Motor racing at Brands Hatch owes its existence to cyclists – as the venue, named after a natural amphitheatre in a grassy hollow – was developed for off-road racing in the 1920s with the permission of a local farmer.

Motorcycling soon took hold, and after a pause during World War II, the circuit was surfaced with tarmac in 1950 – with racing initially being held in an anti-clockwise direction.

In 1954 the extension from Paddock Hill Bend to Druids was added and the direction reversed, followed by the ‘Grand Prix’ loop in 1960.

This resulted in Formula One visiting for the first time in 1964. In 1976, the back straight was realigned, and in 1988 Dingle Dell became a high-speed, and spectacular, chicane to address safety concerns.

By the mid-1980s, F1 had visited for the last time. Nonetheless, further changes were made in 1999 to tighten Graham Hill Bend, and the last change made was in 2003 when Dingle Dell was renamed to Sheene’s corner and no longer took the form of a chicane.

The circuit is synonymous with the BTCC but has also played host to a large number of international touring car races, including the WTCC, DTM and ETCC.