Anyone watching the 2010 British Grand Prix at Silverstone will have noticed that the circuit had undergone a few layout changes since the 2009 race. But changes to the track were only the first phase in a sizeable upgrade.

While Silverstone has always been one of the most popular circuits on the calendar, for fans and teams alike, Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has been less than complimentary about the Northamptonshire track's facilities in recent years.

Speaking to the BBC in November 2007, Ecclestone said "Britain is supposed to be the heart of Formula 1 racing, and our circuit is bottom of the list." Earlier that year, speaking in the Silverstone paddock, the FOM boss was even more critical of the facilities on offer. "I feel sorry for the public that here we are at the British Grand Prix again and we've got a third-rate circuit," he said.

Ecclestone was not the only interested party keen to see Silverstone upgraded, but circuit owners and British Grand Prix promoters the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) could not afford to invest multiple millions of pounds into track and facilities work without the guarantee of a long-term contract that would enable them to see a return on their investment.

That contract - for seventeen years of hosting rights - was signed in December 2009, and development work started as soon as the ink was dry.

While construction work is still ongoing, selected guests were invited to Northamptonshire today to see the new pit and paddock complex, called The Wing. An impressive 390 metres in length, The Wing will house the new podium, an upgraded media centre, 41 garages, a race control building, and deluxe hospitality and VIP spectator suites.

Richard Phillips, managing director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, was rightly proud of the work done so far. "The Silverstone Wing signifies an exciting new era for the venue and takes us another step closer to becoming the world's leading motor sport venue," he said. "In addition to having one of the fastest and most challenging circuits on the F1 calendar, we now have an iconic pit complex that we can all be immensely proud of."

One of the invited guests was Christian Horner, team principal of current world champions Red Bull, who have won the British Grand Prix for the past two years.

"I think it's fantastic - it puts Silverstone right up there with the best circuits in the world," Horner said. "It's quite staggering the scale of what's been built here in a very short space of time, but it gives the circuit a whole new feel and dimension. The investment in The Wing is phenomenal. I think it's great for British motorsport and makes Silverstone a first class facility."

While there have never been any doubts about Silverstone's popularity as a race track, few would argue that the circuit was in dire need of a facelift. More recent additions to the F1 calendar have been custom-built to Ecclestone's specifications, but Silverstone - which played host to the first race run under the Formula 1 banner back in May 1950 - has gradually evolved from its origins as a World War II Royal Air Force bomber station.

Modern F1 cars were at risk of out-growing the pit garages, and the circuit was unable to capitalise on the money-making opportunities afforded by top-tier corporate hospitality of the sort on display in Monaco and Singapore.