A guide to the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit
Having been built atop an old airfield, the Silverstone circuit is very flat and is made up of a series of long straights, connected by fast open corners. It is a technically difficult track, but a favorite among drivers. Enthusiasts and drivers alike are divided about their take on the track. Some like the track, because it is fast and combines some of the most famous corners in racing history, others consider Silverstone to be a flat, characterless track. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between.
Teams consider Silverstone to be one of the fastest circuits on the current F1 calendar, with the Becketts complex considered to be the best corner of any racing circuit track. The track is a mixture of high and low speed corners, with some long straights, making the track physically demanding for the drivers. Overtaking is notoriously difficult, but not impossible. The British Grand Prix is run on 60 laps, with a total distance of 308.460km (192.788mi).
Due to the age of the track, Silverstone has seen its share of changes. The first major changes came in 1987, when an additional corner, Bridge Bend, was added just before Woodcote, and the chicane was removed for safety reasons. This altered the length of the track to 4.75km (2.97mi). A major revision of the layout of the track was done in 1991, taming some of the notoriously fast corners, such as Maggotts and Stowe. These revisions in turn increased the length of the track to 5.19km (3.25mi) and this remained unchanged until 1995. Several other changes have brought the Silverstone track to its current length of 5.141km (3.213mi).
In 1999, an impressive new clubhouse was built on the inside of the Woodcote corner, boasting some of the best views on the circuit. The circuit management has continued to invest in the circuit, with better grandstand seats, pit area, access road and amenities. The circuit now has a capacity of 90,000 spectators for general admission and 60,000 grandstand seats. None-the-less Silverstone has recently come under criticism from F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for dragging its feet in updating facilities to meet new standards.
On non-race weekends, it is possible to drive your own car around the race track and get that F1 feeling! But beware, many enthusiasts have accidentally totaled or flipped their car on the track.
http://www.formula1.com/
http://www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk