British GP Facts (old circuit):

Full throttle ratio	64%
Top speed race	294 km/h
Longest flat-out section	12 sec / 890m
Right-/left-hand turns	10/7
Tyre wear	medium / high
Brake wear	low
Downforce level	high
Gearshifts per lap	40

Silverstone Circuit Review

Like many of England’s racing circuits, Silverstone began its history as an aerodome. With the end of World War II in 1945, the country’s other two circuits, Donington Park and Brooklands, quickly fell into disrepair. To ensure that Silverstone would not fall victim to the same fate, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) came onboard and connected the Silverstone runways and its outer taxiways and made Silverstone home of the British Grand Prix in 1948. By 1949, the fast and challenging circuit had formed to become the basis of the track that still remains today.

With the inception of the inaugural Formula One World Championship in 1950, Silverstone played host to the championship’s first round, which was won by Giuseppe “Nino” Farina in an Alfa Romeo. In 1951 the RAC handed the lease to the British Racing Driver’s Club (BRDC) who undertook the renovation to the circuit. The major changes included the relocation of the pits from the Farm straight to the straight between Woodcote and Copse. In addition a shorter circuit from Becketts corner to Woodcote was built within the main circuit.

By the mid 1950s, the British Grand Prix shared venues between Aintree and Silverstone. But by the 1960s, Aintree was subsequently replaced by Brands Hatch.

Intent on securing Silverstone as the only home of the British Grand Prix, the BDRC bought over the 720 acre land that Silverstone was located on and commenced the redevelopment of the track. In addition to building new pits, work out on track included the installation of a new chicane at Woodcote, a design that helped to provide exciting close finishes as well as overtaking opportunities.

In 1987, the astonishingly fast Silverstone circuit underwent another round of upgrades with the addition of a corner approaching Woodcote. In 1992, a new complex of corners were added between Farm and Woodcote. Since then, Silverstone has undergone a variety of changes and is also now home to a racing school. Local government funding has also seen the development of a new bypass providing better access to the circuit.

In 2010, Silverstone has undergone another major change to the circuits Formula One layout. Designed with the intent of improving the view for spectators and an added degree of difficulty for drivers, the circuit now features a new infield layout. The infield section emerges from the renovated Abbey bend before heading into the new Arena complex of corners that leads drivers onto Silverstone's National circuit main straight, eventually rejoining the old layout at Brooklands. As a result, the new Silverstone is slightly longer at just over 5.9km with 18 corners.

Located about 115km north of London, Silverstone is accessible by road, on the A43 between Towcaster and Brackley, with ample signage from the major M1 motorway. The major airports servicing Silverstone are London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted as well as the Birmingham International. Travellers from Europe can also use the Eurostar rail network into Waterloo Station in London. The major railway stations are Northampton and Milton Keyes. In addition, there are also bus and coach services from the city.

Review of the British Grand Prix:

As one of the classic races on the F1 calendar, the fans are made of special stuff – purists, who are there for the racing itself rather than the show business and glamour that surrounds it. The weather is also typically British, unpredictable. Racing-wise, being quick at Silverstone requires a car with extremely good aerodynamic balance. The track is characterised by its many medium and fast corners, and it is important for the drivers to carry as much speed out of them as possible. Maggots-Becketts-Chapel is one of the finest combinations on the F1 calendar. The track surface is pretty rough, which means that tyres come in for a good deal of punishment. Teams tend to opt for the harder tyre compounds for that reason. However, with significant changes with the addition of the new infield section, teams will need to make significant adjustments particularly at the new Arena complex with the new sequence of corners.


PAST WINNERS:

Year	Driver	Year	Driver
2008	L. Hamilton (McLaren)	1997	J. Villeneuve (Williams)
2007	K. Räikkönen (Ferrari)	1996	J. Villeneuve (Williams)
2006	F. Alonso (Renault)	1995	J. Herbert (Benetton)
2005	J. P. Montoya (McLaren)	1994	D. Hill (Williams)
2004	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	1993	A. Prost (Williams)
2003	R. Barrichello (Ferrari)	1992	N. Mansell (Williams)
2002	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	1991	N. Mansell (Williams)
2001	M. Hakkinen (McLaren)	1990	A. Prost (Ferrari)
2000	D. Coulthard (McLaren)	1989	A. Prost (McLaren)
1999	D. Coulthard (McLaren)	1988	A. Senna (McLaren)
1998	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	1987	N. Mansell (Williams)

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