The figure eclipsed the long-standing benchmark held by Adelaide, whose final Australian Grand Prix in November, 1995 drew an estimated four-day crowd of 520,000 before the event moved to Melbourne.
It was also an increase of around 64,000 on the British Grand Prix’s previous record attendance from last year, and is only the third time in history that more than 500,000 people have attended an F1 race.
Silverstone hosted the first world championship grand prix in 1950 and remains one of the sport’s most historic venues, with its high-speed layout and famous corners continuing to attract fans from Britain and around the world.
The record crowd was rewarded with a dramatic race, as Charles Leclerc claimed victory ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking ahead of the British Grand Prix, where the record was expected to be beaten, Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle said the milestone was fitting for a venue that has been at the heart of Formula 1 since the world championship began.
“What does it mean to be hosting the largest Grand Prix ever? It feels entirely appropriate for the place which ran the first round in Formula 1 in 1950,” Pringle told the Press Association.
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“The British fanbase and the history of strong attendance make it fitting that it is us [that breaks the record], and it reinforces how important the British market is to Formula 1. This is a very big race in the calendar.”
Pringle also said the strong crowds at Silverstone strengthened its place as the home of the British Grand Prix, despite longstanding rumours of a race around the streets of London at some stage in the future.
“Look, I don’t think Formula 1 wants to go anywhere else. There is nowhere else in the United Kingdom,” he said.
“This street race nonsense [in London] is just that. And why would you want to walk away from the biggest crowd, passionate fans, and an event which is popular with teams, sponsors, partners and celebrities?”
The huge attendance also continued a strong run of crowds for Formula 1’s biggest events, with Australia remaining among the sport’s strongest markets and the Australian Grand Prix regularly ranking as the second-most-attended race behind the British Grand Prix.
This year’s race at Albert Park attracted 483,934 spectators, setting a new record for the Melbourne venue and marking the fifth consecutive year the record has been broken.
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