• Saluting 100 years since Britain’s first Grand Prix
• Honouring the organisation that made seminal 1926 event happen
• A landmark occasion that established the UK as the world leader
• Book now as tickets for special centenary event are selling fast
Brooklands Museum is delighted to announce that its celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Britain’s first Grand Prix are being supported by the prestigious Royal Automobile Club.
Back in 1926, the Royal Automobile Club was the driving force behind bringing international car racing to the UK in what proved to be a landmark event in British motorsport history.
Now, 100 years later, a special centenary celebration will take place at the historic Brooklands circuit in Surrey on Saturday 8 August 2026 with an anticipated 100 Grand Prix cars from all eras on display and action. This milestone occasion additionally will honour the Royal Automobile Club’s role not only in establishing Grand Prix racing in the UK but also as the official organiser of that original, pioneering event.
The seminal 110-lap Grand Prix of the Royal Automobile Club was staged on a special 2.61-mile layout of the famous oval circuit. Sections of the banked track were included, as well as the Finishing Straight on which two temporary sandbank chicanes were installed either side of the refuelling pits.
The race – round four of the five-round 1926 World Manufacturers’ Championship – was won by a Delage shared by French drivers Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner, with Malcolm Campbell upholding British honour by finishing second in his Bugatti.
Although only nine cars took the start and just three finished, the advent of Grand Prix racing in the UK was hailed as a great success.
“Brooklands and the Royal Automobile Club deserve especial congratulation,” reported The Autocarmagazine at the time. “The whole affair was splendidly organised, the car parks most efficient, and the score boards and numerous loudspeakers made it possible for the crowd to understand exactly what was happening.”
Members of the Royal Automobile Club were given exclusive access, too. They were permitted entry to the paddock and were able to watch the action from the exclusive Members’ Hill, giving them views of practically the whole circuit.
Marking this joint milestone, the Royal Automobile Club has given the 1926 race pride of place on its 2026 membership card. A special anniversary display will also form part of the Club’s Concours at its Woodcote Park estate on Wednesday 8 July, followed later in the year by a curated showcase of cars and memorabilia at the Pall Mall clubhouse. Celebrations will culminate at the St James’s Spectacle on Pall Mall on 31 October. Returning the compliment, the Club will have a special presence back at Brooklands for the eagerly-anticipated Grand Prix Celebration.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Royal Automobile Club’s support for this very special centenary celebration,” said Alex Patterson, Chief Executive of Brooklands Museum. “The 1926 race was a defining moment not just for Brooklands but for the development of international motor racing in the UK, and it is fitting that we commemorate it together with the organisation that helped make it happen.”
The Club will also be honouring the centenary with an example of the 1926 race winning Delage taking pride of position in the organisation’s Pall Mall clubhouse
“Brooklands holds a unique place in the story of British motorsport, and the Royal Automobile Club is proud to have played such a pivotal role in bringing Britain’s first Grand Prix to life in 1926,” said Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. “To return a century later to celebrate that historic moment alongside Brooklands is both an honour and a powerful reminder of how far the sport has come since those pioneering days.”
Although times have changed, the Club still retains its close relationship with the British Grand Prix, notably as its much-coveted gold trophy is presented annually to the race winner on the victory podium at Silverstone.
Tickets for the Brooklands Grand Prix Celebration are now available via the official website: www.brooklandsmuseum.com. Adult admission is priced at £39.95 in advance, with tickets for accompanied children aged 4 to 17 (under 4s are free) available at £19.95. Brooklands Members are able to purchase tickets to an exclusive VIP Preview evening on the Friday and are offered Saturday admission for £19.95 (child £9.95) – a special price that includes an official programme.
Early booking is strongly advised as record numbers of tickets have already been purchased for what is expected to be a truly outstanding – and sell-out – occasion.
About Brooklands Museum
Brooklands Museum is the largest museum in Surrey, occupying 32 acres on the site of the world’s first motor racing circuit, which opened in Weybridge, Surrey in 1907. It showcases the achievements of the pioneering men and women in motorsport and aviation and uses their history of innovation and endeavour to inspire a new generation.
Since opening as a public Museum in 1991 it has continued to grow its collection of aircraft, racing bikes and cars as well as opening the award-winning Brooklands Aircraft Factory and the only Concorde with public access in South East England. With displays in original buildings, motoring and aviation events and an extensive learning programme for schools and colleges, including the award-winning Brooklands Innovation Academy, the past is brought to life again for over 180,000 visitors a year.
About the British Grand Prix
Britain’s very first Grand Prix was staged by the Royal Automobile Club at Brooklands in August 1926, exactly 100 years ago. The country’s second Grand Prix was held at the same venue the following summer. Throughout the 1930s, several non-championship Grand Prix took place at Donington Park. Racing at Brooklands ended during World War II when the venue was converted into an aircraft production site.
The first post-war Grand Prix was held at the former RAF Silverstone airfield in 1948, and two years later, Silverstone hosted the first points-scoring World Championship Formula 1 race. In the years that followed, the British Grand Prix also visited both Aintree and Brands Hatch before Silverstone secured a permanent place on the F1 calendar from 1987. Britain’s first Grand Prix was won by French drivers Louis Wagner and Robert Sénéchal in a Delage 15 S 8. Almost a century later, the most recent 2025 British Grand Prix was won by reigning World Champion Lando Norris in a McLaren MCL39.
Photo captions
Top: French driver Robert Sénéchal driving a Delage wins the very first Grand Prix staged at Brooklands in 1926 – a milestone event in British motorsport organised by the Royal Automobile Club.
Above: Sir Lewis Hamilton hugs the coveted Royal Automobile Club golden trophy as awarded annually to the winner of the British Grand Prix.
Below: Brooklands stages Britain's very first Grand Prix a century ago in 1926.
Copyright – Brooklands Museum Trust.
