With the bone-chilling prospect of MotoGP being run at Silverstone in the near future still at the forefront of our minds, the track owner has released details and images of how a squillion-pound development won’t help the normal spectator. But it’ll be nice for the sponsors.

A spokescat said:
The complex is the vital first stage in reconfirming Silverstone’s position at the pinnacle of the motorsport industry and as the home of motor racing. Under current proposals the Pit and Paddock complex would be moved from its current location between Woodcote and Copse to a new location between Club and Abbey. Included in the complex are new garages, a race control building, media centre, hospitality and VIP spectator zones and a primary paddock. The proposals also involve creating a new pit straight, with reorganised entry and exit points, a reconfiguration of Club Corner and a new Abbey section.

Designed by award winning sport architects HOK, the new complex will ensure that teams and sponsors are provided with world-class facilities to reinstate Silverstone’s position as a premier racing destination. This pioneering development will act as a catalyst for further investment across the site and set a high architectural standard for any future developments. It also provides the first stage in making Silverstone more sustainable, with facilities provided in the new building to enable it to plug into a combined heat and power system that is currently being considered for the whole site.

The Pit and Paddock complex is the first proposal in a 10-year programme that will see a new manufacturer test centre, business park, extreme sport and leisure complex, two hotels, a new university campus, a ‘Welcome Centre’ and some new homes near the circuit. Taken together, the redevelopment will deliver a world-class venue for motorsport, education and high technology development that will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the motorsport industry and maintains its position as a major regional and national employer.

Damon Hill, President of the BRDC said: "Silverstone is a great track with a great history. These images are the vision of the future for Silverstone, and one we fervently hope will be realised, in order to provide a venue where all forms of motor sport can be celebrated in style, for the benefit of the competitor and spectator alike.

This new facility, and the redevelopment at large, will help attract more business to Northamptonshire and create more jobs for local communities. The British Grand Prix alone contributes over £30 million a year to the local area and it is vital that we do everything we can to maintain this income as well as the UK’s world class expertise in high tech engineering and R&D. Also, it should go without saying by now, that in order to retain the British Grand Prix we need a venue of this kind of stature, and the Grand Prix is a key element in the whole project.