July 3rd 2024.
This weekend, the excitement and anticipation are building as Formula One returns to Silverstone for the 2024 British Grand Prix. The iconic circuit is expecting a huge crowd of about 480,000 fans, all eager to cheer on their home favorites, including Lando Norris, George Russell, and the legendary Lewis Hamilton. With seven world championship titles under his belt, Hamilton is widely regarded as the most successful F1 driver of all time, and this race holds special significance as it will be his last for Mercedes before he makes the highly anticipated move to Ferrari in 2025.
Despite not having won a grand prix since 2021, Hamilton is determined to end that drought this weekend on home soil. Let's take a closer look at his impressive record at Silverstone, where he has won a record-breaking eight times. His first victory came in 2008, in a memorable race that saw him masterfully navigate through the pouring rain. From 2014 to 2017, during the dominant Mercedes era, he claimed four consecutive wins, and after a second-place finish in 2018, he returned to the top of the podium for the next three races. His most recent wins in 2020 and 2021 were particularly unforgettable, with a nail-biting last lap puncture in 2020 and a dramatic collision with his championship rival Max Verstappen in 2021.
With eight wins, Hamilton is by far the most successful driver in British Grand Prix history. The next closest are five-time winners Jim Clark and Alain Prost. In fact, given that the British Grand Prix hosted the very first F1 race back in 1950, it's no surprise that a total of 12 British drivers have won their home race. The first was the legendary Sir Stirling Moss in 1955, and the most recent was David Coulthard in 2000. This year, Norris and Russell are hoping to join this illustrious list and become the first drivers not named Hamilton to win the British Grand Prix since Coulthard.
Aside from Hamilton, only three other drivers on the 2024 grid have tasted victory at Silverstone. Fernando Alonso has done so twice, in 2006 and 2011, and he'll be looking to break his 11-year winless streak with his new team, Aston Martin. Carlos Sainz, who will be replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari next season, claimed his maiden win at Silverstone in 2022. And last year, Max Verstappen finally ended his unlucky run at the British Grand Prix, taking home the win in a thrilling race. Interestingly, this was Verstappen's second win at Silverstone, with his first coming in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in 2020, which was held as part of the drastically altered calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As we look ahead to this weekend's race, there is no doubt that the competition will be fierce, with up-and-coming talents like Norris, Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Charles Leclerc vying for victory alongside seasoned veterans like Hamilton and Verstappen. But one thing is for sure, the British Grand Prix always delivers unforgettable moments and this year will be no different. So let's buckle up and get ready for an exhilarating race at one of the most iconic circuits in the world.
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