• One of the biggest and best celebrations in the event’s 35-year history
• Spectacular on-track action wows huge crowds with a fitting finale
• Incredible World Champions Collection honours 75 years of Formula 1
The Silverstone Festival has signed off in sensational style, delivering one of the biggest and best editions in its 35-year history.
The Festival’s roots date back to 1990 and the pioneering Christie’s BRDC Historic Festival – one of the first-ever motorsport meetings dedicated entirely to historic grids.
Over the past 17 years, under the passionate leadership of Nick Wigley, the event has grown into the world’s largest celebration of historic motorsport. With record-breaking race entries, enormous 100,000+ crowds, and multiple industry awards, it has set the gold standard for global retro racing festivals.
As well as delivering unrivalled grids, the Festival has also earned international recognition with its vast displays of classic cars and anniversary parades, setting several Guinness World Records and cementing its reputation as a highlight of the car club calendar.
“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved” said Wigley, reflecting on another unforgettable weekend at the home of British motorsport.
“Without a doubt, this has been another fantastic weekend – one of the very best. The racing was absolutely brilliant, the family entertainment was incredible, and even the British Bank Holiday weather played its part. I couldn’t be happier that we’ve signed off on such a massive high.”
Next year’s August bank holiday weekend will see CarFest taking place at Silverstone.
A Festival Packed with Highlights
Once again the three-day event offered countless standout moments, both on and off the famous track.
The buzzing infield was filled with attractions, from the Fan Zone with Formula 1 displays and interactive activities to stunt driving displays, funfair rides, shopping, and kids’ games. Young drivers aged 10–17 even had the chance to take their very first driving lessons. As ever, huge numbers of car clubs were out in force with stunning displays and anniversary parades.
Food lovers were treated to a Foodie Fest featuring cooking demos from TV chefs, an artisan market and a pop-up Diddly Squat Farm Shop. Jeremy Clarkson and his partner Lisa Hogan even made an appearance on Saturday to meet fans.
Live music lit up all three evenings, with headline performances from Natasha Bedingfield, Craig David presents TS5, and Ministry of Sound Classical, sending crowds home in high spirits.
Celebrating 75 Years of Formula 1
But the ultimate off-track attraction was the World Champions Collection, showcased in Silverstone’s International Paddock.
Marking 75 years of Formula 1 at the birthplace of the World Championship, the display brought together cars raced by all 34 World Champions – the first time such a gathering of title-winning machines has ever been seen.
More than two-thirds were the actual cars driven to championship victories, while the rest represented key moments in the champions’ careers. The collection spanned from Giuseppe Farina’s Alfa Romeo 158, winner of the first Drivers’ Championship in 1950, to Max Verstappen’s 2022 Red Bull RB18, which sealed the second of his four titles.
Unforgettable Historic Racing
As ever, the heart of the Festival was the packed programme of the very best retro racing. With vast grids and world-class drivers, the nostalgic action delivered on all three memorable days – a fitting farewell to a truly iconic event.
Friday saw 15 hectic qualifying sessions ahead of the weekend’s phenomenal programme of 20 epic retro races which revived all the golden eras of F1, GT, prototypes plus touring and sports cars.
Standout moments included a world record grid of nearly 60 500cc F3 cars from the immediate post WW2 period qualifying for a full capacity Sunday grid of 54 starters.
Another memorable moment came when former F1 driver Jan Magnussen displayed all his skills, drifting a little Turner GT to a shock pole position in the prestigious Royal Automobile Club Historic Tourist Trophy.
The Dane wasn’t the only ex-F1 star in action. The crowd-pleasing return of legendary Group C prototypes saw Thierry Boutsen and Stefan Johansson lining up alongside Magnussen on a small yet star-studded grid.
Other famous faces enjoying the thrills of historic car racing included touring car champions Colin Turkington, Jake Hill, Rob Huff, Tom Ingram and Steve Soper, TV personalities Richard Hammond and Chris Harris as well as Festival favourite Sir Chris Hoy.
With the qualifying concluded, Friday ended with a dusk Fun Run around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit with more than 350 participants raising thousands of pounds for Sir Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia, the event’s charity partner.
Saturday: sunshine and stars!
As tradition dictates, both days of racing sped into action with 50+ Formula Juniors battling for honours. Sam Wilson, in his 1962 Cooper T59, narrowly defeated Alex Ames’ 1963 Brabham BT6 in Saturday’s opener – but only after early leader Horatio Fitz-Simon, driving another 1963 Brabham BT6, tangled with a slower car while lapping.
The Stirling Moss Trophy also delivered high drama. Johnny Mowlem looked set to win in the ex-Graham Hill 1959 Lotus XV, but a late misfire dashed his hopes, handing victory to Andrew Smith in his 1960 Cooper Monaco. Meanwhile, the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy category went to the 1955 short-nosed Jaguar D-type, shared by brothers Gary and John Pearson.
Michael Lyons then dominated the first of two Derek Bell Trophy races in his striking 1975 Lola T400. The thunderous V8-engined F5000 easily outpaced the chasing pack of smaller F2 rivals.
In the MRL GT3 Legends encounter, Huff set the early pace in his 2012 BMW Z4, but a pit-stop handicap cost him dearly, leaving the way clear for Danny Winstanley to take victory in his Audi R8 LMS from the same year.
Fresh from Lando Norris’ stirring British Grand Prix win, it was another McLaren driver who triumphed in the first of two blue-riband Masters Racing Legends (Formula One ’66–’85) races. Porsche ace Tom Bradshaw, making his historic F1 debut, powered his 1982 MP4/1 to victory.
The action kept coming. Max Chilton led the opening laps of the Masters Endurance Legends showdown in his 2008 Zytek 04S, but he was overhauled by Steve Brooks’ hard-charging 2011Peugeot 90X.
Next came a sensational photo finish in the Transatlantic Touring Car Trophy, where less than a second separated the three Ford Mustangs of Matt Johnson Sam Tordoff, and Jake Hill as the trio of sixties American muscle cars thundered across the line after a thrilling 45-minute contest.
Later in the afternoon, Will Nuthall claimed the first of two HGPCA Pre-’66 Grand Prix Cars races in his 1960 Cooper T53. Julian Thomas then conquered a stunning 50-car entry to lift the International Trophy for Classic GT Cars (Pre-’66) in his 1965 Shelby American Cobra Daytona – though only after Olivier Hart, driving a similar car, was penalised for a pit-lane infringement when he made contact with Sir Chris Hoy’s wonderful 1963 Chevrolet Corvette
Stingray.
Friday concluded with the return of legendary Group C prototypes. Despite a small field, the racing was evocative, culminating in a thrilling finish as Spanish speedster Andy Soucek, driving the iconic 1982 Martini-liveried Lancia LC2, fought back to defeat the 1992 Spice SE92 shared by Dutch duo Kalff and Campagne.
Sunday: Pace and Passion!
With reimagined dance anthems performed by the 30-piece London Concert Orchestra, powerhouse vocalists and backed by a stunning laser light show, the Ministry of Sound Classical the closing party was one to remember.
Bringing the curtain down on 35 years of epic retro racing, the British Army’s Red Devils Parachute Display Team and Ministry of Sound Classical provided a spectacular finale to a record-breaking festival – one that has thrilled millions of passionate fans and thousands of spirited competitors across four unforgettable decades.
The Adrian Flux Car Club of the Show was awarded to the Caterham and Lotus 7 Club, while the Club Car of the Show went to the BMW Car Club for its outstanding display featuring one of each of the 3-Series models.
The Mervyn Garton ‘Scarf and Goggles’ Trophy for best off-track visitor attraction was awarded to Mark Constanduros of Motorvation PR, the mastermind behind the stunning World Champions Collection.
As the Festival drew to a close, the Stuart Graham ‘Scarf and Goggles’ Trophy – awarded to the most admired racing car on track – went to Steve Hartley, owner of the double-winning McLaren MP4/1. It was in this very car that John Watson famously won the 1981 Long Beach Grand Prix from 17th on the grid.
Then, with the sun setting on both the 2025 Festival and 35 years of epic entertainment, the alluring 1970 Lola T70 shared by Alex Brundle and Gary Pearson took the final chequered flag of what had been another sensational weekend’s racing.
The unrivalled roster of wonderful retro races drew to an exciting close with a pair of exhilarating sportscar encounters. The Masters GT Trophy produced a 1-2 result for exotic Lamborghini Gallardo GT3s.
The afternoon programme roared to life with repeat showdowns of Saturday’s evocative F1 races. Despite the challenge of a reverse grid, Tom Bradshaw made it two wins from two in his McLaren, as did Will Nuthall in his Cooper. Steve Brooks also doubled up, taking victory again in the second Masters Endurance Legends contest inspired by Le Mans.
In fitting style, victory in the race dedicated to four-time BTCC champion Andy Rouse went to the Kaliber-liveried 1989 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, originally built by Andy Rouse Engineering. Rouse himself presented the trophies.
Michael Lyons claimed a second Derek Bell Trophy win before a packed field of touring car icons lined up for the Adrian Flux Trophy in the MRL Historic Touring Car Challenge.
The Elite crossed the line first but, entered in an invitational class, was ineligible for victory – handing the historic Tourist Trophy to the pacey Pearsons, who fended off a late charge from Davide Hart’s magnificent 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB. Meanwhile, Richard Hammond entertained the crowd in a 1961 Austin-Healey Mk3.
The Royal Automobile Club Historic Tourist Trophy treated fans to a spellbinding David vs Goliath duel between American racer Michael Gans in the nimble 1963 Lotus Elite and the 1961 Jaguar E-type of the Pearson brothers.
A slipstreaming Formula Junior thriller once again delivered an early morning adrenaline rush on the final day of the last-ever Silverstone Festival. This time, Fitz-Simon made no mistakes, with Wilson finishing second to secure the Howden Ganley Trophy on aggregate.
