Information & Historical past – British Grand Prix at Silverstone

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The house of British motorsport, Silverstone hosted the primary World Championship race in 1950 and has since staged the British Grand Prix greater than 50 occasions

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The 2026 British Grand Prix is scheduled for July 3-5

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Constructed on the location of a World Struggle II airfield, Silverstone first hosted the British Grand Prix in 1948, a race which attracted a reported 100 000 spectators. Two years later in 1950, Silverstone was chosen because the venue for the primary race on the inaugural Formulation 1 World Championship and the monitor is considered one of solely 4 Grands Prix from the primary 12 months of the World Championship to stay part of at this time’s F1 calendar (the others being Monaco, Spa and Monza). The format of Silverstone has undergone important modifications over time, principally in a bid to cut back velocity and enhance security.

After virtually dropping the rights to the British Grand Prix to rival Donington Park circuit within the late 2000s, the homeowners of Silverstone (the British Racing Drivers’ Membership, or BRDC) signed a brand new 17-year deal in 2010 which ought to have assured Silverstone’s place on the Formulation 1 calendar till at the least 2027. Sadly, the contract included an ‘escalator clause’ that will increase the internet hosting price payable to the Formulation 1 group every year, and the circuit struggled to make a revenue regardless of attracting the second highest attendances on the present calendar (virtually 350,000 on race weekend in 2017.)

Just a few days earlier than the 2017 British Grand Prix, the BRDC activated a break clause of their contract with Formulation 1. After a interval of uncertainty, it was introduced earlier than the 2019 working of the race that the occasion would stay at Silverstone till at the least 2024.

In 2020, because of calendar modifications caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Silverstone hosted two races in August. Each occasions had been held with out followers in attendance. The primary race – the British Grand Prix – noticed Lewis Hamilton take a record-breaking residence victory, regardless of struggling a puncture on the ultimate lap. One week later, the seventieth Anniversary Grand Prix was held, marking 70 years for the reason that first spherical of the World Championship. Max Verstappen was victorious in that race, which marked the primary of Pink Bull’s two wins within the 2020 season.

In 2021, Silverstone turned the primary circuit to host a full capability crowd for the reason that begin of the coronavirus pandemic, with the British Grand Prix attracting round 140,000 followers on race day alone. Controversy reigned within the race, as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided on the primary lap. Whereas Verstappen was eradicated from the race – struggling a 51G affect – Hamilton went on to say an eighth residence race win, after passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc within the closing levels. The race weekend additionally noticed the debut of F1’s Dash Qualifying format.

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Carlos Sainz secured his maiden race win with Ferrari on the 2022 British Grand Prix. The race weekend was attended by over 400,000 followers, making it, on the time, the best-attended British Grand Prix in historical past. The report was damaged one 12 months later, with 480,000 followers attending the 2023 British Grand Prix. In addition to increasing grandstand capability, race organisers made enhancements to the Common Admission viewing areas and launched a Thursday launch celebration, all of which helped to spice up the attendance numbers. The report attendance was matched in 2024, with a brand new report race day attendance of 164,000, earlier than being bettered in 2025 with a weekend complete of 500,000 – the second highest within the sport’s historical past. Silverstone just lately prolonged its contract to carry the British Grand Prix till 2034.

British Grand Prix: Did ?

At 5.891km, Silverstone is the fifth-longest F1 circuits on the present calendar. Solely Spa Francorchamps in Belgium (7.004km), Las Vegas Strip Circuit (6.201km), Jeddah Corniche Circuit (6.174km) and Baku Metropolis Circuit (6.003km) are longer.

Along with Italy, Britain is the one nation to have held a Grand Prix in yearly of the World Championship since 1950. It’s considered one of three international locations to have hosted as many as 80 rounds of the World Championship.

In 2019, Lewis Hamilton set a brand new report for many victories on the British Grand Prix. Along with his sixth win on the occasion, he eclipsed the totals of Jim Clark and Alain Prost. He prolonged his report to eight wins on the occasion in 2021 and recorded a ninth Silverstone win in 2024.

A complete of 13 British drivers have received the British Grand Prix. Different a number of British GP winners embody Nigel Mansell (4 wins), Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard (each 2 wins).

READ MORE: Britain’s Residence Race Heroes

In 17 races at Silverstone, Jenson Button by no means received the British Grand Prix, nor did he ever stand on the rostrum.

In each 1963 and 1965, the British Grand Prix podium at Silverstone was comprised completely of British drivers. Jim Clark received each occasions, and he was joined on the podium by John Surtees and Graham Hill each occasions.

The bottom grid place a podium end has come from at Silverstone is twenty eighth. This occurred on the 1954 British GP, when Onofre Marimón completed third having began from twenty eighth in a 30-car discipline.

There may be but to be a British Grand Prix at Silverstone by which the entire prime three on the grid end the race in the identical order as they began.

On the 2024 British Grand Prix, three British drivers (George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris) stuffed the primary three grid slots. It was the primary time this had ever occurred at Silverstone – and the primary time it had occurred at any Formulation 1 race for the reason that 1968 South African Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg lastly claimed his first podium end in Formulation 1 on the 2025 British Grand Prix. He did so 15 years after making his debut, on his 239th Grand Prix look.

On account of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 British Grand Prix was moved from a provisional July date to August. It was the primary time that the occasion had been held in August for the reason that inaugural British Grand Prix was held at Brooklands on August 7 1926.

Lewis Hamilton set a brand new report for many poles at his residence occasion in 2020. His pole place on the 2020 British Grand Prix was the seventh time he has taken pole at his residence race. He beforehand shared the report with Ayrton Senna, who began the Brazilian Grand Prix from pole six occasions.

Nigel Mansell as soon as claimed that racing in entrance of a house crowd may be value tenths of a second off the lap time and, whereas there’s an absence of scientific truth behind the declare, Mansell definitely did excel on the Silverstone circuit and set the quickest lap of a race right here six occasions throughout his profession. His tally of quickest laps on the circuit was equalled by fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton on the 2022 British Grand Prix.

Silverstone’s Memorable Moments

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1991 British Grand Prix: Taxi for Senna

A few of the most iconic pictures in F1 had been produced on the conclusion of the 1991 British Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna had run out of gasoline on the finish of the race and was stranded on the circuit because of this. Race winner Nigel Mansell stopped for the Brazilian and gave him a carry again to the pits on the facet of his Williams automotive!

2003 British Grand Prix: Monitor invader

The 2003 British Grand Prix was interrupted by a monitor invader. Irish priest Cornelius Horan ran on to the circuit on the Hangar Straight, the place the vehicles attain over 200km/h. The incident introduced out the Security Automotive, and Horan was subsequently arrested after being dragged from the monitor by a marshal. He was sentenced to 2 months in jail. Watch: 5 Stunning Moments From The British Grand Prix

2008 British Grand Prix: Hamilton reigns within the moist

Lewis Hamilton took his first residence win in extraordinary circumstances at Silverstone in 2008. Ranging from fourth, Hamilton was as much as second earlier than the primary nook. Heikki Kovalainen was main – however not for lengthy; Hamilton scythed his well beyond at Stowe nook on the fourth lap.

Whereas different slipped and slid within the difficult circumstances – together with Felipe Massa who span a minimum of 5 occasions through the afternoon – Hamilton was peerless; except for a brief run throughout the grass. He ended up successful by over a minute, with solely two different drivers in a position to keep on the lead lap! Watch the highlights.

2013 British Grand Prix: Pirelli’s unhealthy afternoon

Tyres had been the foremost speaking level on the 2013 British Grand Prix, with a number of failures elevating security issues. Polesitter Lewis Hamilton was first to endure a failure, together with his left-rear tyre exploding on the Wellington Straight simply seven laps into the race. Felipe Massa’s tyre gave method in the identical space 4 laps later, and one other failure Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso noticed the Security Automotive known as out.

All of this left Sebastian Vettel main, till Lap 42 when he retired with a gearbox failure. After one other Security Automotive because of the incident, Sergio Perez’s McLaren was subsequent to endure a tyre blow-out. Nico Rosberg received the race, however the headlines had been all about Pirelli and the unsafe circumstances which the drivers confronted.

2020 British Grand Prix: Hamilton wins on three wheels

Fewer drivers have skilled a extra disturbing closing lap to a race than Lewis Hamilton on the 2020 British Grand Prix. Hamilton was largely unchallenged for victory all through the race however, in the direction of the tip, issues had been raised over the opportunity of choosing up a puncture.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas dropped nicely down the order having suffered a tyre failure within the late levels. The identical destiny befell Hamilton shortly after. Having already began the ultimate lap, Hamilton solely wanted to remain on monitor to win. Max Verstappen closed in on the Mercedes however he was just a little too far again to mount a critical problem. Racing on solely three totally inflated tyres, Hamilton claimed a record-breaking seventh residence Grand Prix victory in extraordinary circumstances. Watch the highlights.

2021 British Grand Prix: First lap controversy

There was controversy on the opening lap of the 2021 British Grand Prix as championship rivals collided. Lewis Hamilton had set the quickest time in qualifying however Max Verstappen began from pole place because of all-new Dash Qualifying.

The duo began alongside one another on the entrance row, with Verstappen staying forward within the opening turns. Nevertheless, Hamilton pulled to the within of the Pink Bull on the straight resulting in Copse nook. With neither driver yielding, the pair made contact and Verstappen speared off the monitor and into the limitations at near 300km/h.

Verstappen fortunately with out critical damage within the 51G affect, whereas Hamilton went on to win the race. Hamilton was handed a ten second time penalty after being deemed to have been at fault within the incident. Watch the highlights.