Sport is Great - Part 1

Britain is a sport-loving nation. It’s the birthplace of some of the world’s favourite sports including cricket, rugby and football, and it’s the home of some of the world’s most iconic sporting venues.

From world-class football stadiums and Formula 1 circuits to the greatest arena of all, an Olympic village, Britain has it all. 

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This is Silverstone Circuit, one of the world’s most famous motor sport venues. Every year hundreds of thousands of fans come here to watch some of the most exciting motor racing events on the planet.

Over the last 60 years this circuit has changed with the times and its most recent development is a new pit and paddock called the Silverstone Wing.

Richard Phillips is the Managing Director of Silverstone. He oversees everything that takes place here.

Richard: So what would you say to someone who's never been to a race before?

Richard Phillips: I think you have got to come to Silverstone. We have the biggest and most knowledgeable crowd in the world, 320,000 people over the weekend of a Grand Prix. It's the biggest outdoor event in the country.

All the great British names have driven here: Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, and… me! I’ve always wanted to drive a Ferrari and what better place to do it than the home of British motor sport?

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Racing instructor Chris Ward is going to give me a high-speed driving lesson.

Chris: So, right click into second. Just nice and steady to begin with. Let me just check we're all clear behind. Circuit's clear, so we're free to pull out onto the circuit. Squeeze the throttle, let's give it some power... Power, power, power! Down the left-hand side. Let the car rev a little bit more before you change gear. Into fifth. That's it. Keep the power going. And more power, and more power. What's it feel like being on the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone?

Richard: It's a fantastic feeling, it really is.

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Britain is mad about sport. From hockey to sailing, basketball to athletics, and grass court tennis is a national obsession. Rugby was invented here, as was cricket, and then exported round the world.

London is also home to a tribute to a footballing legend...

This is Bobby Moore, one of the all-time greatest footballers, and behind me is Wembley Stadium, one of the all-time greatest sporting venues… and I’m about to get a peek behind closed doors.

The stadium has recently undergone a huge makeover. It’s home to the England National Football Team and the FA Cup Final. Wembley also hosts other sports like American football and big music concerts.

And with 90,000 seats to choose from there’s plenty of room for all the fans.

This is where it all happens. The world’s finest football players have given us some of history's greatest sporting moments on this very pitch.

The stadium is one kilometre all the way round and above me stands a 133 metre tall steel arch which is also 315 metres across. It’s the longest single piece of roof section in the world and you can see it on the other side of London. It also moves to allow light and air onto the pitch.

This is the Press Conference Room. Up to 190 members of the media fill these seats after every game to ask the world's most famous football players the burning questions we all want to hear. Oh, it's my turn!

But there’s no time to stop, there’s sport everywhere in Great Britain.