The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
An incredible highlights package of the first grand prix race – the British Grand Prix, held at Silverstone, in 1950. The package includes the build up and highlights from the race and is probably the most interesting bit of retro F1 action you’re going to watch in a long time! Experience the very beginning of Formula One with this awesome video.
Part 2 of 2. Click here to watch Part 1 here.
The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
An incredible highlights package of the first grand prix race – the British Grand Prix, held at Silverstone, in 1950. The package includes the build up and highlights from the race and is probably the most interesting bit of retro F1 action you’re going to watch in a long time! Experience the very beginning of Formula One with this awesome video.
Part 1 of 2. Click here to watch Part 2 here.
Year upon year the world of Formula 1 undergoes changes. From rule changes to regulation shifts to not-so good looking cars. Yet, through all of its transformations and guises the lineage of Formula 1 has always been protected, honoured and celebrated.
Nestled in the English countryside of Northamptonshire Silverstone will celebrate its 50th year of hosting the British grand prix. In recent history Lewis Hamilton’s stunning 2008 victory lingers one of the most memorable. The masterful drive in treacherously wet conditions remains one of Hamilton’s finest. After failing to score in the previous two rounds Hamilton’s natural talent shone in difficult conditions and earned him a first victory on home soil. It proved to be the turning-point in the 2008 season at the end of which he would be crowned world champion.
In 2014 the Silverstone circuit and its facilities look slightly different but remains a cherished challenge. After announcing a 17-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone Silverstone was unveiled in 2011 with a new pits and paddock complex in addition to an in-field sector after the Abbey chicane. Importantly, the glorious sections of Maggots, Becketts and Chapel and Copse corner have been preserved.
Silverstone is a circuit characterised by high speed corners and one which tests aerodynamic performance to the limit. This combination may bode well for Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo. The Red Bull RB10 is clearly not the fastest package on the grid however the Milton Keyes factory has produced a good chassis which only limitation is its power unit. The root of Red Bull’s issues in 2014 has been due to under par Renault ‘engine.’ The French manufacturer has continually tried to optimise performance but the reality is that the Renault power unit baseline is significantly lower than that of the Mercedes which makes catching up nearly impossible.
Were Red Bull equipped with a Mercedes power unit we may have seen a significantly closer fight for the title. But at least for now Christian Horner and Red Bull are sticking with Renault power which has led them to four consecutive world championships.
Nico Rosberg won for Mercedes at Silverstone last year in the midst of several Pirelli tyre failures. Lewis Hamilton was one who fell victim to the suspect rubber in 2013 and is a driver who needs to make in-roads on his championship-leading teammate. Hamilton, twenty-nine points adrift, needs to finish ahead of Rosberg this weekend if he is to keep the championship dream alive. Yet, Rosberg’s crafty, under-the-radar manner will aid him on a weekend where all the focus and pressure shifts to home-grown hero Lewis Hamilton.
On the back of a strong weekend in Austria the Williams team are worth keeping an eye on if only for the possibility of finishing best-of-
the-rest. The Grove based team has finally unlocked some of the pace and potential it displayed in pre-season testing with a first-ever podium finish for Valtteri Bottas. Williams’ qualifying pace in Austria was owing to its ability to get the tyres up to temperature much quicker which will be handy in the cooler British conditions.
History will me made in the first free practice session for the British grand prix as Williams development driver Susie Wolff takes to the track. Wolff will become the first woman to take part in an official F1 session in 22 years. Go Susie!
Ferrari’s hit and miss season, with decidedly more miss, is set to continue as the team has ruled out the possibility of closing the gap to Mercedes. As a result of homologated engines and the team reaching the limit of improvements it can make on the power unit The Maranello team will turn its attention to the 2015 season.
Theoretically when it all shakes out towards the end of the season Lewis Hamilton should have enough in his armoury to beat Nico Rosberg. However, theories are just that – a combination of ideas based on speculation. What Hamilton needs is a dominant performance on the track starting at Silverstone.
Round 09 of the Formula 1 World Championship takes us to Great Britain for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The weather for this weekend looks very good and we can expect a dry weekend of racing. The temperatures will hover in the mid-to-low twenties throughout the weekend.
We can expect warm weather for Friday, with some clouds around but there wont be any threat of rain. The weather for Saturday will be much of the same with only the maximum temperature dropping a bit. This could make things quite interesting in qualifying with the tyres. Pirelli have brought the medium and the hard compound tyre to the British Grand Prix. The medium tyres will be well suited to the low temperatures for qualifying on Saturday. For the race on Sunday, we can still expect sunshine, but with even lower temperatures it will make things tricky in the race when the cars switch to the hard compound, which is a high working range tyre.
It will be interesting to see which strategies the teams choose for the race. The changes in the temperatures can make thing very hard for the teams.
Re-living some moments from Silverstone. Who can forget this team order by Red Bull
The British Grand Prix. Full of history and tradition. Built in 1948 on an abandoned airfield, Silverstone has hosted the British Grand Prix since then alternating a few times with Brands Hatch and Aintree. In 2009 the track went under a major upgrade with a new Formula 1 pit straight and the new Abbey, Farm and Loop corners added. This is the layout we’re racing on today.
With another dominant Mercedes performance in Austria, they look set for another strong showing at the British Grand Prix. The high speed corners and fast straights, the Mercedes cars are suited for the Silverstone track. With this being a home grand prix for the Mercedes team and for Lewis Hamilton, they will both be looking to put in a good performance.
Williams who are getting stronger each race will look to build on their good form shown in Austria.
Pirelli are bringing the the white medium and hard orange compound tyres to Silverstone. Silverstone is a high-energy circuit, as the fast and flowing nature of the circuit means that the tyres are constantly subjected to different forces; sometimes several different forces at the same time. Lateral accelerations peak at 5g while the surface temperature of the tyres can exceed 110 degrees centigrade.
Broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix are listed below. All times are GMT +2
Free Practice 1: Friday 11:00
Free Practice 2: Friday 15:00
Free Practice 3: Saturday 11:00
Qualifying: Saturday 14:00
Race: Sunday 14:00
We’ll bring you updates throughout the Friday practice sessions with live updates on Saturday and for the race on Sunday.
Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has announced its tyre choices till the Hungarian Grand Prix
For the all-new Austrian Grand Prix, Pirelli will bring the two softest compounds in the range: P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft. According to Pirelli, the Red Bull Ring in Austria contains several tight and twisty sections requiring the two tyres that produce the maximum mechanical grip, even at relatively low speeds.
For the British Grand Prix, the P Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium tyres will be used due to the fast nature of the track and the high energy loads that go into the tyres around the fast corners.
In Germany, the nomination is P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft. With the German Grand Prix taking place in Hockenheim, the track has fast straights with the slow and technical stadium section. Pirelli say that due to the low energy demands on the tyre the supersoft and the soft tyre will be ideally suited for the Hockenheim circuit.
The Hungaroring is another relatively slow-speed track, but the race is often run in hot conditions, increasing the work on the tyres. To provide a wide working range and increase opportunities for strategy, the medium and the soft tyres will be brought to Hungary.
Photo by courtesy of Pirelli
After a three week gap the 2013 Formula 1 season restarts with the Hungarian grand prix.
In its own right the Hungarian GP has written its own part in Formula 1 history. The circuit has rewarded Damon Hill (1993), Fernando Alonso (2003) and very memorably Jenson Button (2006) with their first victories in Formula 1.
The first grand prix held at the Hungaroring was the first to be held behind the Iron Curtain. Formula 1 has been frequenting the Hungarian grand prix since 1986 and the Budapest located circuit is a guaranteed staple of a Formula 1 race calendar until 2016.
As a high downforce circuit the Hungaroring is famous for its tight and twisting nature. The dusty track surface confirms how little action the track sees which makes track evolution at the Hungaroring a crucial aspect for judging a qualifying effort. Throughout the 4.381 km lap the Hungaroring’s old-school layout is packed with fourteen corners.
The Hungaroring is technically demanding, bumpy and narrow, loved by drivers and adored by fans for its traditional atmosphere. The key to a good result here is a good grid slot. Having the fastest car will mean nothing if you’re stuck in the pack. In 1990 Thierry Boutsen in a sluggish Williams held off a much quicker Ayrton Senna to win the race. The chances of overtaking, even with DRS, are slim to none. No one knows the frustration of not being to overtake better than Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn has finished second at the Hungarian GP on four separate occasions.
The new tyres, tested during the three days of the young driver’s test at Silverstone last week, will be used this weekend in Hungary. The test was opened to current race drivers by the FIA to assist Pirelli. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg pointed out that testing the new tyres wasn’t a “day and night” difference and that running on the new compounds for the first time in Hungary “will be fine too.” The 2013 Pirelli P Zero tyres have been matched with 2012 construction to enhance consistency and improve safety.
Pirelli’s initial conservative choice of the medium and hard compounds would’ve hampered teams such as Lotus and Ferrari who thrive on getting the softer tyre to its working temperature quicker and stretching the life of the tyre. However, coupled with high temperature, forecast at mid-thirties, Pirelli’s reversion to the medium and soft compound will play to the strengths of the two teams.
McLaren have won eleven of the twenty-seven Hungarian grands prix but victory this weekend is unlikely to be a possibility for the Woking based team. Jenson Button believes that the team are moving the right direction. “A win in 2013 is going to be difficult, but I actually think the team is working very well right now: in Germany, our tyre-usage, strategy and management of the race was as good as it’s ever been.”
Sebastian Vettel was the quickest of the drivers at the three day young driver’s test at Silverstone last week. He will no doubt want to continue in the same vein this weekend. Red Bull has never been very prolific at the Hungaroring and of the two it is only Mark Webber who has won here before. Then again, a few weeks ago Vettel hadn’t won the German GP either.
Mercedes have proven their prowess in qualifying which makes the likelihood of the Silver Arrows locking out the front-row of the grid, or getting a car on pole very good. Given the lack of overtaking on the circuit they will have a prime opportunity to control the race and win it. However, the unknown for Mercedes this weekend will be their performance on the new Pirelli tyres.
Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari hasn’t looked anything special in qualifying trim but his lightening starts can potentially transform fifth on the grid to second – a vital part to a successful race. The key to this weekend is having a car that can cope with the twisting demands of the Hungaroring. But even more so, qualifying and making a good start to the race can be the difference between winning or not.
With Christian Horner having confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo is on a very short list of candidates for outgoing Red Bull driver Mark Webber’s racing seat, all eyes were on the young Australian as he tested in the RB9 at the Young Driver Test at Silverstone.
After what was probably the most important test session of his Formula One career, Daniel Ricciardo spoke to the FOM.
Q: Daniel, you spent the afternoon driving the world championship-leading car. How was it?
Daniel Ricciardo: It was good fun. It was a busy day so at the moment it’s a bit of a blur having jumped out of one car and into another. I did quite a few laps and I was happy with how it went. I had a small off earlier but it was a pretty trouble-free day.
Q: What caused the off?
Daniel Ricciardo: It was my mistake – I just lost the rear on the entry to the corner. I was probably pushing a little too hard. The gravel was a bit like quicksand – I thought I’d get out but I couldn’t. I could see the guys weren’t very busy in the garage so I thought I’d give them a job to do to clean the car! (laughs) No, it was just a small error.
Q: What are the differences between the RB9 and the Toro Rosso STR8?
Daniel Ricciardo: Umm, to the media I’m not very descriptive! (laughs). I’ll keep it blunt – it was a good opportunity to get the drive and to get the half day and to have a look what it is like. There are some differences (between the two cars) – I can’t really say what, but it was good to get the comparison for myself.
Q: Did you take your chance today?
Daniel Ricciardo: Yeah, I think I drove to my ability and did what I could. It was a bit tricky with the circumstances – we weren’t really allowed to adjust the car. Ideally you’d like to make some mechanical changes and set the car up for the conditions, but it’ll be the same for the other guys. It was a good opportunity to get behind the wheel and experience two different beasts.
Q: Christian Horner wanted to see how quick you’d go in the Red Bull. He reportedly thinks it is down to you and Kimi Raikkonen for the seat next year. Are you feeling any pressure yet?
Daniel Ricciardo: No. It’s fun, it’s exciting. You know, whatever happens, happens. It was nice to get a few laps in the car – obviously testing is pretty limited, so to get that opportunity and to see what it was like, if I don’t get a chance further down the track, that was a nice little bonus. I’ll watch Seb’s (Vettel’s) times tomorrow (Friday) and hope he doesn’t put me to shame. (laughs).
Q: So if it is down to you and Kimi for the drive, what turns the decision in your favour?
Daniel Ricciardo: I don’t know. It’s not my decision. I’ve still got the season ahead with Toro Rosso. The last few races have been better so I have to keep continuing like that. I think this test is something for Red Bull to look at, but there is still the rest of the season which I’m sure they’ll observe. So I won’t get too caught up in today and now I’ll switch my focus back to Toro Rosso.
Q: What’s your overall feeling at the end of the day?
Daniel Ricciardo: I feel good. As I say, it’s still a bit of a blur. It was a pretty hectic day, even yesterday going between meetings in both teams’ trucks trying to soak it all in. I’ll look back on a few things tonight and probably wake up tomorrow with a better understanding of how it all went.
Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets on the final day of the Young Driver Test at Silverstone.
Vettel put in 78 laps this afternoon evaluating the Pirelli tyres which will be used at next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Vettel set the fastest time of all three days of running at Young Driver Test with a time of 1.32.894.
Adrian Sutil’s fastest time from the morning session was fast enough to end the day second fastest, nearly four tenths adrift of Vettel’s time.
Here is the time sheet for today’s testing at the Young Driver Test:
