Silverstone – Where F1 Began
Posted on July 3, 2024 Tags: Silverstone
And Martin’s Up There with the Greats
In Gorgeous British Countryside
I HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT for Brit Martin Brundle – for mine he’s as good a commentator as there ever has been in Formula One. And he’ll be back in action this weekend at Silverstone, where it all began.
Not for a moment do I discount Martin’s predecessors – the legendary and quirky Murray Walker, who was the right man for the time, along with James Allen and David Coulthard.
Ok. Martin’s grid walks are always destined to be cringeworthy. And some definitely are.
But you must admire his guts!
The sheer brilliance of his insights is on a par with his race commentary. He and his Sky F1 colleagues are a veritable force to be reckoned with.
Martin labels Max Verstappen as one of the best talents he’s seen in 40 years.
Here are some a few of his more notable comments following the recent Austrian Grand Prix:
Max: “Default driving tactics?
“In commentary, I’ve waxed lyrical about Max’s talent, and I stand by that, he’s one of the very best I’ve ever witnessed in 40 years.
“I’ve also said that he’s calmed down, matured, and plays more the percentage game with three championships in his pocket. But that appears to have been a thin veneer as this race was very much Max 1.0, with his default driving tactics and denials resurfacing.
“I’m making no excuses for him, but I do wonder if the ridiculous spat between his father Jos and team boss Christian Horner has finally surfaced on track for him.
“And to hear the Red Bull team on the radio after the race telling him it was all Norris’s fault was a difficult listen, it damages their credibility all round.”
Lando needs more ‘finesse’
Martin Brundle also took aim at Lando, arguing McLaren’s the 24-year-old British star needs to have more “patience and cunning” to beat Max Verstappen in future.
“It was clear Norris would get a five-second penalty for track limits and the whole thing was totally unnecessary for Red Bull,” he added.
“It must also be said that Lando’s race craft was rather gung-ho (at the Red Bull Ring). He’ll need more finesse, patience, and cunning than that if he wants to start beating Max regularly to win a championship.”
Contemplating the Future with RB
“I’ve known obviously Helmut such a long time, and at the end of the day he doesn’t care about personality,” said Daniel Ricciardo, after scoring much needed points for RB at the Red Bull Ring.
“He goes about (sic) is the stopwatch and the classification. He’s a racer, and that’s all he really wants to see from us.
“That can make him not think great about me, to all of a sudden think great about me.
“I think this weekend’s (Austria) helped.
“As I said, it’s a little bit more consistent now, so just keep it going and hopefully by the summer break he’s laying on a beach somewhere saying ‘Ricciardo, he’s still got it’.“
Silverstone – Where F1 Began!
This weekend’s British Grand Prix marks the midpoint of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. And round 12 of 24 takes place where it all began – 74 years ago.
In 1942, a Royal Air Force airfield was established in Silverstone, Northamptonshire and on 13 May 1950 it hosted the first of the 1112 rounds that have taken place to date.
The winner back then was Italian Nino Farina, driving an Alfa Romeo fitted with Pirelli tyres.
Giuseppe Antonio Farina was born in Turin on October 30, 1906, and became the first-ever Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion during the FIA’s inaugural F1 season in 1950.
Nino was an extraordinary athlete, excelling also in skiing, football, and athletics!
According to Wikipedia, on his way to the 1966 French Grand Prix, Nino lost control of his Lotus Cortina in the Savoy Alps, near Aiguebelle, hit a telegraph pole and was killed instantly. He had been on his way to both watch the race and to take part in filming as the adviser and driving double of the French actor Yves Montand.
Hardest Compounds for the Cradle of F1
Silverstone features 18 tricky corners and, according to Pirelli, is one of the most exciting and also one of the most demanding circuits for the car-tyre package.
At 5.861 kilometres, Silverstone is the fifth longest on the calendar after Spa-Francorchamps (7.004 km), Jeddah (6.175 km), Las Vegas (6.120 km) and Baku (6.003 km).
Corner combinations, such as those from 10 to 14 – Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel – are taken a t high speed and generate lateral forces on the tyres and drivers of over 5g.
The average figure at Silverstone mirrors that seen at Spa and Suzuka.
As is normal for Silverstone, Pirelli has chosen the hardest compounds in the range – the C1 as P Zero hard, the C2 as P Zero medium and the C3 as P Zero soft.
The front axle comes under the greatest strain and the prevalence of right hand turns means that the left front is the tyre that wears the most.
Silverstone, Northamptonshire, Great Britain
As anyone who has visited the British Isles well knows, the weather in England in the summer can change very rapidly.
And while Nottinghamshire is an exceptionally picturesque location the forecast for Silverstone is marginal, with temperatures unlikely to exceed the 18C winter in Perth is experiencing right now. And some rain expected this weekend.
Last year though the entire race was run in the dry, with Medium the most used compound to complete half the overall mileage.
Most drivers went for a one-stop strategy, even if in the past, a two-stop had been a popular choice.
Most F1 Teams Based in Britain
Although most Formula 1 teams have their headquarters in England, the most successful team at the British Grand Prix is Scuderia Ferrari.
And Ferrari gun Carlos Sainz, pictured above, is holding up his end with creditable performances recently, include a podium at the Red Bull Ring last up.
The Italian marque has 18 wins to its name. Then comes McLaren on 14, and Williams on 10.
With 16 pole positions, Ferrari also tops this list, as it does for fastest race laps (20) and podium finishes (59).
The most successful driver in the UK is Sir Lewis Hamilton who has won eight of his home Grands Prix, while next up are Jim Clark and Alain Prost with five wins apiece.
The seven-time world champion Mercedes driver also has the most poles (7) and podium finishes (13) while fellow countryman Nigel Mansell tops the list for fastest race laps in this event with seven.
British Grand Prix
NB: Perth, WA, Time
Silverstone Circuit | 05 – 07 Jul
P1 Friday 5th July 19:30
P2 Friday 5th July 23:00
P3 Saturday 6th July 18:30
Qualifying Saturday 6th July 22:00
Race Sunday 7th July 22:00
EDITED by AC
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