(image via @F1)
When it comes to Formula One racing, there is no better place than Silverstone for the 76th British Grand Prix. At one point in history, Silverstone was home to the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Since then, racing has become king in those parts and history was made all along the way. From the very first race of the Formula One World Championship all the way back in 1950, to dominating eras of Jim Clark, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, and Lewis Hamilton. The quest for a world title enters the tenth round in this 2022 season as Red Bull Racing enters this race with six straight wins on the season. 2021 Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen has five of those wins including a dominate race at the Canadian Grand Prix just a few weeks ago. Another chapter will be written on Sunday and only time will tell on who will write it. Below is everything you need to know about the 2022 British Grand Prix.
Track Facts: There have been eight different configurations before the current layout was decided in 2010. Eighteen turns make up the 3.66 mile circuit. Almost every single inch of the Silverstone Circuit has an iconic name such as Copse, Maggotts, Becketts, Stowe. and the Hamilton Straight just to name a few. Silverstone will have two DRS zones; the first detection zone is before Turn Three with DRS activation down the Wellington Straight. The second DRS detection zone is before Turn Eleven with DRS activation down the Hangar Straight. It is one of two tracks on the schedule with no DRS activation zone down the pit straight joining the Yas Marina Circuit on that list.
Event History: The first British Grand Prix was held in 1950 when Giuseppe Farina took his Alfa Romeo to victory lane. Besides Silverstone, the British Grand Prix has bounced around the Southern region of the United Kingdom since its inception to two other tracks: Aintree and Brands Hatch. The race returned to Silverstone in 1987 and has remained on the circuit calendar since that time. No one has won more than Lewis Hamilton as he leads all drivers in wins with eight, seven of which came in the last eight years. Ferrari holds a two win lead over Mercedes in constructor wins with sixteen wins. Only Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso join Hamilton as active drivers with wins in the event.
2021 Event: Last years' British Grand Prix made headlines around the world as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen made contact on the first lap in Copse Corner which sent Verstappen into the outside retaining wall with an impact that measured up to 51 times the force of gravity and at a speed of around 180 mph. After a lengthy red flag period, Hamilton received a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision. The race restarted with Charles Leclerc leading the field to green but suffered from engine issues as the race ran along. By lap 50, Hamilton caught and passed Leclerc and went on to win the event. Closing the gap in a championship battle he fell short in only a few months later.
Tire Allocation: Pirelli has brought three of the hardest tire compounds in their lineup to the 2022 British Grand Prix with the sets being C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), and C3 (Soft) to Silverstone.
Driver Standings: (Top 10 Only)
Max Verstappen - 175 Points
Sergio Perez - 129 Points
Charles Leclerc - 126 Points
George Russell - 111 Points
Carlos Sainz - 102 Points
Lewis Hamilton - 77 Points
Lando Norris - 50 Points
Valtteri Bottas - 46 Points
Esteban Ocon - 39 Points
Fernando Alonso - 18 Points
Manufacture Standings:
Red Bull Racing - 304 Points
Ferrari - 228 Points
Mercedes: 188 Points
McLaren: 65 Points
Alpine: 57 Points
Alfa Romeo: 51 Points
AlphaTauri: 27 Points
Aston Martin: 16 Points
Haas F1 Team: 15 Points
Williams: 3 Points
Weather: Expect wet conditions for Friday and Saturday track sessions with rain chances at 90% for both days. Sunday will be cloudy and only a 30% chance of rain.
Weekend Schedule: (All times EST)
Saturday, July 2nd: Free Practice #3 at 6:55 A.M. on ESPN2
Saturday, July 2nd: Qualifying at 9:55 A.M. on ESPN2
Sunday, July 3rd: British Grand Prix at 9:55 A.M. on ESPN2
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