“Several thousands of pounds of damage” was caused to classic cars at the 2025 British Formula 1 Grand Prix after two separate incidents on Friday at Silverstone.
A host of classic F1 cars bolstered this year’s British GP fan experience, which included a tribute to late F1 team boss Eddie Jordan and other displays dotted around the circuit.
However, two fan incidents soured the event: the theft of a steering wheel and an incident that caused damage to another F1 car, the 2019 Racing Point.
A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson stated to The Race: "On Friday, July 4, Northamptonshire Police received a report that a classic Formula 1 car on display at Silverstone Circuit during the British Grand Prix event had sustained several thousands of pounds worth of damage, which was alleged to have been caused by someone accessing the display stand and climbing into the vehicle.
"Officers carried out initial inquiries and suspects were identified. Three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a vehicle and taken into police custody.
“Following a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident, all three men were released with no further action."
The three men are believed to be livestreamers with purported footage of the incident showing one climbing into a Racing Point F1 car exhibit before being told to move on by security. At the end of the livestream, the individual is approached by police.
On the same day at around 2.30pm, a different ticketholder climbed into a Brabham BT59 at the Silverstone historic display and Eddie Jordan tribute. According to CCTV footage obtained by The Race, it appears that the man attempted to steal the steering wheel from the car.
He then climbed into the neighbouring 1990 Leyton House CG901 and stole the steering wheel before walking away.
“He’s been in a couple of others - he’s been around for about half an hour in the paddock," said a member of Martin Stretton Racing, which runs the car.
"You can’t sell it. It’s a one-off - you’d get caught straight away. This is the original wheel from 1990 and you can’t put a value on it. A new wheel would be two-and-a-half grand, but it wouldn’t have the history of the original one. He’s just taken that.
"We’ve got a spare car, the display [March] 891; we just borrowed its wheel. It’s a pain in the a***."
Northamptonshire Police said it wishes to speak to the man pictured following the theft, encouraging him to call non-emergency number 101.
Official attendance figures stated that 130,000 people attended the 2025 British GP on Friday, July 4, with a total figure of 500,000 fans from Thursday to Sunday.
Police deployed facial recognition to the event in 2023, and it was in operation again in 2025 as part of an increased policing operation.
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