Greg Smith MP attended the official opening of the Silverstone Experience today (6th March 2020) by the Duke of Sussex and Lewis Hamilton.
Roughly half of the iconic Silverstone Circuit is in Buckingham constituency, including the bulk of the Silverstone Experience building.
The project to create an educational centre for British motor sport began in 2012 with the charitable mission of bringing to the public a museum for the exhibition and preservation of artefacts, archives and collections of educational and historic value. The task of turning a former Second World War RAF hangar into a state-of-the-art 4000m visitor attraction was filled with challenges. It has taken over seven years and cost in excess of £20million to create a home for the important BRDC archive, and a hub for motor sport fans and families to explore racing at Silverstone. Through support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund they have been able to preserve the historic building and protect the archive for the future.
The charitable mission extends to inspiring the next generation of engineers and has won support from all aspects of the motor sport world, so The Silverstone Experience is filled with brilliant artefacts and objects that help tell the tale of motor sport at Silverstone in the most exciting way. A skilled team of archivists have worked for years to bring to life many untold and inspiring stories to entertain their visitors. Opening their doors to the public means they move into the next chapter of their story, and look forward to welcoming visitors – from school groups to families and life-long motorsport fans – as they enjoy The Silverstone Experience.
Commenting, Greg said, "As a lifelong motorsport fan, who is incredibly proud to represent so much of Silverstone Circuit in parliament, it was an enormous privilege to attend the official opening of the new Silverstone Experience. I encourage everyone to visit and learn more about the rich history of Silverstone Circuit and inspire young people to consider careers in motorsport."
Find out more at: https://silverstone-experience.co.uk/