Wimbledon, Women’s Euros, Tour de France, England vs. India… these are some of the top events that make up the UK’s summer of sport, but the list would not be complete without the British Grand Prix.
Britain is the most represented country on the F1 grid with four drivers and many of the teams and staff based a stone’s throw from Silverstone.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver at the British Grand Prix with nine victories, but has yet to stand on the podium as a Ferrari driver.
As F1 reaches the halfway point in the season, Hamilton and Oliver Bearman are the only two Brits not to have won or podiumed this year.
McLaren’s Lando Norris trails Australian teammate, Oscar Piastri, by 15 points in the championship, with three wins and nine podiums, as Mercedes’ Brit George Russell has one win and five podiums.
So… who will prevail this weekend?
Weather forecast
For those arriving at the circuit on Thursday, expect sun with temperatures around 22°C.
Temperatures will rise to 24°C on Friday, with cloud and humid conditions expected. Saturday and Sunday are set to be overcast with showers expected.
Jump to: Circuit history & stats | 2024 race | race predictions | how to watch | championship standings
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Listen to the race preview and latest episode of ESPN’s F1 podcast Unlapped with Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson at Silverstone.
Circuit stats and history
Like many British racing circuits, Silverstone is a former airfield and is as old as Formula 1 itself (75 years old).
The circuit hosted the inaugural grand prix in 1950, where Nino Farina won for Alfa Romeo and took a clean sweep of pole, race win and fastest lap.
Since then, Silverstone has long been the battle ground for drama, upsets and controversy on track as recently as 2024 when Lewis Hamilton, in a race for the ages, dramatically ended a winning drought which stretched back to 2021.
Since 1950, the British Grand Prix has been held at Aintree and Brands Hatch, with latter and Silverstone alternating editions between 1964 and 1986 when the Northampton-based circuit became unrivalled and remains that way since it is expected to stay on the F1 calendar for the forseeable future.
Silverstone is a high-speed circuit with drivers spending around 80% of the lap at full throttle. It has had many changes over the years, but the iconic corners of Maggots, Beckets, and Abbey remain favourites of fans and drivers alike.
British Grand Prix
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit; Towcester, United Kingdom
First F1 race: 1950
Laps: 52 laps of 5.9km. Total distance 306km
Lap record: 1:27.097, Max Verstappen (2020)
Most wins: Lewis Hamilton with nine (2008, 2014-2017, 2019-2021, 2024). Other winners from the current grid:
Fernando Alonso (2006, 2011)
Carlos Sainz (2022)
Max Verstappen (2023)
Most poles: Hamilton with seven (2007, 2013, 2015-2018, 2020). Other pole sitters from the current grid:
Alonso (2005-2006)
Verstappen (2021, 2023)
Sainz (2022)
George Russell (2024)
What makes it special: Silverstone hosted the first F1 championship race in 1950 and it remains a key part of the calendar today. High-speed corners and overtaking opportunities mean it offers some of the best racing on the calendar.
What the drivers say about it: “The best high-speed track in the world.” — Lando Norris
Where to watch from: Becketts grandstand. An F1 car’s change of direction through Maggots, Becketts and Chapel is something every fan should witness. Occasionally you’ll also see the aftermath of an overtaking move into Copse as the drivers continue to go wheel-to-wheel.
What happened last year?
Hamilton won in dramatic fashion in mixed conditions, ending a victory drought that stretched back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver beat his old foe Max Verstappen by 1.4 seconds, and in doing so took his ninth win on home soil at Silverstone — the most for any driver at a single circuit in Formula 1 history.
Who will win?
McLaren laid down a clear pace marker in Austria but things should be closer at Silverstone, especially if the promised rain materialises through the weekend.
Norris won Piastri’s home race to kick off the season and we are backing the Australian to repay the favour this week.
As for the rest? Hard to say. The rain may help bring Mercedes into the contest, while Max Verstappen thrives in those conditions. But this feels like a perfect spot for Hamilton’s first Ferrari grand prix podium — he has produced some of the finest magic of his career in front of the Silverstone crowd.
How the championships look
Piastri remains championship leader after Austria, 15 points ahead of McLaren teammate Norris and has five wins to Norris’ three.
Four-time champion Verstappen has some catching up to do after crashing out of the Austrian Grand Prix — he sits 46 points behind Norris in third.
In the constructors’, it’s a battle for second as McLaren dominate by 207 points, while Ferrari move up one point ahead of Mercedes, on 210 points.
How to watch the GP
For fans in the U.S. only, watch on ESPN and ESPN+.
In the U.K. live broadcast coverage is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
For news, analysis and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN’s F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson at Silverstone and on social media.
Session times below in BST (British Summer Time).
Friday
Free practice one: 12:30 – 13:30 BST
Free practice two: 16:00 – 17:00 BST
Saturday
Free practice three: 11:30 – 12:30 BST
Qualifying: 15:00 – 16:00 BST
Sunday
Race starts: 15:00 BST (live text commentary build-up from 13:45 BST on ESPN.co.uk).
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Source: espn.com