Weekend attendance reaches 145,000 over all three days
A crowd of more than 70,000 were at a sun-drenched Silverstone on Sunday, enjoying the successful return of Motorcycle Grand Prix racing to the Northamptonshire circuit. Fiat Yamaha Team rider Jorge Lorenzo celebrated his third win of the MotoGP season, having started from pole position on Silverstone’s new Grand Prix Circuit. Over 145,000 fans experienced a festival of two-wheeled motor racing over all three days of the event, making the most of Silverstone’s new and improved spectator facilities. More than 25,000 attended on the Friday, while a crowd of just under 50,000 headed to the circuit for qualifying on Saturday.
The 2010 AirAsia British Grand Prix was the first bike event to inaugurate the new 3.666 mile Grand Prix Circuit and the riders were full of praise for the fast, flowing nature of the new circuit layout. While Lorenzo stole the headlines in the MotoGP class, the British crowd was also treated to a podium finish by British 125cc rider Bradley Smith. Brits Danny Webb and Scott Redding also put in strong performances in front of their home crowd, finishing tenth and fourth in the 125cc and Moto2 races respectively. Away from the track, a number of celebrities added even more glamour to the occasion, including Dame Kelly Holmes, Matt LeBlanc and F1 personalities Mark Webber, Karun Chandhok, Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert and Anthony Davidson.
A world-class line-up of entertainment created a festival atmosphere around the venue, with numerous activities, displays and shows providing plenty to see and do throughout the weekend. Highlights included: - More than 3,000 fans stayed behind on Saturday evening to see almost all of the MotoGP and British riders interviewed on a giant stage in the public Entertainment Zone at the new Arena Complex - 12-time Trials World Champion Dougie Lampkin wowed the crowd with a number of stunt shows and stunned BRDC Members with an impromptu ride through the Clubhouse on Saturday afternoon - The Red Bull X-Fighters performed several spectacular ‘X-Jam’ freestyle motocross shows, while the fourth round of the 2010 Red Bull Pro Nationals took place on a specially designed track - ‘Day of Champions’ raised more than £155,000 for the Rider’s for Health charity - The skies above Silverstone were filled with fly-bys and displays from a Typhoon, the Red Devils Parachute Display Team and the Blades Aerobatic Display Team - Fans enjoyed live concerts every night, with performances from bands including Jamie Whitham’s ‘The Po Boys’, Marner Brown and Pink Floyd Tribute band ‘The New Machine’ Speaking over the weekend about Silverstone, Lorenzo commented, “I’ve really enjoyed the new circuit; it’s fast and fun to ride.” The championship leader added, “I think the crowd is crazy about the bikes – this is important.”
Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, said, “It’s been a fantastic weekend for Silverstone. The new Grand Prix Circuit has received rave reviews from the riders and we have had great feedback from the fans. We were aiming for a 60,000 strong crowd on Sunday, so to exceed this by more than 10,000 is superb. I have a great team here at Silverstone who have worked hard to deliver such a world-class event. Tickets are already on sale for next year’s event, which will be even bigger and better.”
Tickets for the 2011 AirAsia British Grand Prix are now on sale.
For further information and to purchase tickets visit silverstone.co.uk
