Its not often you see multiple big groups working together in perfect harmony, but this year’s British Grand Prix was a perfect example that it can be done. Richard Sharman was there to witness the many changes to this year’s Silverstone set-up
If you are a regular reader, you will know and expect to see a review of the public transport operations surrounding the British Grand Prix at a well-known racetrack located next to the A43 in Northamptonshire. 2025 has seen some of the biggest changes since we have been covering the event – and no, I am not referring to the departure of Red Bull’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, just days after the race or the fact that Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg took his first F1 podium on his 239th attempt, but more about contractual changes for the provision of services to and from Silverstone.
Attendee numbers have been on the rise in recent years, with 480,000 Formula 1 fans making the pilgrimage to Silverstone in 2023/4, but this year’s event saw 500,000 people descend on the circuit over four days.
Transporting the masses
Official statistics released by Silverstone reveal that over 125,000 people were transported by 600 buses to and from the circuit, with 100 of those being powered by electricity.
Silverstone shuttles are no longer the sole domain of Stagecoach, with First Travel Soultions making its debut last year, since when the company has gained a further piece of the Silverstone pie. First Travel Solutions Event and Corporate Delivery Manager, Masood Bakhsh exclusively told CBW about the part the firm played in the 2025 British Grand Prix: “As your readers may have seen on my LinkedIn post last week, we made history,” he said. “This was the largest bus operation in Silverstone’s history and I am incredibly proud to have been the Project Manager for such a complex and large-scale event. The planning began months ago, we started laying the groundwork back in September/October 2024. We began by engaging all our First Bus local business units, including First London, which between them initially committed 170 buses. From there we expanded to our wider network of trusted operators, including Go Ahead (120 buses), Arriva (75), Diamond Bus (10), DM Motors (10), Reading Buses (15), University Bus (12), City Transport (5), Coach Event Services (Mayflower/CES, 6) and Chaseside Propulsion (3).
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