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City car drivers doing 24-hour race at Silverstone

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
James Roberts Photography Dozens of Citroen C1 cars bunched together on the track at Silverstone circuit. The vehicles are of different colours including red, yellow, white and blue. The cars are passing a red and white barrier, behind which BRSCC banners are visible. There are empty spectator stands with blue sets behind the track.James Roberts Photography
The 24-hour endurance race starts at 17:40 BST on Saturday

Dozens of near-identical city cars are preparing to take on the ultimate challenge of a 24-hour race on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

The Citroen C1s will line up at 17:40 BST on Saturday and the chequered flag will come down at the Northamptonshire venue on Sunday afternoon.

The event marks a return to the 'home of motorsport' after being staged in Anglesey last year.

One competitor described it as "the most bonkers race".

The first 24-hour endurance race for the small city car was staged by the C1 Racing Club in 2017.

Motorsport journalist Matt Prior took part in 2019 and said the contest was "24 hours of pure lunacy" and "the most bonkers race I've been in".

James Roberts Photography Silverstone Circuit at night with Citroen C1 cars of various colours taking a banked corner with their headlights shining. The front car is green, with a Silverlink banner across the top of the windscreen. There is a group of four cars close behind the leader.James Roberts Photography
The cars will race around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit through the night

He reported that 13 of the 99 starters had rolled during the race and the lead driver, wrongly convinced he was on his last lap, was overtaken at the end by the car that started 99th.

The British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) partnered with the C1 Racing Club for the first time to stage the race in 2022.

The increasing cost of racing at Silverstone persuaded the C1 club to carry out a survey of its drivers, which led to a move to Anglesey for 2024.

James Roberts Photography Yellow and white Citroen C1s racing around a circuit. Both have Silverlink banners with white writing across the top of the windscreen. The front car is numbered 421 and the rear car is 394. The front also has "Alpha" under the windscreen. Another Citroen C1 is in the background in front of a red barrier.James Roberts Photography
Dozens of nearly-identical Citroen C1 cars will line up for the race

A spokesperson for the BRSCC said: "From beginning the race late Saturday afternoon, racing through darkness overnight and back into the light of day, drivers and teams will face many challenges on and off track.

"Just making it to the chequered flag alone is a impressive feat, but to do well or even win this event it will require a perfectly executed mix of teamwork, strategy, preparation, consistency – and even a little luck."

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