Brooklands Museum has announced a new exhibition ‘Britain’s Grand Prix Story’, alongside the new ‘Brooklands Simulator Experience’.
Britain’s Grand Prix Story launches the Museum’s Summer of Speed celebrations, marking 100 years since Britain hosted its first Grand Prix at Brooklands. Through cars, immersive experiences and stories, visitors will discover how a race first held on the world’s pioneering motor circuit helped shape a century of motorsport history. As part of the Government’s Great British Summer Savings initiative, Brooklands Museum is passing on savings on eligible admission tickets until 1 September. Every visit helps support the Museum’s charitable work, preserving Brooklands’ heritage for future generations.
Located within the Jackson Shed, Britain’s Grand Prix Story takes visitors on a journey through a century of Grand Prix racing, from the drivers and machines of the 1920s to the modern Formula 1 era. Visitors will discover racing cars, artefacts, immersive audio experiences and hands-on interactives that reveal the evolution of the sport, key people behind it, along with the ingenuity and determination that have powered Grand Prix racing for generations.
Among the highlights are:
- 1908 Austin 100hp Grand Prix – The only surviving Austin from Britain’s 1908 French Grand Prix team, rebuilt from two crashed practice cars.
- 1926 Delage 15 S8 – one of the cars that competed in Britain’s first Grand Prix at Brooklands in 1926.
- 1926 Type 37 Bugatti GP – representing the pioneering spirit and engineering excellence of early Grand Prix racing.
- 1957 Cooper T-43 – Raced and owned by privateer George Wicken during the1957-59 seasons in F1 and F2.
- 1979 Olympus Wolf WR7, driven by James Hunt, one of Britain’s most celebrated Formula One World Champions.
- 2005 BMW Williams FW27 – representing the cutting edge of 21st-century Formula One engineering.
- 1991 McLaren MP4-6 show car – driven by Ayrton Senna, one of the sport’s influential drivers.
- 2007 McLaren MP4-21/22 interim car – Sir Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren show car, representing the first Formula One car raced by the seven-time World Champion and one of Britain’s greatest sporting icons.
Visitors can sit in selected cars, hear the sounds of racing through the decades and explore the stories of engineers, mechanics, marshals and innovators who helped shape the sport.
The exhibition explores five compelling themes, taking visitors on a journey from the roar of Britain’s first Grand Prix at Brooklands to the cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of motorsport: Where It All Began – transports visitors back to 1926, immersing them in the excitement, spectacle and pioneering spirit of Britain’s very first Grand Prix at Brooklands.
Building Racing Success, The Jackson Shed Story uncovers the hidden heroes behind the headlines, including Robin Jackson, revealing how skilled mechanics, engineers and the historic Jackson Shed itself helped keep racing dreams alive. Innovation Through the Decades explores a century of relentless ingenuity, showcasing the technological breakthroughs, bold ideas and engineering excellence that transformed the sport.
Driven by People celebrates the extraordinary individuals behind Grand Prix racing, from world-famous drivers to mechanics, marshals, engineers and innovators whose expertise makes every race possible. Into the Future looks beyond today’s grid to the next generation of motorsport, exploring the innovations, sustainability challenges and pioneering thinking that will define racing for decades to come.
The Brooklands Simulator Experience invites racers to take on the historic circuit in a thrilling 10-minute race. They accelerate along the banking and down the straights, attack the corners and chase the fastest lap time. Whether competing with friends, challenging themselves or simply embracing the spirit of Brooklands, it’s every driver’s chance to follow in the wheel tracks of the racing legends who made history here. Because at Brooklands, speed isn’t just something you watch – it’s something you experience.*
Bea Merridan, Head of Collections and Audience Engagement said, “As we celebrate 100 years since Britain’s first Grand Prix, this exhibition reconnects visitors with the place where that story began. From the roar of 1920s racing engines to the technology of modern Formula 1, Britain’s Grand Prix Story explores the people, machines and moments that have defined a century of innovation. We wanted visitors to feel immersed in the excitement, ambition and creativity that made Brooklands such an extraordinary place and still does today.”
The launch marks the start of Brooklands Museum’s Summer of Speed, a season of events, activities and experiences running throughout the summer holidays.
Alongside the exhibition and simulator experience, visitors can enjoy Get Set Go!, a brand-new interactive science show packed with demonstrations, experiments and audience participation, running weekdays from 27 July to 28 August. Families can also explore Concorde, historic racing cars, aircraft, the new simulator experience, family trails and rides up the legendary Test Hill. Family favourites return too, with Bluey and Bingo at Working Vehicles Day on 18 July and meet Chase, Marshall and Sky from PAW Patrol at Emergency Services Day on 19 September.
The summer’s headline event takes place on 8 August, when Brooklands Museum celebrates the Grand Prix Centenary, commemorating 100 years since Britain hosted its first Grand Prix. The special event, that is sold out, will bring together historic Grand Prix cars, demonstrations and celebrations at the very place where British Grand Prix history began.
To mark the exact 100th anniversary of Britain’s first Grand Prix, a limited number of tickets have been released for the Premier Evening Event on Friday 7 August. Tickets are strictly limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Alex Patterson, CEO of Brooklands Museum, said, “Brooklands has always been a place where people dared to drive fast, fly high and think differently. As we mark the centenary of Britain’s first Grand Prix, Britain’s Grand Prix Story and our exciting Summer of Speed programme invite visitors to experience the thrill, ambition and human stories that have shaped a century of motorsport. Whether you’re a lifelong racing fan or discovering Brooklands for the first time, there is something here to inspire every generation.”
*additional charges apply.
For press and media enquiries, imagery, as well as press admission for events, please email the press team.
