The British Grand Prix is the oldest Grand Prix in Formula 1 history. The British GP is even older than the Formula 1 Championship.
Before the start of the Formula 1 Championship, the sport used to hold Grand Prix as individual events. The Silverstone Circuit is very commonly known as the venue for the British Grand Prix. However, the first-ever British GP was held in 1926 at Brooklands. The Silverstone made its way to Formula 1 only in 1948.
The Formula 1 Championship was introduced in 1950. Since then there has always been a British Grand Prix every season. The Silverstone Circuit has hosted the British GP permanently since 1987. But what other circuits hosted the British Grand Prix in Formula 1’s history?
Which circuits have hosted the British Grand Prix?
The most popular venue for the British Grand Prix is the Silverstone Circuit. But in the first 2 years of the British Grand Prix, the event was held in Brooklands. From 1948 to 1954 Silverstone hosted the event. However, in 1955 a new circuit came into play in the United Kingdom.
The Aintree Motoracing Circuit threw its name in contention to host the British GP. But due to the success of Silverstone, they did not want to remove Silverstone from their calendar. So Silverstone and Aintree decided to host the British GP alternatively.
Aintree hosted its last British Grand Prix in 1962. From 1963 onwards, Silverstone and Brands Hatch hosted the British GP alternating yearly. This arrangement was in place till 1986. After which only the Silverstone Circuit hosted the British GP.
Which driver has achieved the most victories at the British GP?
When we talk about race victories, a few big names come to our minds. Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, and Niki Lauda just to name a few. It is not a surprise when these names come up while talking about most victories at the British GP.
Lewis Hamilton tops this list with a total of 8 victories at Silverstone. Following him is Alain Prost and Jim Clark. Alain Prost is famous for his rivalry with Ayrton Senna. Jim Clark was one of the most significant drivers during the 1960s. Each of them has a total of 5 victories at the British Grand Prix.
British driver, Nigel Mansell comes next on the list with a total of 4 victories. He is followed by Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher, and Jack Brabham with 3 victories each.
Out of the mentioned drivers above, 3 of them are from the United Kingdom. Racing at a home Grand Prix comes with a lot of excitement and pressure. Lewis Hamilton is the most numerically accomplished driver on this list and has won a total of 101 Grand Prix in his career. Only Michael Schumacher comes close to this number with 91 victories.
The Silverstone Circuit’s current contract with Formula 1 will keep them on the calendar till 2024. It is likely that Formula 1 will extend this contract for the foreseeable future. Silverstone has been a huge success for the sport. It is one of the most significant circuits along with Monaco and Monza.