Fast facts ahead of the British Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix, GP United Kingdom, Silverstone Circuit

Innovation and tradition come together at the tenth round of the season, the British Grand Prix where the Formula One World Championship was born in 1950. This weekend saw the sport introduce the innovative sprint qualifying that did not fail to thrill yesterday.

Track facts – The 5.891km-long track is one of the favourite with drivers and fans thanks to the sequences of fast and flowing corners that thrill both competitors and spectators alike. Drivers will cover a total of 52 lap today to complete the race distance of 306.198km. The fastest race lap belongs to Max Verstappen who set the fastest ever race lap with a time of 1’27.097 in 2020. Drivers will need to adhere to a speed limit of 80km/h in the pit lane when diving into the pits for fresh tyres.

Three – Over the 71-year-long history, three different venue have hosted the British Grand Prix. Aintree has appeared four times on Grand Prix calendar, Brands Hatch on twelve occasions while Silverstone has given place to all the other races. Brooklands held the first two races, albeit it was ahead of the birth of the championship.

Ferrari and Ferrari – The Italian manufacturer is the most successful marque both as a constructor and an engine supplier. They have claimed 16 victories so far in history of the British Grand Prix. McLaren is the second most successful constructor with fourteen wins followed by Williams with ten wins. Among the engine suppliers, Ferrari is followed by Ford with fourteen triumphs and Renault with twelve victories.

75 – Today’s race will be the 75th running of the British Grand Prix and the 72nd FIA Formula One British Grand Prix. It was first held back in 1926, followed by three other races before 1950. The venue then became the birthplace for Grand Prix racing. Since then, the venue has never missed the calendar and will play host to the 72nd Formula One British Grand Prix today.

First triumph - Silverstone is the venue where Scuderia Ferrari took its maiden F1 victory in 1951 courtesy of José Froilán González in a 375 F1.

Overtaking aid – There are two DRS zones at Silverstone. The first one has its detection point 25m before Turn 3 and its activation point 30m after Turn 5. The second zone has its detection point at Turn 11 and its activation point at Turn 14.

Modifications – There have been couple of changes to the Silverstone track. New tyre barriers have been installed on the right at the entry to Turn 6 and the exit of Turn 18. The tyre barrier to the left between Turns 10 and 11 has been extended. The pit exit white line has been narrowed to measure four metres from the track edge on the right. Furthermore, new debris fencing has been erected at various locations of the track.

Tyres - Another new element being introduced at Silverstone concerns the tyres: sole supplier Pirelli is bringing a new construction tested in free practice at the last race in Austria. The compounds are the same as before and for this event, the teams will use the C1, C2 and C3, but the structure of the carcass of the rears has been made more rigid.