British Grand Prix: Stage Preview

      The first half of the Formula 1 season flew by instantly. Consecutive race series compress time, depriving everyone involved in racing of routine days – life is made up of weekends, and they always pass quickly. Now it's already July on the calendar, half of the season and half of the year are behind us, and the 12th stage out of 24 awaits ahead.

      In the past ten years, only twice has a driver who was leading the standings after the British Grand Prix not gone on to win the world championship that year. Both times it was Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari in 2017 and 2018, and we know how Ferrari, in its modern history, tends to squander its chances regardless of the team roster and management.

      

      McLaren won’t miss their chance. There is no doubt about winning the Constructors’ Cup – they simply have no rivals this year, but the competition among the team’s drivers in the personal standings makes up for it. The rivalry between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris reveals the character and personal qualities of two very different drivers, previously in the shadows, suddenly getting a championship-winning car. An excellent scenario for a mid-20s racing film, though it’s still in the making – the story is just being written.

      

      We know the pros and cons of multiple recent champions well, and McLaren drivers are only beginning to emerge – and the closer the decisive stage of this battle, the closer they are to reaching the goal, the more vivid the colors will become. Despite outward friendliness, sincerity, and even some carelessness, they understand perfectly well that only one will win. Watching this is incredibly fascinating.

      

      The race at Silverstone is a main Formula 1 tradition. On May 13, 1950, this stage became the first in history. For 75 years, the British track has hosted cars, drivers, and spectators of all generations. It was the first stage to fully lift COVID restrictions. There were no free seats in the stands. There will be none this year either.

      A full house at Silverstone is another Formula 1 tradition. As early as 1950, the race gathered one hundred thousand spectators. It’s British sport with its heroes, regardless of what they might think at Ferrari.

      Most of the tickets are distributed by the track owners through a club system of the British Racing Drivers Club. Getting into the British Grand Prix is almost as difficult as attending Wimbledon, which is also happening right now. The final match is played a week after the race finishes, and in 2016, these events coincided, leading to a joint party hosted by two Britons – race winner Lewis Hamilton and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.

      The Silverstone stage is the most attended during the season. In 2023 and 2024, 480,000 fans visited the circuit over the weekend – an absolute F1 record. Similar, but smaller, figures are seen in Melbourne and Austin. Bahrain attracts the fewest spectators.