Is there anything more quintessentially British than the Grand Prix at Silverstone? A petrol-fuelled romp in the Midlands couched among country lanes and English villages, the 52-lap race is an unmissable fixture in the sporting summer. This weekend delivered excitement, nostalgia and glory, all wrapped in a neat carbon‑fibre package.
The 10th round of the Formula One world championship faced stiff competition this year, with both Wimbledon and the Cricket World Cup scheduled for the same Sunday. Such a clash of commitments suggests that major sporting event planners should coordinate timetables; if not for viewing numbers, at least to ease the Fomo (fear of missing out) for fans. Silverstone has the magic combination of a terrific track, fervent supporters and a proud past. It is, after all, where the first World Championship Grand Prix was held in 1950 and in many ways the British race has stayed true to its roots.
For some fans the festival begins on Thursday or Friday, as streams of cars and caravans begin to fan out across fields in the area – a sign of the excitement to come. Gone, however, are the horror stories of gridlock and bogging of yesteryear, as effort has been invested into preparing the site and surrounding infrastructure for smooth traffic flows in and out of the venue.
The committed fans who arrive early will spend hours meticulously putting up their tents and marquees, preparing their campsites for cosy habitation over the next few days. Fields turn into a city overnight, with music pouring out of mobile speakers, portable kitchen and dining tables on every tent avenue and shared open spaces aplenty. These are the fans who wake up at 4am on the Saturday and Sunday, queuing up as early as possible with picnic blankets and foldable chairs to make sure they nab the best viewing location on the track (Becketts, Stowe and Luffield are among the most sought‑after).
Food truck vendors littered around the track start serving at 5am. There are a couple of vegetarian and vegan options available as well, a display of culinary inclusion. Not much halal meat, though, but one can’t have it all.
Driving up, the track doesn’t show itself immediately. The roads leading up to the circuit are quaint, winding, surrounded by shrub and woods reminiscent of the country described by Enid Blyton. As chirps of baby tawny owls are echoed by whispers of engines roaring, the circuit comes into view and the energy immediately shifts. Conversation takes on an animated babble, turning to race predictions, favourite drivers, tire selection strategy and lunch.
The race did not disappoint. Valtteri Bottas taking pole position was a touch unexpected as Mercedes locked out the front row, Lewis Hamilton breathing down his teammate’s neck. Although the safety car, appearing on lap 21 after Antonio Giovinazzi spun his Alfa Romeo, put a dampener on that exchange, it was a display of the race craft skills we don’t always get the chance to see. Ultimately, however, it was Hamilton’s one-stop pitting strategy compared to Bottas’s two stops that gave him the edge.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen duelled hard for third place, with Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel also occasionally in the mix. Verstappen had his pace, Leclerc had his craft, and it was those two up against each other, lap after lap, offering fans a battle for the ages. Even in the pits, they came in together on lap 13 and exited side by side, the Red Bull nosing ahead. Vettel running into the back of Verstappen gave Leclerc the opening he needed to win back third place. “It is the race I enjoyed most in my F1 career,” Leclerc said.
Hamilton walked away from Silverstone with his sixth victory at the track and well ahead of his competition on the world championship leaderboard. He was humble in victory, thanking his fans and exalting the support of his home grand prix. The support came out in droves but is not without its detractors, as is evident any time the five-times world champion dares to falter. When a question referencing the double standards levelled against Hamilton compared to other drivers over his national identity provoked defensiveness from fans and pundits alike, the underlying current of discomfort was laid bare.
Silverstone is as British as it gets, and with that comes reflections of the anxieties the country is grappling with across the board. Sport is ultimately a reflection of its society, rather than an escape from it. F1 is no exception, no matter how fast they drive.
