An introduction to the British Grand Prix
For the country that claims to be the home of motor sports, what better venue is there for an F1 World Championship circuit than an old WWII airfield? Silverstone circuit holds an historic place in F1, ushering in the modern era of F1 racing and becoming a popular fixture on the F1 calendar. Although it shared the event for many years with Brands Hatch, Silverstone has hosted the British Grand Prix permanently since 1986. It is only one of two circuits that have continuously hosted F1 Grand Prix races; the other being the Italian Grand Prix.
In 1950, the Silverstone circuit was chosen to host the very first round of the new F1 World Championships. In the presence of King George VI, the race was won by Nino Farino in his Alfa Romeo an amazing two laps ahead of second place winner, teammate Luigi Faglioli. In fact, Farino ended up becoming World Champion that year. In 1955, the British Grand Prix was moved from Silverstone to the Aintree circuit in Liverpool. In this GP at Aintree, Briton Stirling Moss won beating his teammate Juan-Manuel Fangio with the second-closest F1 finish at that time.
In the 1960s, Aintree lost favour and Brands Hatch and Silverstone alternately hosted the British GP. However, Brands Hatch soon became labelled as a dangerous track with numerous fatalities after drivers George Crossman, Tony Flory and Stuart Duncan were all killed within a matter of months at the Paddock Hill Bend. In 2008, Donington Park was awarded the British Grand Prix but the contract was voided in 2009 when it failed to raise funding. Silverstone then signed a 17-year contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010 onwards.
What makes Silverstone interesting for F1 enthusiasts is the fact that Britain is home to several current and past F1 teams. Several of the current F1 teams are located in the UK such as Caterham, Marussia, Mercedes, Red Bull and Lotus. Many of them use Silverstone as their testing circuit. This means some drivers know Silverstone very well.
Historically there has never been a sweeping podium winner at Silverstone. The 1960s saw driver Jim Clark and Alain Prost win five times each, with Michael Schumacher notching up three wins. There are currently eight drivers who have won the British Grand Prix twice. Last year’s champion, Sebastian Vettel, has yet to win at Silverstone. The difficulty of the track, combined with its risky overtaking chances makes this an exciting race for spectators to watch.
The 2011 British Grand Prix was won by Fernando Alonso, his second win after having won it in 2006.
http://www.formula1.com/
http://www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk