Silverstone As Good As It gets
Posted on July 3, 2025 Tags: Formula 1 Silverstone
F1 goes back to the cradle
THE MIDPOINT OF THE SEASON sees Formula 1 return this weekend to Silverstone where the magic all began – 75 years ago. The first Grand Prix to count towards the Drivers’ World Championship was held on 13 May 1950, on a track laid out within a former World War II military airfield.
And the British Grand Prix is round 12 of this 24 event blockbuster calendar.
Remarkably, Silverstone’s layout has remained pretty much unchanged throughout the years.
The circuit is in almost year-round use with four and two-wheeled racing categories and so it provides good grip right from Friday’s first free practice session, aided by the fact the surface is rated medium-low in terms of abrasiveness.
Long and challenging journey
At a tasty 5.861 kilometres, Silverstone is one of the longest tracks on the calendar, with 18 corners – 10 to the right and 8 to the left.
It features some of the highest average cornering speeds of the year, with Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel all taken flat-out, while drivers are subjected to extreme lateral forces.
That complex of corners involves rapid and high-speed changes of direction, which generate very high lateral forces, similar to those at Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka.
Silverstone has hosted 59 Grands Prix and ranks high among the most historic permanent tracks on the calendar. Only Italy’s Monza’s with 74 has held more World Championship events.
Red Bull Red Bull Racing last won the British Grand Prix in 2023, with Max Verstappen taking his first Silverstone victory.
It was Red Bull’s first at the event since Mark Webber’s triumph in 2012.
That 2023 win was also part of a historic streak—Red Bull equalled McLaren’s all-time record of 11 consecutive wins in Formula 1, a record that had stood since 1988.
Silverstone Facts
• The unfortunately named Maggots Corner, one of the more hair-raising parts of the Silverstone Circuit, takes its moniker after the nearby Maggot Moor – although it is not clear why the spellings differ.
• Along with Spa in Belgium, Silverstone is the most energy-demanding circuit of the year.
• Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz claimed his debut F1 win in 2022 here at Silverstone, having started from pole position. That race marked his 150th Grand Prix start and was also the first time he started from pole position.
• The most successful team at Silverstone is Ferrari, with 15 wins, while Sir Lewis Hamilton is the most decorated driver at the circuit with eight wins.
Weather – Always a defining factor
Despite taking place at the height of summer, the English weather can often be unpredictable with very changeable temperatures and wind and rain suddenly putting in an appearance, turning the tables during the race.
Much of Europe is struggling under a heatwave, but it seems it doesn’t stretch to Northampton!
Britain has produced 10 Formula 1 world champions, more than any other nation.
Since Mike Hawthorn earned the first in 1958 Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button have combined for 20 wins.
Lewis Hamilton the toast of Silverstone ’24
Last year Lewis Hamilton returned to top form to win his home race at Silverstone – his first win since 2021 – marking a record-breaking ninth victory at the British GP.
It was an emotional and dramatic win and came after a thrilling wet-dry race that saw him hold off Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in the closing laps.
It also extended his unmatched record for most wins at a single Grand Prix venue. Quite the way to remind everyone of his brilliance, especially in front of the home crowd.
A 10th win would catapult Lewis Hamilton into stratospheric territory – no other driver in Formula 1 history has won a single Grand Prix that many times, let alone at their home race.
This year’s attempt comes with a twist: it’s his first British GP as a Ferrari driver, and so far in 2025, he hasn’t stood on the podium once.
Not yet — but his best finish 4th at last up Austria, coupled with Ferrari’s upgrades for Silverstone bodes well for that elusive top-three result.
But let us not forget Oscar Piastri
The Aussie finished fourth at Silverstone in 2023 – his rookie year – after a high-profile contract dispute with Alpine the previous year. He was fourth again in 2024!
Despite a couple of recent setbacks Oscar is still leading the 2025 Drivers Championship and is15 points ahead of teammate, and now main rival, Lando Norris.
Oscar Piastri must be considered every chance of winning at Silverstone on Sunday, in what’s building up to a super spectacle.
Overtaking challenging – but possible!
There is an important change to the compound choices for the British Grand Prix. In fact, Pirelli has gone with the C2 as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft, which is a step softer than last year.
The Tyre Gurus aim, shared with the FIA, F1 and the teams, is to create a wider range of strategy options for the race. In 2024, when the C3 was the Soft, it was used by just a few drivers in the closing stages of the race following the rain.
This year, as the Medium, it is bound to play an important role, probably in several phases of the race.
For those aiming for a one-stop race, the stints will have to be managed very carefully, while accepting a longer total race time.
Another factor in this equation is the fact that the time taken for a tyre change is not very long (around 20,5 seconds) and while challenging, overtaking is possible.
Pirelli Honours Silverstone
In honour of the British Grand Prix diamond jubilee anniversary, Pirelli has produced a special edition Podium Cap as part of the Pirelli Design collection, in collaboration with the designer Denis Dekovic. The Silverstone Podium Cap is already available on the dedicated e-commerce platform (https://store.pirelli.com/).
F1: The Movie – a Blockbuster!
As of its opening weekend, in late June 2025 “F1: The Movie” – starring Brad Pitt – has made a blistering debut, raking in $7.7 million AUD in Australia alone. Globally, it’s already pulled in around $219 million AUD – making it the biggest opening weekend of Pitt’s career and Apple Original Films’ most successful theatrical launch to date.
RACE SCHEDULE
PERTH WA TIMES
BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Silverstone Circuit I 4th July – 6th July
Practice 1 Friday 4th July 19:30
Practice 2 Friday 4th July 23:00
Practice 3 Saturday 5th July 18:30
Qualifying
Saturday 5th July 22:00
RACE
Sunday 6th July 22:00
NEXT EVENT
BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
25th July – 27th July
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
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