Black Cats & Chequered Flags
Created and Produced by MIAT, now available for the first time in the UK at Silverstone Museum
Black Cats & Chequered Flags is a multiplayer immersive Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experience that tells the story behind the life of Alberto Ascari, the first double F1 World Champion and a prominent feature at the start of Grand Prix racing here at Silverstone.
Alberto Ascari & Silverstone
Alberto Ascari’s connection to Silverstone is one of the great stories of early Formula One. He first raced here in October 1948, finishing second in the RAC British Grand Prix driving for Maserati – one of the very first Grand Prix ever held at this circuit. A year later, in August 1949, he returned with Ferrari and won the inaugural BRDC International Trophy before a crowd of over 100,000 spectators, giving Ferrari one of its earliest victories on British soil. He went on to race at Silverstone in 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954, winning the British Grand Prix in both 1952 and 1953, at the height of his back-to-back Formula One World Championship seasons.
He remains the only Italian driver ever to achieve that feat with Ferrari, and the last Italian to win a World Championship, winning 2 in a row at the wheel of a Ferrari.
About the Experience
Black Cats & Chequered Flags is a groundbreaking interactive multiplayer Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experience, selected at Venice Immersive 2025, tracing the life, triumphs, and haunting legacy of Alberto Ascari, Italy's only two-time Formula One World Champion at the wheel of a Ferrari.
Visitors don his 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 is the story of a born champion, his superstitions, the cursed number 26, the black cats, and the fragility of fate.
How do I Book?
Black Cats & Chequered Flags has limited availability, and is only here for a limited time. We recommend booking tickets for the experience online & in advance to secure your space - tickets are charged at £20 per person.
Please remember that all visitors to Black Cats & Chequered Flags must also have admission to Silverstone Museum on the day of their booking.
*Please note, during Silverstone circuit events availability and times may change. Bookings made during major event weekends also require you to have a valid event ticket.
Critical Acclaim
Selected in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival – Venice Immersive 2025, the project brings together art, technology and sporting memory in a mixed reality experience that made its world premiere at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello in December 2025, where it reached nearly 4,000 visitors in fewer than 15 days.