The Brooklands Museum will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Britain's first Grand Prix with a special event on August 8, 2026. Historic cars will race on the preserved section of the original circuit, while newer vehicles demonstrate at the nearby Mercedes-Benz World test track. The occasion honors the legacy of the 1926 race that helped shape British motorsport.
One hundred years after the inaugural British Grand Prix, the Brooklands Grand Prix Centenary event is set for Saturday, August 8, 2026. The celebration will feature around 100 special cars, with historic vehicles performing on the remaining 2.75-mile section of the Brooklands circuit in Surrey. More recent cars will be showcased on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz World test track.
Alex Patterson, chief executive of Brooklands Museum, described the event as “a wonderful occasion and a very apt celebration to mark the 100 years of Grand Prix racing in Great Britain.” He highlighted the 1926 race's dangers and its role in founding Britain's motorsport industry, noting that the day will include “one of the biggest and most comprehensive collections of Grand Prix cars ever seen.”
Brooklands opened in 1907 as the world's first purpose-built, banked motor-racing track, created by Hugh and Ethel Locke King. It became a hub for motoring and aviation until hosting the first official British Grand Prix on August 7, 1926, organized by the Royal Automobile Club. The race used the circuit's outer banking and temporary chicanes, with nine cars starting before a large crowd. The Delage 15-S-8, driven by Louis Wagner and Robert Sénéchal, won after four hours, followed by Malcolm Campbell's Bugatti 39A in second.
A second RAC Grand Prix occurred in 1927, also won by Delage. Later non-official Grand Prix races took place at Donington Park in the 1930s. World War II repurposed the site for aircraft production, where over 18,000 planes, including Hurricanes and Wellington bombers, were built by Hawker and Vickers.
Post-war, British racing shifted to former RAF airfields like Silverstone, which hosted the first post-war Grand Prix in 1948 and the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950. Silverstone has been the British Grand Prix's permanent venue since 1987.
Brooklands' influence persists through the Brooklands Museum Trust, which preserves the circuit. Nearby Surrey-based teams like Connaught, Cooper, Brabham, Tyrrell, and current Formula 1 champion McLaren in Woking trace their roots to the area.
Tickets are available in advance: adults at £39.95, accompanied children aged 4-17 at £19.95, and under-fours free. Museum members can access a VIP preview on Friday and discounted Saturday entry at £19.95 for adults (£9.95 for children), including an official guide.
