Podium example of the British Grand Prix

The race at Silverstone is the most important tradition of Formula 1. On May 13, 1950, this stage became the first in history. For over seventy years the British circuit has welcomed cars, drivers and spectators of all generations, and last year the first Grand Prix with a sprint on Saturday. This was the first phase in which the covid restrictions were completely lifted. There were no empty seats in the stands. They are not there this year either.

The full house at Silverstone is another tradition of Formula 1. As early as 1950, the race drew a hundred thousand spectators. This is a British sport with its heroes, no matter what Ferrari thinks.

This is the valley of world motorsport. Here are all the suppliers and manufacturers, the best managers, engineers and mechanics. Job advertisements are published in the local short run – and vacancies are filled immediately. Here are the bases of seven Formula 1 teams out of ten. The highest motorsport technologies are concentrated here. It is nearly impossible to lure personnel from Northamptonshire to Italy, Austria or the US.

Most tickets are distributed according to the club system by the British Racing Club track owners. Entering the British Grand Prix is ​​just as difficult as the Wimbledon tennis tournament, which is now also taking place, but this time the final will not coincide with the day of the race, as in 2016, when race winner Lewis Hamilton and Wimbledon winner Andy Murray had a joint feast.

This is the only stage on the calendar where Formula 1 plays at home. And Maranello’s perennial opponents have always considered it a special honor to win here, as European teams dream of winning the Ferrari home race at Monza.

Another tradition is changeable weather. In 2000, the race was postponed to April and the track was so flooded over the weekend that guests at the helipad’s prestigious paddock club were literally given bowls of ice cold champagne knee-deep in the mud. The traffic jams reached twenty kilometers, cardholders left their cars and went on foot.

Then Silverstone almost lost the Grand Prix, but then there was talk of Ecclestone moving the podium specifically to the middle of spring to bolster his position in the negotiations.

However, in 2018 it was even worse – the rain had to cancel the MotoGP stage – the drainage system couldn’t cope. Since then it has been rebuilt, new asphalt has been laid, but this weekend the weather forecast promises precipitation again.

After taking control of Formula 1, Liberty Media almost immediately announced the transition to new regulations that should make overtaking easier – they literally associated this figure with increasing the entertainment of racing and attracting a young audience. Catch up at any cost!

Initially, the transition to the new rules was planned for 2021, then it was postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic. Nine Grand Prix have passed since the debut of the new cars – for the tenth, and we can confidently say that the target is not reaches.

Yes, it has become easier for drivers to get close to rival cars, but the effectiveness of the slipstream and DRS has decreased proportionally. It used to be easy to overtake in Montreal with DRS, but this year the riders have lagged behind their rivals throughout the pack.

Rumor has it that Liberty Media is unhappy. The new regulations cost the teams dearly, with a limited budget they are forced to limit the development of cars, and if there is no progress there is no intrigue.

In addition, everyone categorically does not like the construction of cars. The best racers in the world have become the object of irony. They are in pain and uncomfortable. Drivers’ tales of “backbone twitching after Indycar” are now fully applicable to Formula 1. No wonder the media activity of the architects of the new regulations, Ross Brown and Pat Symonds, has plummeted . They no longer appear in the press. And it is still not clear how to solve this.

However, riders always fight on the vehicles they have, and this year’s battle is interesting. One of the tasks of changing the regulations has been solved – the balance of power has changed, but after Mercedes actually pulled out of the fray, Formula 1 once again became a theater of one actor.

Max Verstappen is doing great with his new status, he dominates confidently and is almost flawless. Red Bull has a great car, Newey proved once again that he is the best at changing the rules, and as the rivals strive to overtake Red Bull, the team will earn title after title.

The podium in Silverstone is similar to the podium in Barcelona. Many are preparing new items, almost always there are small changes in the balance of power, the qualifications are interesting and the race is sometimes very boring.

But unlike the race in Barcelona, ​​the events of the race at Silverstone are often discussed until the end of the season. Just like last year with the clash of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the battle for leadership. This race definitely makes the season more interesting!

The British Grand Prix opens a long series of European stages, which conclude in Monza in mid-September. Now Verstappen is 46 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez and 49 points ahead of Ferrari’s main opponent Charles Leclerc. The gap is serious, so the fate of the title may very well be determined by the second home race for Ferrari. Or will the Scuderia still be able to impose a fight?