I Look Like Kevin Costner
Grand Prix fanatic..
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Well, well, well we come to the 8th round of the 2009 Formula One World Championship and for what is the final time in all probability (unless Bernie changes his mind) to the racetrack that held the first World Championship race 59 years ago. This is the 42nd time that the British grand prix has been held at Silverstone since Giuseppe Farina won the 1950 race in an Alfa Romeo and the circuit has held every event since 1987.
The track layout has been changed considerably since the first races held in 1948, with the first major change being the use of only the perimeter track for the 51 race. The circuit used to vie with Monza (post chicanes) as the fastest track in the seventies and eighties and held the outright fastest qualifying lap from 1985 (Keke Rosbergs 160 MPH Williams Honda pole position speed) until Juan Pablo Montoya eclipsed it at Monza in 2001.
The track was heavily modified for the 1991 race and further revisions to the track were made post Ayrton Senna’s death and the serious testing accident that happened to Pedro Lamy in a Lotus at Silverstone just after. The present track layout is shown below and is 3.194 miles in length.
View attachment 8282
Befitting a circuit with the history of Silverstone, all the corners have names. I thought it might be of interest where some of the corners are named as they are and the more memorable incidents that have happened.
The start / finish straight leads into Copse corner. Scene of a few first lap collisions, Copse sets the high speed layout of the first sector of the track. Last year saw Lewis Hamilton dicing with Heikki Kovalainen at the start of the 2008 race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAJ8u93NZMY&feature=related
From Copse the circuit enters the Beckets complex consisting of Maggots (named after Maggots Moor), Becketts and the Chapel Curve (named after the nearby ruins of the Chapel of Thomas à Beckett). The complex was first used in 1991 and tends not to see much overtaking through it. However it is possible in GP2 (as proven by two of the present F1 protagonists!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b8D0g0SmB0
A good run throught the complex is important for speed down Hangar Straight (named after two aircraft hangars that originally stood next to it) and for any overtaking opertunities into Stowe Corner (from the Stowe School at south of the circuit). Stowe happens to be the best place for overtaking at Silverstone and in the history of the race has seen this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stPsculxjSc
However Stowe also saw this, Schumacher’s worst crash, 10 years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woVKLcanlbk
Stowe tightens up in to The Vale and runs down into Club Corner (called after the RAC). Once a 160 MPH curve, Club is now entered in second gear and the cars accelerate through the gears up the Abbey straight. Ayrton Senna never did particulay well in his career with the British GP, only winning once (in 1988) and retiring 4 times in his final 5 races, the last 3 times breaking down at Club. In 1991, everybody remembered this. (Watch out for the Moonie on the Abbey Straight, The bloke involve was dragged off by two policemen straight afterward!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZvx3gFHV7o
The old Abbey Curve (called after the ruins of Luffield Abbey) was modified into a chicane in 94 and leads onto the farm straight and into Bridge Corner. The circuit then becomes a twisty infield section of the Prioy (Luffield abbey again), Brooklands and Luffield (they Abbey!!).
David Coultard finished his last British GP in the kitty litter and Priory saw this happen in 1995 (forget the other crash, that was Italy, however the result of Johnny Herbert winning was the same!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqfSM3R3smo
The last corner is Woodcote (named after the location of the RAC club in Surrey).
The circuit is therefore a many high speed circuit where good aerodynamic downforce is important (however not quite like Turkey).
Timings for the event are :
Fri 19 June 2009
Friday Practice 1 10.00 - 11.30
Friday Practice 2 14.00 - 15.30
Sat 20 June 2009
Saturday Practice 10.00 - 11.00
Qualifying 13.00
Sun 21 June 2009
Race 13.00
The race will be over 60 laps and will cover 191.604 miles. The present lap record is held by Schumacher the elder at 1:18.739.
Well what a difference a year makes. Last year Lewis Hamilton kicked his self made disasters into touch with a fabulous rain meister drive to take command of the WDC, while Honda had their best result for two years due to Barrichello’s wise move to go onto extreme wets. It was a shock to see Ruebens on the podium last year and it will be a shock not to see him on it this year. Silverstone will be another track that I would be very surprised if Brawn is not the leader of the pack on the Sunday, especially if it is dry. If it rains however the Red Bull is proven, if Vettel and Webber can keep them on the black stuff. I cannot see any one else that is likely to spoil the Status Quo. Can Button make it 7 from 8? Will Kimi be seen with an ice cream? Will Hamilton drag his dog of a car into the points? However it will be safe to say that Brawn GP will sell a lot of hats.
I leave this clip I found on youtube for last. It gives a fairly good idea of the atmosphere of a Brit GP crowd and what watching a GP at a circuit is really like..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haIDNgIMj1s
The track layout has been changed considerably since the first races held in 1948, with the first major change being the use of only the perimeter track for the 51 race. The circuit used to vie with Monza (post chicanes) as the fastest track in the seventies and eighties and held the outright fastest qualifying lap from 1985 (Keke Rosbergs 160 MPH Williams Honda pole position speed) until Juan Pablo Montoya eclipsed it at Monza in 2001.
The track was heavily modified for the 1991 race and further revisions to the track were made post Ayrton Senna’s death and the serious testing accident that happened to Pedro Lamy in a Lotus at Silverstone just after. The present track layout is shown below and is 3.194 miles in length.
View attachment 8282
Befitting a circuit with the history of Silverstone, all the corners have names. I thought it might be of interest where some of the corners are named as they are and the more memorable incidents that have happened.
The start / finish straight leads into Copse corner. Scene of a few first lap collisions, Copse sets the high speed layout of the first sector of the track. Last year saw Lewis Hamilton dicing with Heikki Kovalainen at the start of the 2008 race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAJ8u93NZMY&feature=related
From Copse the circuit enters the Beckets complex consisting of Maggots (named after Maggots Moor), Becketts and the Chapel Curve (named after the nearby ruins of the Chapel of Thomas à Beckett). The complex was first used in 1991 and tends not to see much overtaking through it. However it is possible in GP2 (as proven by two of the present F1 protagonists!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b8D0g0SmB0
A good run throught the complex is important for speed down Hangar Straight (named after two aircraft hangars that originally stood next to it) and for any overtaking opertunities into Stowe Corner (from the Stowe School at south of the circuit). Stowe happens to be the best place for overtaking at Silverstone and in the history of the race has seen this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stPsculxjSc
However Stowe also saw this, Schumacher’s worst crash, 10 years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woVKLcanlbk
Stowe tightens up in to The Vale and runs down into Club Corner (called after the RAC). Once a 160 MPH curve, Club is now entered in second gear and the cars accelerate through the gears up the Abbey straight. Ayrton Senna never did particulay well in his career with the British GP, only winning once (in 1988) and retiring 4 times in his final 5 races, the last 3 times breaking down at Club. In 1991, everybody remembered this. (Watch out for the Moonie on the Abbey Straight, The bloke involve was dragged off by two policemen straight afterward!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZvx3gFHV7o
The old Abbey Curve (called after the ruins of Luffield Abbey) was modified into a chicane in 94 and leads onto the farm straight and into Bridge Corner. The circuit then becomes a twisty infield section of the Prioy (Luffield abbey again), Brooklands and Luffield (they Abbey!!).
David Coultard finished his last British GP in the kitty litter and Priory saw this happen in 1995 (forget the other crash, that was Italy, however the result of Johnny Herbert winning was the same!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqfSM3R3smo
The last corner is Woodcote (named after the location of the RAC club in Surrey).
The circuit is therefore a many high speed circuit where good aerodynamic downforce is important (however not quite like Turkey).
Timings for the event are :
Fri 19 June 2009
Friday Practice 1 10.00 - 11.30
Friday Practice 2 14.00 - 15.30
Sat 20 June 2009
Saturday Practice 10.00 - 11.00
Qualifying 13.00
Sun 21 June 2009
Race 13.00
The race will be over 60 laps and will cover 191.604 miles. The present lap record is held by Schumacher the elder at 1:18.739.
Well what a difference a year makes. Last year Lewis Hamilton kicked his self made disasters into touch with a fabulous rain meister drive to take command of the WDC, while Honda had their best result for two years due to Barrichello’s wise move to go onto extreme wets. It was a shock to see Ruebens on the podium last year and it will be a shock not to see him on it this year. Silverstone will be another track that I would be very surprised if Brawn is not the leader of the pack on the Sunday, especially if it is dry. If it rains however the Red Bull is proven, if Vettel and Webber can keep them on the black stuff. I cannot see any one else that is likely to spoil the Status Quo. Can Button make it 7 from 8? Will Kimi be seen with an ice cream? Will Hamilton drag his dog of a car into the points? However it will be safe to say that Brawn GP will sell a lot of hats.
I leave this clip I found on youtube for last. It gives a fairly good idea of the atmosphere of a Brit GP crowd and what watching a GP at a circuit is really like..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haIDNgIMj1s
Last edited:
DT_Xtremez_14:
