Formula 1 heads to the legendary Silverstone Circuit in the U.K. this weekend for Round 10 of the 2022 season, the British Grand Prix.
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 for the British Grand Prix were shared with Aintree and Brands Hatch, today Silverstone remains the race'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. As a result, teams aim to reduce drag as much as possible. For this reason, we’ll see similar wing settings as those used at the Azerbaijan and Canadian rounds.
Silverstone Circuit, home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix
Silverstone is also one of the tracks that places the highest energy demands on tires, which is why Pirelli has nominated the hardest tires in the range: C1 as the White hard, C2 as the Yellow medium, and C3 as the Red soft. This is the third time that this combination has been nominated this season.
Last year’s race was won with two tire changes: one of them taking place under an early red flag period following the collision between Mercedes-Benz AMG's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.
As mentioned, the weather can also be quite changeable. Looking at the weather forecast, we could be in for some rain during Saturday's qualifying but Sunday's race should remain dry.
Going into the weekend, Verstappen leads the 2022 Drivers' Championship with 175 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 129 points and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is third with 126 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 304 points, versus the 228 of Ferrari and 188 of Mercedes. Last year's winner of the British Grand Prix was Hamilton driving for Mercedes.
