Silverstone hosted both the first ever British Grand Prix and the first ever World Championship Grand Prix in 1950, and has remained a staple of the Formula 1 calendar ever since.
The former military airfield often throws up dramatic, season-defining moments, and we expect this year to be no different.
Predictions
Expect to see Lewis Hamilton sweep up. The 30-year-old driver is at the top of his game at the moment, clinching the top spot in seven out of eight grand prixs this season! Hamilton will be seeking a third British Grand Prix win following his 2008 and 2014 victories, to put him in good stead for a win at the 2015 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. Currently, Hamilton is just ten points ahead of Nico Rosberg (also on team Mercedes).
Rosberg is entering the race on a high, though, after victory in Austria, but with Hamilton on home soil, the competition will be fierce!
There is set to be another tight duel between Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn’s position has been put under scrutiny after a bad run, but Vettel has said that he hopes Ferrari keep Raikkonen for next season, and doesn’t doubt his ability. The negative press might just give Raikkonen the push he needs to prove his worth. The Finn’s strength is in tyre management, which Silverstone lends itself to as a circuit, so watch this space.
McLaren had their worst race of the season in Austria, so any success from them is likely to rely on rivals dropping out.
Carlos Sainz Jr. has experience of the circuit and has proven the better qualifier against Max Verstappen over the course of the season, beating him 5-3, so could clinch it for Toro Rosso.
Track data
Lap length: 5.891km (3.66 miles) Grand prix distance: 306.332km (190.346 miles) Lap record (in a race): 1’30.874 (Fernando Alonso, 2010) Fastest lap (any session): 1’29.607 (Lewis Hamilton, 2013, qualifying three) Tyre compounds: Hard and Medium
Weather
As the UK is currently experiencing a heatwave, the temperature is expected to be high. However, the British weather is notoriously unpredictable, and thundery showers are expected. With temperatures expected to lower at the weekend, tyres will behave very differently from the practise runs.
Silverstone circuit map
Current team standings
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 328 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 192 |
| 3 | Williams | 129 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 55 |
| 5 | Force India | 31 |
| 6 | Lotus | 29 |
| 7 | Sauber | 21 |
| 8 | Toro Rosso | 19 |
| 9 | McLaren | 4 |