Silverstone builds kart circuit on site of former Bridge and Priory corners

Silverstone has laid the asphalt of its new international-grade circuit which includes a disused portion of the former grand prix circuit.

The 1.377 kilometre kart track, within sight of the Wellington Straight, incorporates the Bridge and Priory corners which were last used for the Formula 1 grand prix in 2009.

The circuit issued images of the freshly-laid Kart Silverstone track today. Former Formula 1 driver and British Racing Drivers Club president David Coulthard helped to design the track along with his former F1 rival Anthony Davidson. A total of six different configurations are available and Silverstone intends to host FIA international kart events on the circuit.

Mercedes F1 driver George Russell, whose karting successes included two CIK-FIA European KF3 championship titles, recently inspected the circuit. “It’s incredibly impressive,” he said.

“I am confident it will become one of the premier karting facilities in the world, and a venue that all of British motorsport can be truly proud of. I am excited to get out on the track once it is open and support the next generation of young racers just starting out and chasing their motorsport dreams, just as the BRDC has done for me.”

Hill and Schumacher tangled at Priory in 1995

Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle said the new development “marks a significant milestone in Silverstone’s transformation into a world-class, year-round motorsport and leisure destination.”

The Bridge and Priory sequence was created when Silverstone overhauled its track layout in 1991. They persisted through a series of changes, though the approach speed to Bridge was drastically lowered by the creation of a chicane at the preceding corner, Abbey, in 1995. Priory corner was notoriously the scene of a collision between championship rivals Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill the following year.

The corners were bypassed following the 2010 redevelopment of the circuit and have fallen out of use since.

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