British Grand Prix

In 1907 the Brooklands Oval was built on one of the first British airfields and was the first purpose-built automobile racing venue. It was a concrete track just outside the capital city of Great Britain, London.
 
In 1923 the British driver Henry Seagrave won the French Grand Prix and the San Sebastián Grands Prix. Both victories were achieved while driving a British made Sunbeam Grand Prix car. That prompted the British to organise a Grand Prix of their own

Brooklands Oval 1926-1927
 
These victories helped the Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain to impress upon the AIACR (parent body of the FIA) that Britain deserved to host an international Grand Prix.
The first Grand Prix (borrowed from the French Grand Prix meaning the Grand Prize) was held on 7 August 1926 at Brooklands.
 
The inaugural British Grand Prix as we now call it was called the Grand Prix of the Royal Automobile Club. The inaugural British Grand Prix was won by Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner both of France driving a Delage. Robert Benoist won the race the following year also driving a Delage.
 
Several Grands Prix were held at Donnington Park called the Donnington Grand Prix during the years before World War II. But they were not held under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club and hence they were not accorded the title of the “British Grand Prix.

Silverstone 1948-1954 and the inaugural World Championship Race
 
During World War II, most airfields in Great Britain were devastated as was the Brooklands airfield. Several airfields were being rebuilt as auto racing circuits and among them was the Silverstone airfield. It was on the Nottinghamptonshire/Buckinghamshire border.
 
On 2 October 1948, the Royal Automobile Club hosted the first post-war international Grand Prix at Silverstone. Luigi Villoresi, an Italian, won the race in a Maserati. In 1949 the Silverstone track was re-laid and made very fast. It remained that way for many years.
 
In 1950 the FIA introduced the World Championship and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone was chosen as the first race on their calendar. That made the Silverstone the oldest circuit ever to hold a World Championship Formula One event.
 
The race held on 13 May 1950, was won by the Italian driver Guiseppe “Nino” Farina in an Italian car, the Alfa Romeo. In 1951, another Italian made car, a Ferrari usurped the Alfa Romeo in 1951. The Argentinian José Froilán González won the British Grand Prix that year.
 
The original pits between Abbey and Woodcote were demolished and new pits were built in 1952 for the Grand Prix. Alberto Ascaris won successively in 1952 and 1953 while José Froilán González won the British Grand Prix in 1954.

Aintree-Silverstone 1955-1962
 
In 1955 the British Grand Prix was held at the Aintree Circuit, away from the Silverstone Circuit for the first time. From then on, the Formula One event was held alternately between Aintree and Silverstone till 1962 when another circuit was to join the fray.
 
The Aintree circuit was built on the Grand National horse racing course near Liverpool. Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio and homeboy Sterling Moss were the favourites to win the race in 1955. Both drivers battled for the lead from the start of the race.
 
Fangio was in a position to overtake Sterling Moss on the last corner of the last lap but he didn’t, Sterling Moss won his first Grand Prix on home soil. When Moss asked the Argentinian later whether he had let Moss through, the former said “No. You were better than me that day.”
 
Fangio did win the race at Silverstone the next year in a Ferrari as the race alternated between Aintree and Silverstone. But Moss came back strongly at Aintree to win the 1957 British Grand Prix driving a Vanwall, the first Grand Prix victory for a British car.
 
The Britisher, Peter Collins won at Silverstone in 1958 in a race where Bernie Eccelstone competed. But Eccelstone’s car was driven by Jack Fairman. In 1959, the British Grand Prix was won by the up and coming Australian, Jack Brabham.

Jack Brabham nicknamed ‘Black Jack’ went on to win the World Drivers’ Championship that year driving a mid-engined Cooper. The following year, Brabham repeated the feat the following year and he won both the British Grand Prix as well as the World Drivers’ Championship.
 
The Aintree circuit hosted its last race in 1962. Jim Clark, a British driver, won first of the five British Grands Prix he was to win in the years to come. Aintree was dismantled in 1964 and Brands Hatch, a circuit in Southern England was to take the place of Aintree.

Silverstone-Brands Hatch 1964-1986
 
Brands Hatch replaced Aintree as the circuit that hosted the event every alternate year with Silverstone. Only, this time Silverstone hosted the event every odd-numbered calendar year and Brands Hatch the event-numbered. Jim Clark won the race at Silverstone in 1963.
 
Jim Clark was also to win the inaugural race at Brands Hatch in 1964. Brands Hatch was different from the plain Aintree circuit and the Formula One drivers loved it. It had varying elevation and many cambered corners to challenge the pilots and was a spectators’ circuit.
 
Jim Clark continued his love affair with the British Grand Prix, winning his fourth successive prize in a row at Silverstone all the while driving a Lotus-Climax. Swiss Jo Siffert and New Zealander fought a monumental duel for the 1968 British Grand Prix in which Siffert prevailed.
 
The British Grand Prix 1969 at Silverstone saw another avid battle between the local hero Jackie Stewart and the Austrian Jochim Rindt. While Stewart came out top in 1969, Rindt won the event in 1970. Stewart, however, came back to win the race in 1971.
 
1973 witnessed a huge mishap on the first lap that eliminated 11 cars. While there were no casualties or fires, Andrea de Adamich suffered career-ending injuries. Niki Lauda, a new Austrian challenger, led the race for the most part. He suffered a tyre puncture and Jody Scheckter won the coveted Grand Prix.
 
In 1975, a chicane was added to the very high-speed Woodcote corner. As it happened, a rainstorm hit Silverstone the same year and several cars hydroplaned off the track. Emerson Fittipaldi won the race after it was stopped and called short.
 
The Brands Hatch circuit also saw some modifications in 1976. The Paddock Hill turn had a sharper entrance turn to slow the cars a little. The South Bank corner was transformed into a tighter apex rather than a fast hairpin.
 
However, James Hunt, the local favourite was disqualified that year for not completing the first lap despite taking the chequered flag first. The second-placed Niki Lauda was adjudged the winner. James Hunt came back strongly in 1977 at Silverstone to win his home Grand Prix.
 
Clay Regazzoni registered William’s first F1 victory in 1979 while Australian Alan Jones won the Grand Prix in 1980. Jason Watson of Great Britain passed several cars in the second half of the race to win in the 1981 race while Niki Lauda won his second British Grand Prix the following year.
 
In 1983 Alain Prost of France won the first of the five British Grand Prix that he won over the next 11 years driving a Renault this time. Niki Lauda won the honours the following year but Alain Prost came back strongly taking a victory from Ayrton Senna whose car ran out of fuel.
 
1986 was the last British Grand Prix held at Brands Hatch. A huge crowd converged on Brands Hatch to cheer on the British driver Nigel Mansell. Although Mansell’s car broke down at the start of the race, he rode his teammate Nelson Piquet’s Williams-Honda to victory.
 
That year, Jacques Laffite was involved in a first corner accident at Brands Hatch. His car slammed head-on into the barriers breaking both his legs and ending his racing career. The small Brand Hatch track was considered too risky for the modern 1000-plus horse-powered cars. It was abandoned and all the British Grands Prix from then on were held at Silverstone.

Racing at Silverstone began when a group of friends led by Maurice Geoghegan, who lived nearby, decided to race at the abandoned World War II airport. The group set up an impromptu motor race on a two mile course on the deserted airport in 1947.
 
Geoghegan ran over a sheep that had strayed into the course and the sheep died. The car was also written off but the race was labelled as the Mutton Grand Prix. The next year, the Royal Automobile Club took the airport on lease and drew up plans to construct a more formal racing circuit. 
 
The Silverstone circuit had changed little since 1949. The year 1987 saw changes to the track. The Woodcote Chicane was bypassed and a new left-right Chicane was introduced on the Farm Straight. This was supposed to slow down the cars, but Nigel Mansell had other ideas.
 
Nigel Mansell, in trying to run down Nelson Piquet, broke the lap record 11 times in 1987 and won the event. This win and Nigell Mansell’s presence in the British Grand Prix would ensure vast crowds at Silverstone for five years.
 
1988 saw Ayrton Senna storm to a victory while Alain Prost won in 1989 after Senna went off the track at Becketts. After the race, it was declared that Silverstone, the fastest circuit in the world at the time, was to be drastically modified. However, Alain Prost won the last motor race on the old Silverstone circuit in a Ferrari ahead of Nigel Mansell retired with gearbox problems.
 
When the new Silverstone circuit was ready in 1991, all the corners except for Copse were different. Every turn was slower and an infield section was included right before the pits. Nigel Mansell won two successive races on the new circuit before retiring from Formula One racing.
 
Fellow Briton, Damon Hill tried to make the British Grand Prix his own in 1993, but his engine blew and his teammate, Alain Prost walked away with the prize. Ayrton Senna’s tragic crash and death at Imola in 1994 forced more changes at Silverstone.
 
A chicane was introduced on the sweeping Abbey Corner and Stowe Corner was made tighter. Damon Hill won the 1994 event followed by another Briton, Johnny Herbert the following year. Come 1996, Stowe Corner was restored to its original 1991 shape.
 
In 1999 Michael Schumacher, the two time World Champion, crashed heavily at Stowe Corner. The impact broke Schumacher’s leg and put him out of contention for a third World Championship. Efforts to bring The British Grand Prix back to Brands Hatch never saw the light of day.
 
The 2003 British Grand Prix witnessed a defrocked priest running onto the track while cars were racing around him at 260 km/h. Marshalls got him off the track and he was later arrested. Brazilian, Reubens Barrichello won the event driving a Ferrari.
 
After frenetic negotiations between British Drivers’ Racing Club (BDRC), the owners of Silverstone and the FIA, in 2003 left the 2005 British Grand Prix in doubt. However, after much bargaining, FIA agreed that Silverstone will host the British Grand Prix till 2009.
 
Lewis Hamilton won his first British Grand Prix in 2008. The Briton would go on to win all the events at Silverstone between 2014 till 2020 except in 2018. That year, Sebastian Vettel of Germany got the better of him. Hamilton is still racing and has a chance to better his record.
 
In 2008 it was announced that Donnington Park would host the event for ten years from 2010. But Donnington couldn’t raise the needed funds and the contract was cancelled in November 2009.
 
December 2009 saw BDRC sign a new agreement with the FIA to host the British Grand Prix for 17 years from 2010. But along with that agreement came further modifications to the Silverstone circuit. The 2010 British Grand Prix was held on a new ‘Arena’ layout.
 
The star-finish line was moved between the Club and Abbey corners. New pits were also built with the pit lane exiting the track after the sweeping Abbey Corner and rejoining it just before another sweeping Farm corner.
 
Although efforts were made to slow the circuit down, with average speeds of 233 km/h, the Silverstone circuit still reigns among the fastest in the world. The BDRC had activated a break clause of exiting the Formula one calendar in 2019 unless a new contract was signed.
 
Only a few days before the 2019 event, an agreement was signed with the FIA to host the British Grand Prix till 2024.

The British Grand Prix, along with the Italian Grand Prix, has not yet missed a season of the Formula One calendar year. That is, hosting 71 races on the trot. Consequently, many drivers have won the British Grand Prix multiple times over the decades.
 
But none have won the British Grand Prix on more occasions than has Lewis Hamilton, the still competing British hero. Hamilton has won seven British Grand Prix so far including the 2020 event and is not going away any time soon.
 
Alain Prost, the legendary French driver won the coveted event five times in the eighties and the early ‘90s. He won the events on three different British circuits and with four different Formula One teams; Renault in 1983, McLaren in 1985 and 1989, Ferrari in 1990 and Williams in 1993.
 
Jim Clarke, considered among the greatest British drivers of all time, has won the British Grand Prix an incredible five times in six years between 1962 and 1967. In 1966, he finished the race in fourth place.
 
Nigel Mansell, again a British driver, won the race four times between 1986 and 1992. His first win at Brands Hatch in 1986 was the last British Grand Prix held at the venue. After that, all the British Grands Prix were held at Silverstone.
 
One of the pioneers of Formula One racing, Jack Brabham was an Australian who later moved to Great Britain. He won the British Grand Prix three times (1959, 1960 and 1966) during the early years of the race. He also won the World Championship in all the three seasons that he won the British Grand Prix.
 
Seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher of Germany won the British Grand Prix three times (1998, 2002 and 2004). Austrian driver Niki Lauda had won the event three times (1976, 1982 and 1984) before Schumacher’s advent.
 
Ten drivers have won the British Grand Prix twice each starting with Alberto Ascari (111952, 1963) and ending with Mark Webber (1999, 2000). Among them are José Froilán González, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacques Villeneuve, David Coulthard, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel.
 
British Formula One drivers have won their home event 22 times with Lewis Hamilton claiming 7 wins. Five other British drivers have accomplished the task including Jim Clark with 5 wins and Nigel Mansell with 4 wins. Sterling Moss, Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard with two wins each complete the list.

Try as they might, the Royal Automobile Club has not been able to verify the origins of the current British Grand Prix trophy. Like all prestigious trophies, this trophy is also returnable to the Royal Automobile Club after it is awarded to the winner of the race.
 
The winner, more often than not, receives more than one trophy often donated by the sponsor of the race and other patrons of the British Grand Prix. Since 1952, the triumphant driver has been traditionally awarded a trophy by the sponsor of the race.
 
The first trophy was presented to the Grand Prix winner of the first inaugural World Championship Britsh Grand Prix in 1950. The trophy was the Mervyn O’Gorman trophy and was awarded till the early 1970s when it was replaced by the Royal Automobile Club trophy.
 
The Royal Automobile Club trophy is a classic Victorian two-handled cup with a polished mahogany base. Covered with a thin hallmarked sterling leaf, the urn is decorated with eight upper lobes and each of them covered with hand engraved floral designs.
 
The names of the winners from 1948 to 2005 are engraved on the base. Why the names of the winners of 1926 and 1927 have not been engraved is not explained. Similarly, why the names of the two who won in 1948 and 1949 are included although they have not been presented the trophy is not known.
 
The only hint to the origins of the trophy lies in the motto “Floreat Etona” inscribed on the trophy. It means “let Eton flourish.” It suggests that the trophy may have been donated by the late Charles Rolls, the founder of the Rolls Royce Motor Company. He was an alumnus of the Eton College.

The circuit is steeped in history
 
Silverstone was the venue where the first World Drivers’ Championship contest was held in 1950. The event has been held at Silverstone on 55 occasions including two races in 2020. Silverstone has hosted the Formula One Grand Prix continuously since 1987.
 
Although the circuit has gone through many changes over the decades, there are some memorable events on the track. In 1991, Nigel Mansell picked up Ayrton Senna after winning the race for a ride to the pits. The legendary Brazilian’s car had run out of fuel on the final lap. 
 
Five years later, Mansell had broken eight lap records while chasing down his teammate Nelson Piquet in the penultimate lap to win the Grand Prix and after taking the flag Mansell’s car slowed down. The reason: he had blown the Honda engine in the Williams with the exertion in the last six laps.
 
In 1998, Michael Schumacher won the race by crossing the finishing line in the pit lane. Mikka Hakkinen was leading the race when his car spun in very wet conditions. Safety cars were deployed while Schumacher took a lead over Hakinnen, earning a 10-second penalty.
 
Schumacher took the pit lane in the last lap to serve the penalty. But in doing so, he was beyond the finishing line. Schumacher was promptly awarded the race by the race officials despite McLaren’s appeal against the decision.

Exuberant fans
 
Silverstone has been known for record attendances year after year. Particularly as Lewis Hamilton has dominated on the circuit winning six of the past 7 events since 2014, the excited British fans descend on the circuit in hoards.
 
The circuit, built on an abandoned World War II airport, has many big grandstands which can accommodate up to 140,000 fans. Attendances over the racing weekend have almost touched 350,000.
 
Moreover, all countries and teams are represented by spectators who invade the track immediately after the race to celebrate with the winners. Mansell’s victories made it difficult for some competitors to finish the race and drive to the pits.
 
Come rain or shine, the grandstands remain full of boisterous fans for every successive British Grand Prix making it an event worth attending.

The unpredictable British weather
 
The British weather is unpredictable throughout the year and more so in July when the event is usually organised. The races become interesting as the drivers have to sometimes use all types of tyres available to them.
 
The 2016 race was started behind a safety car because of heavy rains. Wet tyres were used during the initial part of the race, were changed to intermediaries as the rain eased. These were later switched to slick tyres when rain stopped completely and the track dried up.
 
Although Lewis Hamilton won seven British Grands Prix, his first win in 2008 on a very wet track is considered as the best race of his career. Driving a Ferrari in very wet conditions, Hamilton started in the fourth position on the starting grid.
 
Hamilton lapped everyone, lap after lap, till he won the race with more than a minute to spare in front of Nick Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello. 2018 saw a very dry race while the year before was cloudy.

Silverstone is a home race for most F1 teams
 
Silverstone is the home race for many of the constructors and teams. Red Bull, Haas, Renault, Williams and Mercedes have their headquarters in England. Torro Rosso also has a design and wind tunnel facility hardly 25 km from Silverstone.
 
While Racing Point is the closest, located just across the road from Silverstone, McLaren is the farthest, about 115 km away from the venue. That makes the British Grand Prix all the more exciting.
 
The Silverstone circuit, despite the many changes made to it over the decades to slow down the cars, is still fast. The many short straights and the kinks in the circuit test both the cars and the drivers.
 
Constructors take Silverstone as a benchmark to judge the performance of both their cars and the drivers. The circuit tests the cars for their accelerating capacity as well as their braking systems. It also tests the drivers’ tactical skills and their perseverance.

General Admission Areas
General Admission Areas are spread all around the circuit and are worth the cost of the ticket because they provide reasonably good vantage points. These areas are not covered and the spectators are exposed to the sun and rain. But then so are spectators in many other Grandstands.
 
Most of the General Admission Areas are in front of the Grandstands and get a good view of the circuit. Raised mounds and the moving of some perimeter fences closer to the track has also helped in improving spectator viewing.
 
International Pits Straight, Luffield, Becketts, Stowe, Copse Corner and Vale are some of the best General Admission viewing areas. Get to your selected viewing place early as the places get crowded, more so on Saturdays and Sundays.

Grandstands
All Grandstand tickets holders have roving options on Fridays and Saturdays. That gives you a chance to view the race from different Grandstands except for a few. The Grandstands get crowded on Saturdays and securing a seat early and remaining in the seat is advisable.
 
On Sunday all seats are numbered and you have to take the seat allocated to you. So many Grandstands have a good view of the circuit at Silverstone that choosing a Grandstand to sit in depends on your budget. All Grandstands have giant television screens in front of them.
 
International Pits Straight Grandstand, located in front of the start-finish line, is a good place to watch the start and finish of the race and the post-race celebrations. It is made out of four blocks (2-5), of which Block 2 is the best viewing point.
 
Club Corner Grandstand is located on the final turn of the circuits. This grandstand gives the spectator a good view of the action in the pits as well as the proceedings on the podium after the race. Choose a seat in Block 2 for the best views.
 
Becketts Grandstand is located on the part of the circuit where the opposite corner comes closest. This gives the spectator excellent views of two of the most demanding parts of the circuit.
 
While the Maggot-Becketts ‘S’ tests the drivers’ skills at high speed you also get an excellent view of drivers negotiating the Village curve. Although the stands are set back from the track because of wide run-off areas, the panoramic views are excellent.
 
Abbey Grandstand is another grandstand worth the cost of the ticket. Seated at the end of the International Pits Straight, the spectator gets a view of the Club Corner. You can also get distant views of the pitstops and the start-finish line.
 
While the Luffield Grandstand offers a good view of the slow-speed corner right in front of it the same corner can be seen from the Woodcote A Grandstand, albeit from a bit far. The Luffield corner gives spectators a good opportunity to get close-up photographs.
 
Other grandstands like Vale Grandstand, Copse Grandstands and Stowe Grandstands are all good value for money. The more high-cost Village B Grandstand gives spectators a close-up view of the cars negotiating the demanding Village and Loop corners.
 
As all Grandstands have big television screens in front of them, spectators are kept in on the action at all times.

Silverstone is about 130 km to the North-East of London and is in a rural area. The narrow country lanes make travel difficult from London and back, particularly when it rains. Many fans prefer to camp close by to avoid the hassle of travelling to and fro.

London has five airports that are well connected internationally and from throughout Europe. Although Lutton and Birmingham Airports are closer to Silverstone (80 km), London is connected to Silverstone by train and regular coaches.

Staying close to Euston Station will save you a lot of time as the station has fast trains to Northampton and Milton Keynes, both stations close to the circuit. Stagecoach has regular buses going to Silverstone on race weekends from both Milton Keynes and Northampton.

Accommodation in the small towns around Silverstone gets snapped up pretty early, given the rural location of the circuit. You will find it difficult to find accommodation in Towcester or Buckingham even six months before the Grand Prix,
 
Much more accommodation is available in Milton Keynes and Northampton. Many fans prefer to stay in Birmingham or London at the risk of travelling for a longer time. The advantage is that you can enjoy the nightlife around the city.
 
Camping around the circuit with other fans can be a fun way to enjoy a racing weekend. There are good facilities for camping around Silverstone. You can either opt for a pre-erected tent or pitch your own tent at a place of your choosing. There are a lot of late-night discos and country pubs to keep you entertained.
 
Silverstone is close to the circuit and pre-erected tents are available. Good bathroom and toilet facilities and places to buy foodstuffs make it a good camping site. Whittlebury Park is another facility close to Silverstone.