During the opening weekend, Tilly visited a new immersive museum celebrating the history of the famous British Silverstone race circuit.
From the moment you walk through the doors, you’re wowed by Lewis Hamilton’s championship-winning Mercedes AMG, suspended right above your heads. You can get an even better view as you walk up the staircase into the museum itself.
The waiting room is laid out like a race grid with huge screens on the walls which show a virtual grid of all of the historical cars that gave raced at the circuit.
Once into the museum, there are lots of interactive displays showing the early history of the area before it evolved into what it is today. From special projections onto a model of the track, to big video walls, you can learn all about how the different corners of the circuit got their names.
The museum then takes you through the history of the airfield, when it was a training base for Wellington bombers during the second world war. You can learn to land an aeroplane and shoot down enemy barrage balloons.
After the war, the disused airfield started being used for racing. One of the displays allows you to build your own 1940s race car, choosing the components and materials used to get the best performance out of your car.
Tilly got to sit in one of the first-ever Formula 1 cars, an ERA E-Type GP1.
Going downstairs, you can learn all about how modern race cars work, with lots of interactive displays. Looking at things like the powerful brakes used, different tyre compounds, aerodynamics, and safety features.
Also on display is the current championship-winning Mercedes V6 hybrid powerplant.
In the main part of the museum are loads of historical cars and memorabilia from the world of motorsport, including Formula 1 trophies, various drivers’ overalls and helmets, and iconic title-winning cars.
Moving outside, you can walk on the old part of the track on a self-guided tour.
If you’re lucky, there might be a race going on, and you can move to the viewing area to see the action.
