Force India F1 Racing Car on track during 2013 season
Silverstone, in Northamptonshire, is the home of British motorsport. The chassis of this car was designed and built by Force India at their headquarters in Silverstone, the closest Formula 1 factory to the British Grand Prix circuit.
Silverstone racetrack hosted the first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1950 and is confirmed to continue hosting the British race until at least 2034. The British Grand Prix is the most attended event on the F1 calendar, with 480,000 fans attending the sold-out race weekend in 2024. As well as hosting the British Grand Prix, a Formula 1 team has been based at Silverstone since 1991. Jordan Grand Prix headquartered there until 2005, and subsequent name changes include Midland F1 Racing, Spyker F1 Team, Force India, Racing Point, and currently Aston Martin.
This car competed in the 2013 season with drivers Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil, who delivered Force India to sixth place in the Constructors’ World Championship. The engine was designed and built at Brixworth by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains. In 2013, almost 3,500 companies within 80 minutes’ drive from Silverstone employed 80 percent of the world’s high-performance engine manufacturers. Today, F1 remains a major employer and motorsport destination in Britain and puts Northamptonshire on the map for cutting-edge engineering.
Number 98 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.
Sterilising drum belonging to Dr Francis Fisher Waddy, first anaesthetist at Northampton General Hospital. The drum contained small items of anaaesthetic equipment during their sterilisation.
Painted stool in Castles and Roses folkart style, used to decorate everyday items used by bargees, people who lived and worked on Northamptonshire's canal network.