F1 event guide: Round 11 British Grand Prix
Formula 1 returns to its roots for one of the more special occasions of the year, the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone hosted the very first Formula 1 Grand Prix and 73 years later it has lost none of its charm, speed and prestige.
Whilst the 400,000 plus fans that are expected to pack the former RAF WWII airbase will be hoping for something special from home heroes Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell and Alex Albon, the 2023 edition is Red Bull’s to lose.
Download the full F1 British Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.
Max Verstappen cruised to more success at Austria. image: Motorsport Images
After Max Verstappen secured his fifth straight win in Austria, Red Bull is looking to make it an amazing 10 on the trot.
However, Silverstone was one of the tracks where the dominant team came unstuck last year with Sergio Perez finishing second behind winner Carlos Sainz and Verstappen down in seventh after floor damage from debris proved costly.
Amazingly the Dutch driver is yet to win a British Grand Prix despite winning at Silverstone in 2020 at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.
It will take a mighty effort to stop Verstappen this time after he was in cruise control in Austria despite surviving some brief battles with Ferrari and his teammate.
A surge from 15th to third means Perez appears to be back, but he is still searching for a complete weekend after track limits hurt him in qualifying and he fell 21s behind Verstappen after an early Sprint stoush.
Carlos Sainz secured his one and only Grand Prix win at Silverstone last year. Image: LAT Images
After Ferrari proved it was the second fastest team in Austria, Mercedes is looking to respond and hopes a new front wing upgrade could provide what is needed.
The “black arrows” could only muster seventh and eighth in the Grand Prix, but the team expects the sweeping nature of Silverstone to better suit the W14.
No driver has clicked with the historic venue like Hamilton, who always raises his game in front of his home fans and is aiming to keep his ridiculous home podium streak alive.
But another British driver, who could be a factor is Lando Norris, who returned to the front of the field at Austria.
Norris extracted the most out of an upgraded MCL60 to snare fourth and the result will provide plenty of confidence for the youngster.
The new chrome livery Oscar Piastri will race with at Silverstone this weekend. Image: McLaren
It will also ensure Australia’s Oscar Piastri will be one to watch as the upgrades finally arrive on his side of the garage.
Piastri has enjoyed a solid amount of success at the home of the British Grand Prix and hopes to send a statement after an unlucky battle in Austria.
Having been the second fastest team for most of the season, Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso would have been hurting from a difficult Austria.
Silverstone was the scene of Zhou Guanyu’s horrific first-corner crash last year.
Although Red Bull is the clear favourite, the battle for best of the rest appears to be a fascinating one.
Seeing the cars fly through the high-speed changes of direction at Maggots and Becketts never ceases to amaze.
The traditional weekend format returns at Silverstone after the Austrian Sprint and qualifying could be impacted by the usual summer rain.
Download the full F1 British Grand Prix event guide HERE with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles.
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