480,000 people set to descend on Northamptonshire over the next four days for the UK’s largest sporting event at Silverstone

More than 480,000 people are expected to attend the UK’s largest sporting event, with 160,000 set to be in attendance to watch Sunday’s main race.

Months of preparation and planning have taken place to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience during their visit to the county and Northamptonshire Police will be delivering a ‘robust operation’.

In addition to the main race on Sunday, this year’s event will also see concerts from performers including Sam Fender, RAYE, Fat Boy Slim and Becky Hill.

As well as uniformed and plain-clothed police officers patrolling the circuit, the campsites and the surrounding villages and road network, there will also be specialist resources including armed officers, search teams, disruption officers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) units.

Officers will have use of policing powers introduced under the Public Order Act 2023 as part of the contingency plans should anyone attempt to unlawfully disrupt the event, and Live Facial Recognition (LFR) will again be in operation at the circuit.

LFR technology has been used at the event for the past two years and works by scanning faces with a camera to match biometrics against those held on a watchlist. This list is generated by the police and focuses on those who pose the greatest risk of danger to the wider public in attendance.

They include suspects wanted for offences or have an outstanding warrant for an arrest issued by the courts, those who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others and vulnerable missing people.

Any images that trigger alerts are deleted immediately after use or within 24 hours, while the images and biometric data of people who don’t trigger an alert will automatically be deleted from the system.

This year’s policing operation is led by Event Commander for Northamptonshire Police, Superintendent Pete Basham.

He said: “People have already begun arriving for the event and we’re set up and ready to make sure Formula 1 fans have a safe and enjoyable British Grand Prix experience and visit to Northamptonshire.

“This is a major operation involving a wide range of policing resources, as well as support from other emergency services and partner agencies. Officers will be patrolling the circuit, the campsites and local area throughout the event. Our priority is to keep the public safe and arrest anyone committing a crime.”

Visitors to the circuit are also warned of the potential dangers of flares, smoke bombs and pyrotechnics and reminded that the flying of drones near the circuit is strictly prohibited.

Superintendent Basham added: “I’d like to remind anyone who may be thinking of bringing flares, smoke bombs or pyrotechnics to Silverstone that these devices are very dangerous and can endanger lives.

“The security measures in place will be as stringent as ever and if anyone enters the circuit with such devices, the item will not only be confiscated but more importantly, they will be refused entry and their actions subject to police scrutiny.

“Please also be aware of the strict rules around drones – do not bring or consider flying drones anywhere at the circuit or surrounding private or public land.

“A 2.3-mile flying restriction cordon will be in place around the circuit heliport, which will also take in many of the campsites, but the sheer number of people attending the event means it would not be safe or legal to fly even outside the circuit.

“Officers will be looking out for unauthorised use of drones and anyone found to be breaking the rules regarding the relevant legislation will be spoken to and appropriate action taken.

“Please also stay vigilant and be aware of your surroundings. The most important thing is that if you spot something that doesn’t feel right, trust your instinct and report it straightaway. We would rather it be nothing than you have not told us at all.”

If you see anything suspicious at the circuit during the British Grand Prix, report it to a member of Silverstone staff, a nearby police officer or alternatively you can contact us via our live-chat service at www.northants.police.uk/reportonline. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Visitors to the event are encouraged to take a look at the crime prevention and safety advice on the Northamptonshire police website and do all they can to prepare for their visit.

You can stay up to date by following us on social media @NorthantsPolice on X or by ‘liking’ Northamptonshire Police on Facebook. Or visit www.northants.police.uk/silverstone for more information.