Where do the names of the curves at Silverstone come from?

The Silverstone circuit is one of the most traditional in the F1 world championship in particular and motorsports in general. Built on an aerodrome that ceased its activity after the Second World War , it has received, among others, the F1, the WEC, MotoGP and numerous national championships.

Unlike many of the newer layouts, whose corners are known by their corresponding number, the more traditional circuits tend to forget the numbers. This is the origin of the names of the Silverstone curves.

1- ABBEY

Silverstone’s first bend, Abbey, inherited its name from Luffield Abbey , which is the name of the abbey that existed there and whose remains can still be seen. It was founded before 1133 and was suppressed by King Henry IV in 1493.

The last alteration that has been made in the curve made it more open and, today, it is passed with the foot at full throttle.

2- FARM

This used to be the name of a small pass between Abbey and Bridge Bend, but today it is a left hander and the point where the cars return to the track after leaving the pits. Its name has a simple origin, as it happens on many occasions: the old straight of this name passed near a farm.

3- VILLAGE

Village is a right-hander that was introduced in the 2010 facelift and simply pays homage to the town of Silverstone, home of the track. The population is around 2,000 inhabitants, receiving around 120,000 people for the grand prix weekend. Many of these attendees camp in areas near the circuit.

4- LOOP

The fourth corner of the layout has a unique element in its name: this hairpin to the left is the only one that has received its name due to its shape. The ‘loop’ is also the slowest corner on a high-speed track, slowing the single-seaters down to 90km/h.

5- AINTREE

This name may be familiar to you, but not because of this curve. Aintree is one of the circuits that has also hosted the British GP. Specifically, he did it in the years 1955, 1957, 1961 and 1962, and giving his name to a curve is the chosen tribute.

6- WELLINGTON STRAIGHT

The straight that takes drivers from Aintree to Brooklands used to be known as the ‘National Straight’ but it was decided to change its name in 2010 when it became part of the redesigned Silverstone layout for F1.

Its name comes from the Wellington planes that were parked in this area during World War II. As a curious fact, Wellington is one of the old airstrips.

7- BROOKLANDS

In pre-war times, Brooklands was Britain’s premier race track so, as with Aintree, it was decided to pay a little tribute to it at one of Silverstone’s iconic corners.

It hosted the British GP in its time before being part of the F1 world championship, in 1926 and 1927.

8- LUFFIELD

As with turn 1, Abbey, inherits its name from Luffield Abbey. Present on the track since 1991, it was formerly divided into two different curves, but which had somewhat unimaginative names: Luffield 1 and Luffield 2.

9- WOODCOTE

The name of this right-hander comes from Woodcote Park, the Surrey location of the RAC (Royal Automobile Club). They were part of the choice of many of the cornering names and, being responsible for organizing the first big events at Silverstone, they decided to give themselves a little tribute.

10- NATIONAL PIT STRAIGHT

When the layout is divided into the National Circuit and the International Circuit, this is the main straight of the national. In the past, it was the main straight of the Formula 1 circuit, and Formula 2 and Formula 3 stay in the pits in this area during the British Grand Prix weekend.

11- COPSE

Being in the English countryside, Silverstone is surrounded by green fields and small but lush forests, known in English as copse . This fast curve, which for almost 60 years was the first on the track, passes very close to Chapel Copse and Cheese Copse, which is why it inherited this name.

12- MAGGOTTS

Although you might think that Maggotts inherited the name from the small, flattened maggots that infest decaying meat, nothing could be further from the truth. The source is Maggot Moor (Maggot Field).

This right-hand corner, which Formula 1 cars do flat out in seventh or eighth gear, is where the iconic left-right snaking sequence begins, one of the best places to see how fast these cars turn.

13- BECKETTS

This quick left-hander, the second in the sequence, was named for its proximity to the old St. Thomas Beckett Chapel. In Spanish we would know him as Santo Tomás de Canterbury.

14- CHAPEL

It also owes its name to its proximity to the Thomas Beckett Chapel, built in memory of the Archbishop of Canterbury and which, at the time, stood in the area where these curves are. It was demolished to make way for Silverstone Air Base in 1943.

15- HANGAR STRAIGHT

This straight, the longest on the circuit, was so named because it previously passed in front of two large hangars that were used during World War II. Today, it travels at more than 325 km/h.

16- STOWE

This right-hand corner, located at the end of the hangar straight, has always given drivers problems, despite the changes it has undergone over the years. Like so many other curves, it gets its name from a nearby area. In this case, it is the Stowe School, which is south of the layout.

17- VALLEY

It’s the straight between Stowe corner and Club corner, which is at a lower altitude level, and it creates a bit of undulation on a track that’s usually pretty flat. For this reason, it is a type of valley (Vale in English), although some say that it simply reflects the name of the area of the district where it is located, Aylesbury Vale.

18- CLUB

The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) organized the first Grand Prix at Silverstone and was instrumental in naming the original corners. Like Woodcote, Club was named after the RAC and they chose this name in honor of the club’s home in Pall Mall, London.

19- INTERNATIONAL PIT STRAIGHT

As with the National Pit Straight, when the circuit is divided into the national and the international, this straight becomes the pitlane for the national and the finish straight for Formula 1.