Welcome to our circuit guide to Silverstone GP, one of the world’s best and well known race tracks. Silverstone is a fantastic mix of high-speed and flowing corners, including the infamous Maggotts and Becketts complex which has to be one of the best sequences of corners you can find.

Silverstone GP is now made up of 18 turns, over 3.6 miles and is a great testing or track day facility due to it’s large run of areas and varying corner types. In our Definitive Circuit Guide to Silverstone GP, Scott Mansell explains how to put a great lap together as well as looking at the detail of:

Racing lines at Silverstone GP

Braking references

Apex points

Which curbs to use

Vision and where to look

Abbey

The new turn one at Silverstone GP is a super-fast right hander. Quite similar to the old turn one, and just as much fun. Be smooth with all your inputs as it’s such a quick corner.

Approach

In most cars Abbey will require a lift or brake

Cars with less power or with aero might be flat

Be gentle with all steering and pedal inputs

Ensure vision is a long way ahead, at the apex

Apex

There are two small red curbs on the inside of the normal curb, these mark the apex

Do not run over the small red curbs

Vision should already be towards the exit

There is a bump on the apex

Exit

The exit is a compromise as you need to prepare for the next left-hander

Try not to use too much road on the left

There is some run-off on the left if you make an error

Farm

Quickly following turn one at Silverstone is the equally fast Farm corner. Again, flat or almost flat in most cars, so long as you haven’t been too greedy with your exit from Abbey.

Apex

Be smooth with all of your inputs and never lift off the accelerator too fast (it may cause lift-off oversteer)

Three red curbs signify the apex (see image)

Ensure vision is well ahead as this is a very fast corner

Exit

Don’t allow the car to push too far to the right (it’ll make getting back across for the next corner difficult)

The middle of the road is about right

Begin to look for braking references

Village

After the speed of turns one and two comes Silverstone GP’s slowest corners. First up, we have Village, where it’s easy to enter too fast. Village is a corner that invites you in, but tightens up as you approach the apex.

Braking Area

There aren’t many braking references, distance before the entry curb is about the best

You’ll be braking across the circuit, aiming to turn in at the outside of the track (see image)

Ensure the car is in a straight line

Turn-in

Now the car should be on the outside of the track

Vision should be at the apex

Remember the corner tightens

If you lock up or arrive too quickly, continue straight into run-off area

Apex

You can use all of the curb

Do not touch the ‘sausage’ curb

Be aware when getting on throttle that you shouldn’t use all the track when exiting as you need to bring the car back to the right

Exit

Do not use all of the road when exiting

Continue to keep steering lock in the car, to bring car over to the right as much as possible

Ensure vision is up at the inside of the next corner (The Loop)

The Loop

The Loop is Silverstone GP’s slowest corner, but one of the most important as it leads into Aintree corner (which is flat out in most cars) and then on to the Wellington Straight. Therefore a good exit is critical is you want to put a good lap together.

Entry

Braking is required

Try to get as far to the right as possible, to focus on the exit

Ensure vision is at the apex of The Loop early, so you can gauge your speed and turn in point well

Apex

Quite a late apex, as we need to focus on exit speed

The apex always feels really slow and awkward, but be patient

Do not run on the sausage curb

Exit

Focus on getting the power down smoothly to maximise exit speed

There is some tarmac beyond the curb, however, try not to use as it will destroy you exit speed

Aintree

Following the slow-speed corner of The Loop, comes Aintree which is flat in almost all cars. You’ll need to ensure your vision is far forwards, so you can best pick out your line.

Approach

Make sure your vision is a long way ahead, at the curbing on the left

Gently bring the car towards the apex

There is a large tarmac run-off around the outside

Apex

There are two red bumps inside the main curb here, they signify the apex

Use all of the ‘normal’ red and white curb

Your vision should be towards the exit point – along the exit curbing

Exit

Release the steering to open up Aintree as much as possible

It’s possible to use all of the exit curbing

There a strip of green concrete and more tarmac run-off in case you make a mistake

Brooklands

Next up is the heavy braking zone and medium-speed left-hander of Brooklands. The corner tightens as you enter and with a late apex, it’s easy to make a mistake.

Approach

There are numerous braking reference points here: the beginning and end of the green concrete, the start of the entry curb and the turn board (if you’re in a single-seater)

Remember to have your vision forwards – there are three bollards at the apex

Apex

Apex is between the 2nd and 3rd bollard (be aware these might not be there)

There are also the small red bumps at the apex

Apex is late – turn in very gently at the beginning and slowly increase steering angle

Exit

You can use all of the curb on the exit, but be conscious of coming back to the left a little before Luffield

There is astroturf and run-off area in case you make a mistake

Ensure your vision is beginning to look around the next corner

Luffield

Luffield is one of the slower corners of Silverstone GP and it requires lots of patience as it continues for a long time. There are a few different lines you can take, however, the focus should always be on your exit speed.

Apex 1

Make an apex at the beginning of Luffield

You’ll likely be able to get back on to a balance throttle

Mid-corner

Allow the car to push out a little at the mid-corner point

This will allow us to open out the exit and carry more speed on to the following straight

Apex 2

Ease up off the throttle a little to allow the car to turn back in towards the curb

Clip the inside curb

Your vision should now be able to see the exit curb

You should be able to begin to accelerate out of Luffield

Exit

Use all of the outside curb

There is a think strip of green concrete beyond the curb, after this it’s gravel

By now you should be flat out on the accelerator

Woodcote

Woodcote is a ‘kink’ on to the old start/finish straight. It can be flat in a lot of cars, however, a lot of care should be taken in more powerful cars with less grip or in the wet. Plenty of accidents happen on the exit of Woodcote, when drivers take the wrong line and lift – resulting in a spin towards the inside wall.

Apex

There are bollards that run on the inside of Woodcote – aim to make the apex at the last one

You can use the curb on the inside if necessary

Ensure your vision is looking towards the exit point

Exit

Take care to have a smooth line that opens on the exit of Woodcote

If a driver’s vision is bad they may exit the corner too early, lift and then spin towards the inside wall (see image)

If you are running wide, use the run-off tarmac on the outside of Woodcote

Copse

The next 7 turns at Silverstone GP are some of the best in the world. The stretch of tarmac from Copse, through Maggots, Becketts, Chapel and Stowe is truly epic. They’re all high-speed, winding and require a lot of bravery, with Copse being the fastest of them all.

Approach

In most cars you’ll have to lift or brake for Copse, but ensure all your inputs at this speed are smooth

If you do need to brake, there are numerous references on the left – namely the turning board

Turn-in

Your vision should be towards the curb on the inside of Copse

It’s difficult (impossible) to see through the corner, as the old pit lane exit wall is obstructing it

You can use a little of the entry curb to open out Copse as much as possible

Apex

There are two red bumps on the inside that signify the apex

Use the ‘normal’ curb, but don’t run on the two red bumps as it will unsettle the car

You vision should be towards the exit curbing

Exit

Use all of the exiting curb to open out Copse

There is astroturf and then tarmac run-off on the exit – so if you make a mistake, you can use this

Maggots, Becketts and Chapel

After the high speed right of Copse comes the infamous left-right-left-right-left of Maggots, Becketts and Chapel. Difficult, high-speed and exciting this is one of the most enjoyable sequence of corners anywhere in the world.

Approach to Maggots

Be gentle with all inputs into the car, as this section is high-speed

The start of the entry curb on right is a good reference for turning in

Ensure vision is down at the curb on the left of Maggots

Apex 1 (Maggots)

You can use all of the curb on the left, however, do not use the sausage curb

Vision should be at the next curbing on the right

If you need to brake, continue to do so in as straight of a line as possible

Apex 2 (Maggots)

The apex at second part of Maggots is highlighted with those trusty small red bumps

Use all the normal curb, but not the bumps

Vision should be looking towards the entry of Becketts

Approach to Becketts

It’s difficult to know exactly where to position the car

The car should be somewhere in the middle of the circuit, perhaps a little to the left

Ensure your vision is at the bollards on the left

Apex 1 (Becketts)

Be smooth with all inputs

There are the small red bumps that signify the apex

Vision should be towards the next apex

Apex 2 (Becketts)

Small red bumps mark apex

You can use all of the normal curb as it’s quite flat

This is the most important corner in the sequence, ensure you’re on the throttle early and your exit is good

Apex (Chapel)

You should exit Becketts/apex Chapel where the apex curb begins

Be careful of using the curb here, as it’s quite aggressive

Move your vision to the exit of Chapel corner

Exit

In most cars all the hard work is now done and you can let the car move freely to the outside of the corner

The exit point is around the area where the curb finished (see image)

Stowe

Next up on our Silverstone GP circuit guide – and following the long Hanger Straight – is the rapid Stowe corner. Stowe is a medium-to-high speed right hander over a slight crest.

Approach

As you approach you’ll want to leave a little room on the left of the circuit

This ensures that you won’t have to turn when you’re braking, as the circuit comes across slightly in the braking zone

Vision should be down towards the apex

Braking

You’ll be braking across the track very slightly

There are numerous braking references (see image)

Apex

There are three red bumps on the inside that signify the apex – use the second bump

Use the ‘normal’ curb a little, but don’t run on the red bumps as it will unsettle the car

Your vision should be ahead of yourself, however it’s difficult due to the crest

Exit

Use all of the red and white exit curbing

Be careful of the astroturf (especially in the wet)

Beyond the astroturf is a little tarmac run-off area

Vale

Vale is a slow speed left-right which is important to getting a good lap time, as it leads on to the new start-finish straight. Get a good exit here and you’ll ensure a good start/finish to your lap.

Braking

There are numerous braking references, namely the gantry, turn-in board or the start of the entry curb

Braking is downhill and a little bumpy

Ensure vision is towards the apex

Apex (left)

Use all of the normal curb

Do not use the sausage curb

You’ll need to compromise some speed through the left, so that you can maximise speed through the right and on to the following straight

Apex (right)

The apex is where the green concrete meets the curb (see image)

You should have restricted the left enough to carry maximum speed through the right

Vision should be towards the exit curbing

Exit

Use all of the exit curb

Do not ‘fall off’ onto the astroturf – the circuit is still turning slightly which makes it difficult to get back on to the circuit if you do run on the astroturf

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Club

The final corner of Silverstone GP circuit is Club. In most cars Club is flat, meaning that the exit out of Vale is critically important to lap time. Good vision is necessary for a clean line though this corner.

Approach

Ensure your vision is well ahead – at the apex curb

Smoothly load the car up and bring into the apex

Apex

Use all of the apex curb

Do not use the sausage curb

Vision should be towards the exit curbing

There is some run-off area in case you make a mistake

Exit

Use all of the exit curbing

Take care on the astroturf (especially in the wet)

A common accident here is to exit the corner too early, lift off the accelerator and spin into the pit wall

Flags and boards are shown here (see image)

SILVERSTONE DRIVER COACHING & INSTRUCTION

Our circuit guides are a useful resource before you head to your track or test day, but your progression on track will always be faster with the help of a driver coach. We have a list of certified instructors to make you faster at Silverstone here.

TRACK & TEST DAY DATES

Sometimes it can be difficult to find track and test days, with so many organisers on the internet. We’ve created a database of hundreds of track and test dates, Silverstone included, in one easy to use table. You can filter and sort results by noise restriction, days of the week and format. To see our list of dates click here.

SILVERSTONE GP TRACK MAP

If you’d like to follow our circuit guide with a track map, use the following diagram of Silverstone GP.

CIRCUIT ADDRESS

Trying to get to Silverstone? Here’s the address:

Silverstone Circuit, Towcester NN12 8TN

Start / Finish GPS

Start / Finish Line: 52 4’5.8″N 1 1’24.5″W (map link)