As we sit through this extended off-season, it might be a good idea to remember something of our past and while the British Grand Prix might not be on the calendar in 2021, England is the home of the sport and its history important to all of us.
The Grand Prix of Great Britain is one of the longest running GPs on the calendar, starting way back in 1957, the first official year of the Motocross World Championship. It was at Hawkstone Park that the first GP was held, and the event was won by British legend and two times World Motocross Champion Jeff Smith riding a BSA.
Since that special day more than 60 years ago the British GP has visited many amazing circuits and seen some very special GP winners.
Hawkstone Park was the mainstay for the 500cc Grand Prix after that 1957 debut, and for eight years the best big bike riders competed around the tough sand track. Riders like Bill Nilsson and Rolf Tibblin scored victories at Hawkstone, but it was Smith who finished that early Hawkstone Park era with wins again in 1963 and 65.
Hawkstone Park would drift in and out of the FIM Motocross World Championship series, and in between the 500cc class would visit circuits like Farleigh Castle and Dodington Park. Many legends have won at these circuits, but none more popular than British legend and three times World 500cc Champion, Dave Thorpe.
Thorpe would win GPs at home in 1984, 1988 and 1989, although one of his greatest performances was in 1985 when he didn’t even win the GP. Crashing in the first corner with Merv Anstie (father of Max) Thorpe got up in last place and rode all the way to first. Completely worn out from the charge he was eventually repassed by Andre Malherbe who went on the steal the GP victory from Thorpe.
The 250cc class was also loaded with memorable moments, from the first victory at the Ipswich circuit by another British legend Dave Bickers in 1962, to Stefan Everts domination at the Foxhills circuit in 1995, 96 and 97. The 250 class ran at several different circuits between 1962 and the late 1990’s, with Donington, Hawkstone Park and Foxhills being the three circuits that brought big crowds and an exciting atmosphere.
The 125cc class didn’t see a Grand Prix in England until 1975, and it was Belgian legend Gaston Rahier who won at the Pembrokeshire circuit. Several different riders won in the class between 1975 and 1999, but one of the biggest wins was that of local rider Paul Malin who took victory at the Foxhills circuit in 1995. A massive crowd arrived at the circuit and the win by Malin was the only time a British rider won a GP in that era.
The new millennium and British GP spent a few years trying to find a home. Foxhills had aged out and no longer a GP facility, and Hawkstone Park had also disappeared from the GP calendar. Sure, some cool events at places like Isle of Wight, Matchams Park, Donnington Park, or Mallory Park were popular, but it wasn’t until Steve Dixon built a circuit at the Matterley Basin facility in 2006 that the British GP came into its own again.
Since Matterley Basin has been the home of the British Grand Prix names like Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings, Clement Desalle, Tommy Searle, Glenn Coldenhoff, Tim Gajser and Valentin Guillod have had success.
Not to mention the circuit also held the 2006 and 2017 MXoN event, the first where Stefan Everts had his swansong from the sport with a victory over James Stewart and of course back in 2017 when Max Anstie shocked the world and went 1-1, putting Great Britain on the podium.
