F1 hits Manchester.

BMW Sauber has announced that it will take its interactive Pit Lane Park to Manchester on the weekend of the British Grand Prix next month, marking the first time that Formula One will have visited the city.

The F1-based theme park, which will be set-up at the Trafford Centre from 4-6 July, will give fans the opportunity to get a closer look at the kind of machinery that has carried Robert Kubica to the top of the of the drivers' standings following his maiden victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, with BMW World Touring Car Championship driver Augusto Farfus in attendance to complete demonstration runs each day in the BMW Sauber F1 machine. Meanwhile, reigning Formula BMW UK Championship title winner Marcus Ericsson and local driver Matt Howson will complete demonstration runs in a FBMW FB02 car.

The Pit Lane Park itself will feature a state-of-the-art 110-metre asphalt track, including two turning circles where drivers will be able to complete a series of burnouts for the watching crowd.

Visitors to the Pit Lane Park, which is free of charge, will also be invited to take part in a myriad of F1-themed interactive attractions, including driving simulators, a fuel stop, a Pit Stop Challenge and a Formula One Lab.