Silverstone To Receive $14M Of Lottery To Help Build New Formula 1 Heritage Center

The Heritage Lottery Fund announced Silverstone, the regular home of the British Grand Prix, is to get £9.1M ($14M) of lottery money "to help create a Formula 1 heritage centre," according to Mark Brown of the London GUARDIAN. The scheme at the Northamptonshire track "is one of six major projects to be given first round support" worth a total of £68M ($104M). The full money "will only be given once more detailed applications are made and are accepted and the HLF has agreed development funding for all six to do that."

The money for Silverstone represents nearly half the estimated £20M ($30M) "that the project is likely to cost." The plans include creating exhibition space, a 200-seat cinema, "which will give people the feeling of being behind the wheel at Silverstone," and a new building for the archive of the British Racing Drivers' Club, to which the public will have access. The scheme "is backed by many motorsport luminaries including Sir Jackie Stewart," who won the British grand prix there in '69 and '71. He welcomed what is a first step in ensuring "the heritage of the site and that of British motorsport can reach a far wider audience than before and cements its importance for future generations." GUARDIAN