Silverstone is the home of the F1 British Grand Prix, and is located on the boundary line between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

An ex-world war 2 airfield, Silverstone also hosts the British leg of Moto GP and SBK World Superbike championships.

To make room on Donington Park's calendar for the 'switch' of the British Grand Prix, it was announced in early 2009 that in return, Silverstone would get the option to host MotoGP from 2010 onwards. Both the FIM and Silverstone acknowledged a need for the circuit to be remodelled in order to become more suitable for motorcycle racing, with particular concerns raised by riders over the proximity of the bridge at Bridge corner.