Silverstone has laid the asphalt of its new international-grade circuit which includes a disused portion of the former grand prix circuit.
The 1.377 kilometre kart track, within sight of the Wellington Straight, incorporates the Bridge and Priory corners which were last used for the Formula 1 grand prix in 2009.The circuit issued images of the freshly-laid Kart Silverstone track today. Former Formula 1 driver and British Racing Drivers Club president David Coulthard helped to design the track along with his former F1 rival Anthony Davidson. A total of six different configurations are available and Silverstone intends to host FIA international kart events on the circuit.
Mercedes F1 driver George Russell, whose karting successes included two CIK-FIA European KF3 championship titles, recently inspected the circuit. “It’s incredibly impressive,” he said.
“I am confident it will become one of the premier karting facilities in the world, and a venue that all of British motorsport can be truly proud of. I am excited to get out on the track once it is open and support the next generation of young racers just starting out and chasing their motorsport dreams, just as the BRDC has done for me.”
The Bridge and Priory sequence was created when Silverstone overhauled its track layout in 1991. They persisted through a series of changes, though the approach speed to Bridge was drastically lowered by the creation of a chicane at the preceding corner, Abbey, in 1995. Priory corner was notoriously the scene of a collision between championship rivals Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill the following year.
The corners were bypassed following the 2010 redevelopment of the circuit and have fallen out of use since.
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Matthijs (@matthijs)
6th June 2025, 13:49
At least the obsolete part of the track is used for something valuable. It is good to see that the new kart track actually uses a significant part of the old F1-circuit, with respect to the legacy. Hockenheim, are you reading this? ;)
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
6th June 2025, 16:07
Disgrace what they did to that circuit, from a flat out blast thru the forest with 1000s of fans hidden in the trees to not even on the calendar.
anon
6th June 2025, 20:09
@tonymansell and yet, the old Hockenheimring was a circuit that was generally unpopular with the drivers, teams and other figures working within Formula 1, if not actively despised by some.
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
6th June 2025, 22:20
I agree it was amazing
Alan Dove
6th June 2025, 14:52
If they run a club meeting they’ll be clashing with one of the big 4. Will be interesting to see what happens. Will be sad if historic places like Kim or Shenni suffer.
Alesici
6th June 2025, 15:10
Following thoughts on whether to build a extension to the Monaco circuit to spice up the show, surely this development shows that Silverstone are ahead of the curve, and will be introducing a mandatory joker lap whereby every driver must incorporate a single lap around the kart circuit at a time of their choosing during the grand prix?
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
6th June 2025, 16:37
Bridge is sadly missed (notably by Jarno Trulli who had a big smash there in 2004, just before Briatore fired him) but Priory wasn’t great.
I was impressed how long that old bit of track held on while all around it was redeveloped. Seemed like they kept it just for the Silverstone 10K for runners – exactly two laps of the 90s/noughties layout. Wonder where they’ll run now?
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th June 2025, 1:48
Bridge reminds me of Brands Hatch corners, likewise missed.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
6th June 2025, 16:40
That is a very impressive project. If I was a young racer, I would be over the moon.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
6th June 2025, 17:09
Oh, I think I get it. I haven’t been to Silverstone since I was a kid. So where Schumacher & Hill collided in 95′ is part of a kart track? I just assumed the whole sequence from before the dip under bridge was gone.
Chris Horton
6th June 2025, 23:54
Never assume :)
Terrion (@terrion)
6th June 2025, 17:09
I like to see that unused part of the circuit is being rebuild for more usage, and looks super fun for karts. That being said, after 15 years, I’m still missing the Bridge corner from the circuit. It has always been my favourite Silverstone corner. I remember everybody struggling there in rainy 2008 race and still love this version of the circuit on F1 challenge 99-02. The “new” part of the track with two awfully slow corners and one straight seems much less interesting and lacking character.
However I must say that especially during last years (and even more especially in F2), the added straight has given us many interesting moments. So at least the change was not for nothing like on Catalunya or Imola.
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
6th June 2025, 18:35
This has been the fan area for the last 15 years or so where all the main stalls, attractions and main stage is for F1 weekend. I guess that’s still the plan it will just be thousands of people standing on a go kart track now.
Yasir Haniff
6th June 2025, 20:17
Less space for car clubs at Silverstone Festival?
Stuart
6th June 2025, 21:06
I’ll be impressed if it has enough paddock space, toilets and bins for a big race meeting.
isthatglock21
6th June 2025, 21:47
Amazed they didn’t just sell off the land to developers for a fancy new hotel or luxury apartments. Putting the land to good use. Silverstone as a whole has come a long way, making good investments, I just hope the accountants have got their ducks in a row with some very conservative budgets/risk/reward investments. Cause the sun won’t shine forever.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
6th June 2025, 21:59
David Coulthard’s got more pies than fingers!
Mr A
7th June 2025, 1:30
I still miss the old Silverstone. It was never the same after they butchered it.