British F1 Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix Tour Hotel – British Grand Prix

British Grand Prix, Silverstone – Track and Stands

BRITISH F1 INFO

There is an inextricable link between England and Formula One racing. Take three facts: (1) Silverstone is the oldest race on the calendar; (2) England is home – in full or in part – to seven of the teams (McLaren, Williams, Red Bull, Lotus, Force India, Mercedes and Marussia) and (3) the sport’s commercial management is based in London.

The UK has a unique blend of beautiful countryside, great cities and some mouth watering architecture, making it a must-see for all travellers. And London, in the words of Hollywood star Samuel L Jackson, is ‘just cool’.

From a driver’s perspective, Silverstone’s 5.8 kilometres are some of the most formidable on the Formula One calendar. The track, a former World War II aerodrome, is fast and a quick lap time requires bravery and finesse.

“I absolutely love my home race,” says Englishman Jenson Button. “Silverstone is a great challenge and some of the corners are the best in Formula One, particularly at the start of the lap. Away from the track, there isn’t much to do, but it doesn’t matter because I love racing at home.”

Did you know? No less than 11 Britons have won the British Grand Prix – Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, David Coulthard and Lewis Hamilton.

Many temporary grandstands are erected for the race and stand tickets are split into four different price bands. However, there is also plenty of good viewing to be had with a standard general admission ticket. The entrance to Copse corner, which is taken flat in seventh gear by a Formula One car, is best seen from a concrete standing area, as is the entrance to the infamous Beckett’s 500 metres later.

You never know what the weather’s going to do in England, even in June and July, so be prepared for sun and showers. It can also be very windy because the former airfield is situated in an exposed area.

Race History

Like so many of England’s racing circuits, Silverstone started life as an aerodrome. When the Second World War ended in 1945, England’s other two circuits, Donington Park and the legendary Brooklands, had fallen into disrepair. And so it was that the outer taxiways and interconnecting runways of Silverstone became adopted by the Royal Automobile Club as the home for the British Grand Prix in 1948. The circuit was fast and challenging and in 1949 the shape was formed that remains the basis of the track to this day.

When the Formula One World Championship was incepted in 1950, Silverstone held the very first round, won by Guiseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo. In 1951 the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) was handed the lease by the RAC, and huge modifications were made. The pits were moved to the straight between Woodcote and Copse, from the Farm straight where they had originally been, and a short circuit was built within the larger circuit, cutting from Becketts corner to Woodcote.

From 1955 the British Grand Prix swapped venues between Aintree and Silverstone, but with the advent of the 1960s, Aintree fell out of favour and the race was switched between Silverstone and Brands Hatch.

In 1971 the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) bought the entire 720 acre plot on which Silverstone sits and went about redeveloping the track. New pits were built and a chicane was erected at Woodcote which provided close finishes and great overtaking opportunities.

In 1987, with speeds reaching astounding levels, a corner was built before Woodcote, and in 1992 a new complex of corners was created between Farm and Woodcote. And in recent years various upgrades have been made to the track’s facilities. A racing school now exists at the circuit and with government funding a new bypass has been built, greatly improving access to the once notoriously out-of-the-way venue.

In 2010 came another major change to the circuit’s Formula One layout, designed to further improve the venue for spectators and provide an even greater driver challenge. The new infield layout juts right at the reworked Abbey bend before heading into the new Arena complex of turns. This takes drivers on to the main straight of Silverstone’s National circuit, before rejoining the previous Grand Prix layout at Brooklands.