SILVERSTONE TO HOST UK WORLD RALLYCROSS
The British GP venue lands the rights to host showpiece FIA event
Silverstone has won the rights to host Britain’s round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in a multi-year deal.
The UK’S round of the mixed surface discipline has taken place at Lydden Hill since the world championship was introduced in 2014, but the Kent venue will be sidelined in favour of the home of the British Grand Prix.
In a statement to members of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, the owner of the venue, BRDC chairman John Grant explained that a specially designed track would be created on the site of the current Stowe circuit.
“The popularity of WRX is growing rapidly, being heavily promoted by IMG who have brought several big name drivers to the sport,” said Grant. “Silverstone has agreed sensible commercial arrangements with limited risk and substantial opportunity.”
The event will retain its date on the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, and organisers are hoping to turn the meeting into a weekend-long festival with other attractions. The cars will be based in The Wing pit complex and will use the Stowe circuit, but run in the opposite (clockwise) direction. The cars will start from the straight next to The Wing, giving them a long run up to a hairpin right-hander as the opening corner. A spokesman said: “Because it is going from a runway to another one, it will be wide and the cars could all go around the first corner side by side. We have the capacity to build grandstands surrounding the first corner so it is almost like an arena section. The cars will then head onto the infield and we will create jumps and yumps to make it really exciting. We think this event can become something very special on the Silverstone annual calendar.”
Silverstone has never held rallycross, although it used to host rallysprints on a specially designed course alongside the Hangar Straight. It has also been host to special stages of the RAC Rally in the past.