From Hamilton’s three-wheeled victory to a lucky track invader: 8 memorable moments from the F1 British GP
More drama than Phil Mitchell at a theatre
You can keep your glitzy Monaco, your high-speed Monza, and your tempestuous Interlagos. For sheer historical weight and Formula 1 racing pedigree, it’s the British Grand Prix all the way.
When the drivers line up at the Silverstone Circuit in rural Northamptonshire on 5th July, it will have been almost 100 years since the first ever British Grand Prix.
What’s more, Silverstone itself was the venue for the first ever Grand Prix of the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship back on 13th May, 1950.
Rather than continue spouting out fascinating trivia about this most prestigious of racing events (which would be interesting in itself), we thought we’d mark its big birthday by recalling some of the most memorable moments from British Grand Prix history.
Lights out – Go! Go! Go!
1. Ferrari’s first ever World Championship win
Ferrari secured its first ever Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix win at Silverstone on 14th July, 1951. Argentinian racer Jose Froilan Gonzalez beat the Alfa Romeo driven by Juan Manuel Fangio (who would go on to win the Championship) to secure maximum points.
Founder and all-round motor racing legend Enzo Ferrari famously said that his company’s maiden win in the now-established World Championship format had felt like he had killed his mother. Which sounds like an odd thing to say, until you consider his history as an Alfa Romeo test driver and the subsequent head of the Milan-based marque’s racing department.
2. Senna hitches a ride
Not all of the most iconic moments in motor racing come between lights out and the chequered flag. Back at 1991’s British Grand Prix, it was a casual piece of camaraderie between two fierce rivals that sticks in the memory.
When Ayrton Senna’s Ferrari ran out of fuel on the final lap, he was left stranded on the side of the track. Britain’s Nigel Mansell, fresh from a second-place finish, stopped to render assistance. The Brazilian legend hopped onto the side of Mansell’s Williams and, with a withering dismissal of an anxious marshal, they were off.
3. Hamilton’s soggy first win
Lewis Hamilton was a hungry young 23-year-old in only his second season as an F1 driver when he rocked up to Silverstone in 2008. He had finished third in his home debut the previous year, and hadn’t managed to score any points at all in his two most recent races.
The future superstar reminded the world of his prodigious talent with a masterful win from fourth on the grid. It was notable for being an early demonstration of Hamilton’s mastery in wet conditions, as he overtook his team mate Heikki Kovalainen and won the race by more than a minute.
4. Hunt’s non-win win
The 1976 British Grand Prix took place at Brands Hatch (which hosted all of the even years between 1964 and 1986, with Silverstone taking the odds), and produced one of the most thrilling races in the event’s history.
It was here that mercurial Brit James Hunt crashed on the first lap, initiating a red flag, and limped his McLaren back to the pits. Having initially been barred from joining the restart, the partisan crowd threatened to riot, prompting the stewards to acquiesce. Hunt went on to win the race, but was subsequently disqualified following an appeal from Niki Lauda’s Ferrari team.
5. Max crashes hard
The 2021 season was badly marred by a botched race control decision that led to Max Verstappen winning his first World Championship on the final day. It’s a shame, because the season that led up to that infamous mistake was an all-time great.
Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel throughout the year in what became an increasingly bitter rivalry, culminating in a huge high speed crash at Silverstone’s 190mph Copse Corner. Contact between the two sent the young Dutch driver into the tire wall at a frankly staggering 51G of force. Hamilton would go on to win the race, if not the war.
6. Mansell’s late dash
A series of reliability issues and unfortunate events, together with an elite team mate in Brazil’s Nelson Piquet, would deny Mansell his first championship in 1987. However, the British Grand Prix that year would provide a solid consolation prize.
Hot on the heels of his fellow Williams driver, Mansell was forced to pit for new tires. Rejoining the track with a 28-second gap and only 29 laps left, he embarked on a breathtaking effort to haul the then-two-time champion in. He finally caught up and overtook with just three laps to spare, completing a hugely unlikely home victory.
7. Holy track invader!
At most sporting events, pitch or court invaders are a source of mild amusement at best, and bored annoyance at worst. In a sport that involves 600kg chunks of metal and carbon fibre hurtling across the ‘playing field’ at speeds of 200mph, they’re downright dangerous.
That was precisely the situation during the 2003 British Grand Prix when, on lap 11, former Irish priest Cornelius Horan managed to jump the hoardings and started running up the high-speed Hangar Straight, right into the path of oncoming cars. Thankfully, the safety car was swiftly deployed, and Horan was removed into police custody.
8. A wheel-ly weird year for Silverstone
The 2020 British Grand Prix was notable for a couple of reasons. The usual fanatical crowd was absent, for one thing, due to the then-raging coronavirus pandemic. This was also to be the first of two Grands Prix taking place across consecutive weekends at the same historic venue – the second being a 70-year commemoration of the first ever Grand Prix season.
Reigning champ Lewis Hamilton topped the opening event off in thrillingly unexpected fashion when he sustained a puncture on the final lap, just about managing to fend off a rapidly closing Max Verstappen to win the race on three wheels.
Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!
