A groundbreaking experience has made its debut at Silverstone Museum – telling the compelling story of one of the greats in motor racing through immersive, multiplayer technology.
Black Cats & Chequered Flags by Multiverse Institute for Arts and Technology (MIAT) makes its UK debut with a year-long exclusive installation at the museum that sits adjacent to the iconic Formula One circuit.
The Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experience tells the story behind the life of Alberto Ascari, the first double F1 World Champion and a prominent figure at the start of Grand Prix racing at Silverstone. Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft made a guest appearance last month at a prestigious premiere event to mark its UK launch.
Black Cats & Chequered Flags traces the life, triumphs and haunting legacy of Ascari, Italy’s only two-time Formula One Drivers’ World Champion at the wheel of a Ferrari.
Visitors to Silverstone Museum will don the racing champion’s legendary blue helmet, gloves and goggles, step into a collaborative 1950s pit stop and race alongside Ascari on the Monza circuit, immersed in archival audio, 360° cinematography and authentic period sound. This experience showcases the story of a born champion, the exhilaration of his victories, the weight of his superstitions, the cursed number 26, the black cats, and the fragility of a life lived at full speed.
Rob Jaina, Director of Curation & Learning at Silverstone Museum, said: “Alberto Ascari’s connection to Silverstone is one of the greatest stories of early Formula One. It was in October 1948 when he first raced on the world-famous circuit, finishing second in the Royal Automobile Club International Grand Prix driving for Maserati, at the first Grand Prix ever held here. The following August he returned to Silverstone with Ferrari and won the inaugural BRDC International Trophy in front of crowds of more than 100,000 spectators, which marked one of Ferrari’s earliest victories on British soil.”
The mixed reality experience made its world premiere at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello in December 2025, where it was experienced by thousands of visitors in just two weeks.
Located trackside at Silverstone, it’s fitting that the museum is the first venue in the UK to host Black Cats & Chequered Flags.
Phil Lawrie, CEO at Silverstone Museum, said: “Silverstone Museum is incredibly proud to be the very first to launch Black Cats & Chequered Flags in Britain. It is another first for the museum and we expect that this exceptional experience, which is here for a limited time, will be extremely popular with our visitors.
“The museum has a fantastic track record of offering unique, world class experiences that help tell the story of this great sporting venue and the legends that have graced the Silverstone racetrack over the decades.”
Elisabetta Rotolo, Founder and CEO of MIAT, Director, Executive Producer and Creative Producer added: “This is a work of immersive art that brings history, emotion, and cutting-edge technology together in a uniquely shared experience, which places museum visitors inside Alberto Ascari’s world. At the heart of the experience is a thrilling multiplayer challenge as participants perform pit stops with Ascari’s team, exactly as they were done in the 1950s, capturing the adrenaline and precision of Formula 1 racing in a uniquely shared, embodied encounter.”
The new experience is the highlight of attractions available at Silverstone Museum this summer which will give visitors and families the opportunity to take part in fun, free activities and enjoy the museum’s Driven by Design exhibition, which celebrates the brains behind some of Formula One’s most iconic racing cars.
For more information and to book tickets visit their website.
