The 2019 Formula One World Championship fight continues with Round 10, the British Grand Prix, which is on this weekend at the legendary Silverstone Circuit.
The British round is consistently one of the favorites on the F1 calendar. It’s a combination of the history of Silverstone, the knowledge and racing culture of the fans, unpredictable weather conditions, and the fact that numerous teams are based nearby.
Silverstone held the very first F1 race back in 1950, and though in later years hosting duties were shared with Aintree and Brands Hatch, today Silverstone remains the British Grand Prix’s official home. The layout of the track has seen constant revision since the inaugural race, with the most significant change coming in 2010 when the old perimeter layout was altered to create a new infield section.
The current 3.66-mile track consists of sweeping, high-speed corners and fast straights, making it one of the quickest laps on the calendar and a popular place for drivers. In dry conditions, pole position is taken at an average speed of about 150 mph, and the power units are made to work hard because there are long periods of full throttle.
Ferrari at the 2019 Formula One British Grand Prix
And because of all the high-speed corners (think Maggots, Becketts and Chapel), the tires also get a thorough workout. A new surface was recently laid to replace the highly abrasive former surface. Nevertheless, Pirelli has nominated its three hardest compounds for the weekend, the C1, C2 and C3.
As mentioned, the weather can also be quite changeable. Looking at the weather forecast, we should be in for overcast but dry conditions for both Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race.
After some early practice on Friday, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's Pierre Gasly was the fastest, followed by Mercedes-AMG's Valtteri Bottas and fellow Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.
Going into the weekend, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton leads the 2019 Drivers' Championship with 197 points. Bottas is second with 166 points and Verstappen is third with 126 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes leads with 363 points versus the 228 of Ferrari and 169 of Red Bull. Last year's winner of the British Grand Prix was Sebastian Vettel driving for Ferrari.
