, the Avia W&S Motorsport representatives improved significantly in the second race, where they went nine places better to place fifth after placing fourth in qualifying.

    The team of Jan Marschalkowski and Philipp Gogollok from Eastside Motorsport, finished tops to register their first win of the series.  They won ahead of Finn Zulauf and Josef Knopp, also representing Avia W&S Motorsport.

    With much positive to take from their performances, Gore and Summerbell will target even more improvements in the final race of the season scheduled for October 18-20 in Hockenheim, Germany.

    “I am so happy to be a part of this team and ready to end the year strong. We had a big jump in results from the start of the season with this change, so we can only expect things to get better from here,” Gore said.

    The Avia W&S Motorsports team, which currently occupies second position in the team ranking on 179 points, are the defending champions in the ADAC GT4 Series. They are 11 points behind leaders Hofor Racing.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.