British GP Thread- Sponsored by Bernie's burger and bribe stand - contains spoilers of whole race weekend

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

Round eight of the FIA Formula One Championship brings the teams and drivers to Britain and Silverstone, one of the few remaining power circuits on the F1 calendar.

Silverstone hosted the first Formula One race in 1950 and has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since. The circuit has been modified several times, most recently in 2010, but despite the facelifts it has retained its character as a high-speed test of nerve. That much is proved by the fact that seven of its 18 corners are taken at over 250 km/h and that the cars are at full throttle for just over 60 per cent of each lap.

The high-speed corners, swift changes of direction and an abrasive surface do, however, mean that tyres take a beating at Silverstone and to cope with the heavy lateral loads Pirelli is bringing its hard and medium tyres to this weekend’s race.

Having taken his third victory of the season by a comfortable margin three weeks ago at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, championship leader Sebastian Vettel would appear to be best placed to tackle Silverstone’s demands. However, it’s the German’s Red Bull Racing team-mate, Mark Webber, who has thrived most obviously here in recent years, the Australian racking up wins in 2010 and last year. However Ferrari cannot be ruled out and 2011 British Grand Prix winner Fernando Alonso will be looking to close the current 36-point gap between himself and Vettel at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.

When it comes to outright single-lap pace, however, few will look further than Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Four of the seven pole positions so far have gone their way and the Silver Arrows look primed to add another here. Vettel, who has the other three poles to his credit, might have other ideas.

Facts

This will be the 64th time Formula One has staged a British Grand Prix and Silverstone will stage its 47th British GP this year. The race has also been held at Aintree (alternating yearly with Silverstone from 1955 to 1960 and in 1961 and 1962) and at Brands Hatch (alternating with Silverstone from 1963 until 1986).

Jim Clark and Alain Prost have the most British GP wins with five apiece. One of Clark’s was scored at Aintree (1962) and one at Brands Hatch (1964). All five of Prost’s were at Silverstone (1983, ’85, ’89, ’90, ’93). Prost’s best finish from attempts at Brands Hatch was third in 1986.

In 63 editions the race has been won by a round dozen Britons: Stirling Moss (1955, ’57), Tony Brooks (’57), Peter Collins (’58), Jim Clark (’62-’65 and ’67), Jackie Stewart (’69 and ’71), James Hunt (’77), John Watson (’81), Nigel Mansell (’86, ’87, ’91-’92), Damon Hill (’94), Johnny Herbert(’95), David Coulthard (’99 and 2000) and Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

Ferrari are the most successful team at the British Grand Prix with 16 wins. The Scuderia’s first F1 win was claimed at this event, with José Froilan Gonzalez, who died on June 15 this year aged 90, driving a Ferrari 375 to victory at Silverstone in 1951. The team’s most successful driver in Britain is, unsurprisingly, Michael Schumacher, who claimed all three of his British Grand Prix wins at the wheel of a Ferrari.

McLaren – in their 50th Anniversary year – are just two wins away from Ferrari’s total, while another British constructor, Williams – at Silverstone celebrating their 600th GP – are third on the list of most successful teams at the event with 10 wins. McLaren’s most recent victory came courtesy of Hamilton in 2008, while Williams have not won here since Jacques Villeneuve stood on the top step in his championship-winning year of 1997.

Of the current drivers, the most successful here are Alonso and Mark Webber. Both drivers have two wins to their credit. Alonso won here with Renault in 2006 and with Ferrari in 2011. Both Webber’s victories have been with Red Bull Racing, in 2010 and last year.

Jenson Button has more British GPs under his belt than any other driver on the grid, with 13. Despite the total he’s never appeared on the F1 podium here. The closest he’s come was fourth place in 2004 for BAR and in 2010 for McLaren. His last Silverstone podium appearance was in 1999 when he won round 15 of the British F3 championship.

Pole position isn’t of great benefit. The race has been won from the front of the grid just three times since the turn of the century (Rubens Barrichello ’03, Alonso in ’06 and Sebastian Vettel in ’09).
It certainly doesn’t hurt to be at the sharp end of the grid however. Since 2000 every winner has started from fourth or better. The last time the race was won from further back was in 1995 when Johnny Herbert started fifth. The race has never been won by anyone starting outside the top 10.

Weather forecast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2637827

Source: Race Department

[GSC]

Sky Sports News ‏@SkySportsNews 4m
FIA calls emergency meeting of F1 Sporting Working Group for Wednesday - all teams & Pirelli will be represented #SSN

[dyrewolfe]

Time must be running out for Massa at Ferrari. Going out with a wimper

Are you serious? Massa's in the best form he's been in since his accident. did you see the start he got today? If it hadn't been for his blowout he could have been in contention for a podium today.

If he carries this form on for the rest of the season I'm sure Ferrari will be happy enough.

Breaking News; Rosberg under investigation for allegedly not slowing under yellow flags. If found guilty it will cost him his win.

[GSC]

Now then.

Rosberg under investigation for ignoring yellow flags. If guilty, Mark Webber will have won his final British GP

[GSC]

A 10 second penalty moves him back to 4th.

20 seconds will put him 10th.

[GSC]

[GSC]

I think that was for Hulkenburgs front wing debris?

[Uryu Ishida]

I think he has kept the win according to the bbc

[GSC]

Nothing official yet but Rosbergs body language indicates so.

[Uryu Ishida]

Nothing official yet but Rosbergs body language indicates so.

that or he is happy to stop looking at Mansell!

[GSC]

[Uryu Ishida]

mansell sad....

[Uryu Ishida]

he only got a reprimand!

[GSC]

Rosberg might want to buy a lottery ticket on his way home.

[Bull]

Lucky ! haha

[dynamark]

Good work from Vettel to leave the car stranded where a sc was inevitable and give his teammate a
chance to improve drastically.Watch that again and he could have put the car into a safe spot much much earlier didn't even put it up against the barrier inthe end.Credit where its due.

[Bull]

Yeah i noticed he put it there in order for Webber to get closer after the SC.

[GSC]

Yeah thought that. Could've just gone off into the grass but whacked it on the finish straight

[Bull]

My mate was shouting at the TV when vettel did that demanding a Penalty for Redbull

[mystiroakey]

Ermmmm.

Great race. Well done webber and LH for making it a great watch...

Well done to rosberg!

Shame about the tyres!!

[Fernando]

Formula 1 teams are pushing for next month's young driver test at Silverstone to be ditched in favour of a full-on tyre test with race drivers to help Pirelli overcome its current problems.

With the sport now accepting that something needs to be done to ensure there is no repeat of the tyre failures that blighted the British Grand Prix, pressure is being put on the FIA to consider abandoning the running of young drivers.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali and Red Bull boss Christian Horner both believe that changing the test is now the most sensible way the sport can move forward and assist Pirelli in a meaningful way.

Domenicali said: "It's something that we have to work together on as an F1 world to solve.

"I have an idea that of course we need to discuss in the next days - that we have a test here at Silverstone that is supposed to be with young drivers.

"Considering the fact that this track is very demanding for the tyres, and we can really with Pirelli do something during these [test] days to solve this issue I would also say use the race drivers - because this is also for them something very important.

"So I can guarantee to you that, from the team point of view, we are very open to trying to find a solution. This is something we all benefit from."

Horner added: "There happens to be a test here in a few weeks. It is currently scheduled to be for young drivers, but maybe it should be open to current drivers or test drivers who can give decent feedback that Pirelli could use on the track where they have experienced the issues they have had."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh was more sceptical about the benefits of changing the young driver test though, believing action needs to be taken before then.

"Personally I think it is too late," he said. "That was being suggested yesterday; but we have an enhanced data set now. Why do we make a big scene out of it?

"We had tyres we were racing on last year that can be made, or may even exist, and surely at this point in the season that is the right thing to do."

F1 race director Charlie Whiting said on Sunday night that there had already been talks about the idea of changing the young driver test plans.

When asked if it was a possibility that race drivers could be allowed, he said: "Yes.

[Guest]

Good race for obviously the wrong reasons, complete farse early doors and embarrassing for the sport......was surprised that the red flag was not used, seeing as we are in such a usually safety conscious F1 era, even when we get a couple of drops of rain it seems.

I guess that nothing was going to be done until someone was killed  

Yeah, young driver test should be scrapped in favour of the actual tyre test. Ideal place to have it due to the demands and should be accepted before we go on the long hauls into the hotter temperatures and other high loading tracks. Atmosphere was great at Silverstone, turned horrible when Hamilton's tyre exploded although his rescue drive was quite exceptional. Watching him & Alonso drive through the field towards the end was brilliant. Vettel seems to have a knack of picking up a issue with his car after restarts behind the safety car, like in Valencia. Championship is certainly back on, although Lewis has endured terrible luck, he really needs to start stamping some kind of authority now at Mercedes. Webber drove very well, well done mate. Roll on Germany. C'mon Lewis!

[GSC]

Pirelli are now allowed to run 2 3 day unrestricted tyre tests from now.

[SteveG]

he really needs to start stamping some kind of authority now at Mercedes

think the tide is starting to turn - finished highest in quali and race in Canada, followed by an utterly dominant quali and what would have been a dominant race at Silverstone - and all off the back of turning a good Saturday out of a bad Friday which may mean he is finally starting to better understand his car. Rossberg on the otherhand just didnt have his teamates pace - was never gonna make any inroads against Vettel who was comfortably managing a 3 second gap and nearly got mugged at the end by a charging Webber despite being on fresh rubber. Of course one swallow doesnt maketh and all that (or two rather) and it could all change round again in Germany but just get the feeling that Hami knew he had to seriously up his game - a compliment to Rossberg - and it's starting to look like he has.

[GSC]

Race drivers will run at the young drivers test

[Fernando]

Well that'll level out the Mercedes punishment eh  

[SteveG]

Only if teams don't know what they're testing - which I doubt.

One of the first reasons of mitigation offered by Merc was that they were helping Pirelli on saftey issues - which ended up being a waste of time when teams chose not to agree to a change and Merc got a slap on the wrist for their troubles. Now eveyone except Merc can test - but crucially if unlike Merc they all know what they're testing then can't help but feel that a slap has turned into an uppercut.

[GSC]

Mercedes also got 3 races headstart in which to use the knowledge gleamed, so I'd say this makes it fair.

[GSC]

I have a feeling they'll just announce they'll use the 2012 Pirelli tyre in Germany tomorrow, then test the new tyre at Silverstone and see if that does the job.

[GSC]

Pirelli will use the Kevlar belt at Germany and reintroduce the 2012 tyres from Hungary

[SteveG]

Mercedes also got 3 races headstart in which to use the knowledge gleamed, so I'd say this makes it fair.

Hmm don't know about that.
Depends on how much knowledge can be gained by a blind test. Merc would always win Monaco - regardless so hard to judge there. But Canada showed up their difficiencies once more as Vettel pulled away from Hamilton at a rediculous one second per lap. Only then showed a turn of speed on Sunday. All said and done think I'd rather be in RB/Ferrari's shoes with tests coming up with (assumingly) full visibility - and a possible extra day!! Game over.

[GSC]

Mercedes clearly got a boost in knowing that swapping the rears greatly helped tyre wear. Also Hamilton got 1000km more practice to climatise to the Mercedes. They clearly gained an advantage from it. I don't agree with Horner all the time, but Mercedes clearly got an advantage from it, otherwise why go to so much trouble with the test?

They now stand at a distinct disadvantage for these tests, but had an extra 3 races in which to hammer home the advantage they got, in which they took 2 wins and a 3rd place.

[SteveG]

I hear what you say GSC but still think that the new tests coming up will help RB, Ferrari et al far more for the rest of the season than any blind test gave Merc 3 races earlier (of which one was in the bag anyway). They have gone from having an unmeasured advantage to a big disadvantage in my book hence my reference to a slap becoming an uppercut. But lets wait and see -the proof will be in the pudding after Germany.

[GSC]

Some interesting comments from Pirelli, chief among them that all the tyre implosions came on teams that had swapped the rears over.

[Guest]

Mercedes, Torro Rosso, Ferrari & McLaren all had swapped rears at Silverstone? There were cuts & tears on multiple cars too, which forced early stops, preventing delaminations later. The tyre just was not able to cope with the demands of the high loading track. Steel is used because its cheaper instead of kevlar which is more durable. Only reason kevlar was not used was because lotus rejected to use it because they thought it would take away their competitive advantage they had found. Just glad its going to be sorted in these tests n we can focus on what a possibly exciting championship we could have now.

[GSC]

I imagine once Mercedes got positive results from it everyone else will have tried

[CaledonianCraig]

The tyre situation has gotten ridiculous. However, need I remind people who to blame? Pirelli? No. Blame the FIA as they ordered Pirelli (pre-season) to give us tyres that wear easily to increase the drama etc. Again the incompetence of the FIA beggars belief.

[mystiroakey]

Is it really the FIA's fault- they asked pirelli to build a tyre that wears- not one that blows up!!

They have the lock on F1 tyres. They are a massive modern corporation. They should do better. The tyres should have been tested on high speed corners like we have at silverstone

[CaledonianCraig]

Yes it is the FIA's fault. They choose tyre providers and encourage them to push boundaries to a dangerous level and whats more cut out tyre testing. That all now looks pretty damn incompetent to me.

[mystiroakey]

well If the two were working together- they can share the responsibility. However the fact is they were asked to build a soft wearing trye that acts like a tyre should(doesnt blow up- but loses its tread!!)

We don;t know what has been going on do we .. However If pirella had found these findings out and told the FIA(tyre blow up on high speed corners) then they would be completely exonerated. However I am pretty sure they didnt tell the FIA this- or they would have surely mentioned this!!

[GSC]

They told them they wished to change the tyre but not for safety reasons, which wouldn't have required the teams to agree to it

[CaledonianCraig]

And how are we or Pirelli to know tyres blow up on fast corners exactly? If the FIA allowed tests then we would know this but they don't - until now of course. Another blatant mistake by the FIA.

[mystiroakey]

"And how are we or Pirelli to know tyres blow up on fast corners exactly?"

/headscratch

Its there product. The first thing any product made has to do is do what it states on the tin!!

Thankfully most industries require alot of testing and standards..

[GSC]

The problem is Myst, Pirelli aren't allowed to test on actual F1 cars

[GSC]

Well weren't. They develop a tyre which they're largely flying blind on then have no way of developing it when problems emerge.

Pirelli should've forced the change by saying it was a safety issue but the FIA must shoulder a fair amount of blame

[mystiroakey]

The problem is Myst, Pirelli aren't allowed to test on actual F1 cars

That is kind of crazy isnt it ... It certainly doesnt help matters

[GSC]

Indeed, you can have a model and hire Alguersuari (or whoever it is), but there's no sub for the real thing

[CaledonianCraig]

Yes and the FIA do not permit those sort of testing with the correct materials. I don't think it is rocket science to say the FIA are incompetent nincompoops is it?

Look at their role in the recent tyre testing scandal?

Their interference in what tyres they wanted?

A move by Bernie Ecclestone to scrap points system for a medal system - ludicrous.

Bernie Ecclestone looking to encourage new teams in the sport a few years ago and then early this year saying he wants lesser teams and skews more payment to bigger teams and less money to the smaller teams.

Ecclestone's constant remarks about this and that race facing the axe due to track deficiencies to extract more money from them and then re-instating the race.

Need I go on?

[mystiroakey]

I think that you are right in the fact that the FIA have applied untold pressure on to pirelli and this doesnt help matters add the fact testing situations arnt adequately allowed. However Pirreli are massive and should have a bit more professionalism as well.

[SteveG]

Hey guys - there is now a thread right below this called 'Tyres' - makes it easier to identify a particular discussion. Just a thought.  

[Critical_mass]

Class Race!

Hamilton did well to recover from the big mistake and to finish in 4th. Shame though in-front of the superb crowd at Silverstone.

Webber did class after his start and to finish 2nd was great.

What big mistake? he had a blow out.

[Sponsored content]