Silverstone Circuit
- therookiereporters
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
In this article, you will be able to read about one of the World's greatest race tracks, Silverstone, host to the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone:
Silverstone is a historic racing track, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1950. This is a circuit whose tarmac spans a length of 5.891km, making 52 laps the full race distance and a total distance of 306.198km covered on Grand Prix Sunday. The lap record is held by Lewis Hamilton, achieving a time of 1:27.369 in 2019.
When was Silverstone Built?
Silverstone was built all the way back in 1942, and little did those who were laying the perimeter road to the RAF Silverstone Airfield know that they were building one of the world's greatest race tracks, but they were. Silverstone was first used for a proper race in 1947, rumour being that a local sheep even lost its life during the proceedings.
The world of Formula 1, however, was born to live at Silverstone when it hosted the first ever Grand Prix on May 13, 1950. That race saw Giuseppe Farina on the top step of the podium, having driven his Alfa Romeo 158 to the top of the field. He continued his success that season by becoming Forumla 1’s very first Championship winner.
What is the circuit like?
At the British Grand Prix in 2018, Lewis Hamilton did a flat-out lap around Silverstone, which he compared to flying a fighter jet, and that should tell you all you need to know about the Northamptonshire circuit. Even though the track has gone through numerous layout changes over the years, the circuit has always maintained its essential character as one of the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar and is known for its historic corners like Maggotts, Becketts and Abbey, which many drivers find challenging to navigate. Many motorsport fans also claim that the grandstand located at Becketts is one of the best places to watch racing action at Silverstone, with the Stowe grandstand following it being an overtake-heavy location.
Why should you go to Silverstone?
For me personally, this is one of my favourite races of the entire season. The whole excitement around the British Grand Prix and Silverstone is absolutely amazing and as a passionate motorsport fan, this makes it top of my list of races to attend.
It's also hard to stop the goosebumps from prickling as you walk around one of the great cathedrals of motorsports. I have heard many people say, in terms of the atmosphere, the British fans are always reliably raucous but also kind and down-to-earth humans. I mean, this is the country that invented football (soccer) after all.
So if you are considering going to Silverstone, I think you most definitely should do it. I can only imagine the whole vibe, the atmosphere, and a great racing experience and last but not least, a fantastic experience as well.
Beyond this, Silverstone is the home race of four drivers, those being Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and this year's rookie Ollie Bearman. It’s also a special race for other drivers, many having grown up in the UK, as it held better racing opportunities. This track seems particularly lucky for Lewis Hamilton, he having done exceptionally well in the recent years here, but who will dominate and win this year? Maybe it will be Lando Norris who, for the first time, will have his very own dedicated grandstand named the ‘Landostand.”
Article Written By Ingrid Amdahl
