Silverstone hosted the very first race in the history of Formula 1. It took place on 13 May 1950, to kick off the inaugural season of the Formula 1 World Championship. British Grand Prix might be its official title, but to the vast majority it’s just Silverstone, signaling a weekend when on really gets a sense of what it is to be passionate about motor sport.
The race has been held an impressive 70 times, but not always on this former disused airfield. Silverstone has staged 53 British GPs, while 12 were held at Brands Hatch and 5 at Aintree.
The British Grand Prix is one of the races still known as the “Grandes Epreuves,” one of the old European races that holds its own, despite fierce competition from richer venues outside the Old Continent.
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British GP: the home stage for many teams
It is the longest running event on the F1 calendar, an honour it shares with our home race, the Italian Grand Prix. Silverstone is always one of the highlights of the season as it’s home to the majority of race teams. Even we are at home here, given our wind tunnel is just down the road in Bicester.
It is also a celebration of a sport the British are good as members of this island race have won more races than those from any other nationality. Taking place in early July, there is a chance the weather will be kind to the thousands of campers who arrive at the start of the week. However if it rains, the fans and their camper vans could be stuck there for a few days.
In 2020, Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix, having started from pole position. The following weekend, Silverstone also hosted the next round of the championship, which was called the 70th Anniversary GP, to mark 70 years of the Formula 1 World Championship.
