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With more than 60 years of history Silverstone has become one of the most prestigious venues dedicated to motorsport . One of the most famous race tracks in the world , the English venue has hosted some of the most memorable encounters in MotoGP™ history .
It all started in 1947 , by a group of friends staging a race on a disused airfield from World War II . That was the birth of Silverstone – and in 1948 , the Royal Automobile Club hosted the first British car Grand Prix where an estimated 100,000 people flocked to see Luigi Villoresi beat 22 others in his Maserati on the circuit marked by bales , ropes and canvas barriers .
It first hosted the British Grand Prix in 1977 , a year in which Pat Hennen won the 500cc race . It was also the scene of the memorable encounter between home hero Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts Senior in 1979 , a race won by the American by fractions of a second after a race long duel , and still cited as one of the great sporting moments of the 20th century .
The GP moved to Donington Park from 1987 but Silverstone received a multi-million Pound investment 2010 to greatly improve the venue . It was then when it returned to the MotoGP™ calendar , becoming one of its fastest tracks , and earned high praise from the World Championship riders who enjoyed the new layout . The ‘ Silverstone Wing ’, a state-of-the-art , multi-million Pound complex , became a new landmark at the circuit from 2011 , thus adding to already breathtaking facilities at Silverstone .
Since 2010 , there have been further legendary encounters . Jorge Lorenzo ’ s last gasp pass on Marc Marquez lit up the 2013 British GP , a year in which the two Spaniards fought it out in an epic title duel . Valentino Rossi ’ s wet weather success in 2015 was memorable , as it was also a year when home hero Danny Kent triumphed in the Moto3 contest .
As well as putting ride and machine to the ultimate test with its series of high-speed corners , In recent years it ’ s been a track that offers up great variety . There have been nine different MotoGP™ victors at the venue in the past nine years , with Maverick Viñales scoring Suzuki ’ s first triumph in its MotoGP™ return in 2016 , while the likes of Andrea Dovizioso ( 2017 ), Alex Rins ( 2019 ), Fabio Quartararo ( 2021 ), Pecco Bagnaia ( 2022 ) and Aleix Espargaro ( 2023 ) scoring victories there in recent years .
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