2010 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix
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Race Date:
11 Jul 2010
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Number of Laps
60
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Circuit Length
5.141 km
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Race Distance
308.355 km
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Lap Record
1:18.739 - M Schumacher (2004)
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History
Motor racing first took place on the boundary roads of this wartime airfield in the late 1940s. It hosted its first grand prix in 1948, and it opened the first Formula 1&trade World Championship season in 1950.Although other circuits have hosted the British Grand Prix, the race has always come back to Silverstone. The straw bales and oil barrels that marked the circuit boundaries in those early races have long since gone, replaced by cutting edge safety features – although there’s still a chance of running over a stray hare.
The track has always been extremely fast; despite being made safer over the years, it has retained its high-speed character to this day. “The first half of the lap is fantastic,” says Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. “Copse and Becketts are so fast and you have to be very precise if you want to be quick. But the whole track has a nice rhythm.”
There have been some memorable scenes over the years: Jackie Stewart and Jochen Rindt scrapping for the lead in 1969; Nigel Mansell cranking his turbo boost to maximum to catch and pass team-mate Nelson Piquet in the closing laps of the 1987 race, almost melting his engine; and the extraordinary track invasion of 2003, where a marshal had to rugby-tackle a man dressed as a leprechaun who’d run on to the circuit.
In 2010 the Santander British GP will run on the new and slightly longer ‘Arena’ layout, which misses out Bridge corner and takes the cars along the National circuit’s back straight towards the pitlane. The drivers are unlikely to mind what the organisers do, as long as Copse and Becketts remain the same.
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Special Memories
On a crisp spring day in 1950, less than two weeks before the British government announced the end of petrol rationing, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Silverstone to watch the first Formula 1&trade World Championship race.The former airfield has been a regular fixture ever since, playing host to such memorable occasions as Scuderia Ferrari’s domination of the front row in 1952, as Giuseppe Farina, Alberto Ascari and Piero Taruffi lined up 1-2-3; the titanic duel between Jackie Stewart and Jochen Rindt in 1969; Keke Rosberg’s 1985 qualifying lap, which set a speed record that remained unbroken for 16 years; Nigel Mansell almost melting his engine in 1987; and Lewis Hamilton’s stunning drive in the wet in 2008.
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Track Guide
Silverstone: 11 July
Length: 3.666 miles
Lap record: NA
Turn 1
Gear:
7
Speed:
294 Km/h
G-Force:
0.65
Gear:
5
Speed:
287 Km/h
G-Force:
5.0
Turn 2
Gear:
6
Speed:
305 Km/h
G-Force:
-
Turn 3
Gear:
7
Speed:
297 Km/h
G-Force:
3.68
Turn 4
Gear:
6
Speed:
249 Km/h
G-Force:
5.00
Turn 5
Gear:
5
Speed:
211 Km/h
G-Force:
3.89
Turn 6
Gear:
5
Speed:
252 Km/h
G-Force:
1.79
Turn 7
Gear:
7
Speed:
301 Km/h
G-Force:
0.59
Gear:
4
Speed:
199 Km/h
G-Force:
2.92
Turn 8
Gear:
6
Speed:
275 Km/h
G-Force:
0.97
Gear:
2
Speed:
95 Km/h
G-Force:
1.52
Turn 10
Gear:
4
Speed:
226 Km/h
G-Force:
3.2
Turn 16
Gear:
2
Speed:
96 Km/h
G-Force:
1.86
Gear:
3
Speed:
172 Km/h
G-Force:
2.73
Turn 17
Gear:
2
Speed:
111 Km/h
G-Force:
2.86
Gear:
2
Speed:
154 Km/h
G-Force:
2.86
Turn 18
Gear:
6
Speed:
265 Km/h
G-Force:
2.07
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Getting There
Nearest airports:London Heathrow (LHR), 72 miles; Birmingham (BHX), 56 miles
By road:
From the north and east: From the M1 motorway, take Junction 15a and follow the A43 south towards Towcester and Silverstone.
From the south and west: From the M40 motorway, take Junction 10 and follow the A43 north towards Brackley and Silverstone.
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Rough Guide to your F1™ weekend
As befits its roots as a bomber base, Silverstone is a long way from the nearest cities. Many residents of the local villages offer race fans lodging on a bed and breakfast basis – it’s the least expensive ‘roofed’ option because the local hotels tend to be large business retreats with spas and golf courses. Whittlebury Hall is the hub of the British Grand Prix weekend; many race-goers camp on the grounds and most of the drivers stay there to beat the race-day traffic.If you fancy something different then there’s an increasing range of boutique hotels within reach, such as The Feathers in Woodstock and Episode in Leamington Spa.
Food? The nearest options are all pub grub; but if you’re camping then you’ll have brought your own to eat al fresco, won’t you? Let’s hope the rain stays off.
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Competition
Throughout the season Santander will be giving away great prizes!Keep coming back to the site to ensure you're kept up to date with all the latest chances to win.
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