2017 Formula 1 Rolex British Grand Prix

steemsports (80)in #steemsports • 7 years ago

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Grand Prix Information

Number of Laps: 52
Circuit Length: 5.891 km
Race distance: 306.198 km
First GP: 1950
Lap Record: 1:33:401, Mark Webber (2013)
Dates:
Practice 1: Friday, 14th July; 09:00 – 10:30
Practice 2: Friday, 14th July; 13:00 – 14:30
Practice 3: Saturday, 15th July; 10:00 – 11:00
Qualifying: Saturday, 15th July; 13:00 – 14:00
Main Race: Sunday, 9th July; 13:00 – 15:00

The Formula 1 season reaches the halfway point of the 2017 season when it moves to Silverstone, Great Britain this weekend. Even though the Grand Prix faces an uncertain future, it doesn’t diminish the love the drivers have for Silverstone. Championship leader, Sebastian Vettel, calls it “one of the best tracks”.

Silverstone holds a major place in Formula 1. It is part of ‘motorsport valley’, the area of south-east England where no fewer than seven of the 10 F1 teams have their bases. But this week, Silverstone has exercised its option to end its contract for the race after 2019, citing the fact that it cannot afford the current deal. What this means for the future of the British Grand Prix, we do not know yet.

This poses a huge problem for F1’s new owners as they have made it clear that they see a British Grand Prix as an absolutely integral part of the F1 season. So there are only two realistic options – renew Silverstone’s contract or find a new location. The only other solution – no British Grand Prix is totally unacceptable to anyone in sports. Until a solution is announced however, all we can do is sit back, relax and enjoy another explosive Formula 1 weekend.

Over the Years

Lewis Hamilton has pretty much made Silverstone his own in the past few years. Three consecutive wins have taken his number of British Grand Prix wins to four. Another this year would tie him on five with record holders Jim Clark and Alain Prost.

Hamilton: Victim of Unfortunate Circumstances

Hamilton has failed to finish on the podium in three of the past five races. Mostly problems beyond his control – notably the clash with Vettel at Baku and the gearbox penalty in Spielberg - have kept Hamilton out of the winner’s circle since his dominant run in Canada, but he believes that all he can do is stay focused and keep driving the way he had been till his luck turns. In his heart, he knows no better way to bounce back than to deliver another victory to his home fans.

Standings: Bottas Gaining Huge Points

The race for the championship is becoming more open than ever. Bottas has proven to be a strong teammate to partner Hamilton at Mercedes. With his current form, a third Grand Prix is certainly within his reach this weekend. Vettel currently leads the world championships standings. He leads Hamilton by twenty points. Hamilton is closely followed by Bottas, who is just fifteen points behind him. Predictions: Can Hamilton make history? With Vettel 20 points ahead of him, and Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas only 15 points behind, Hamilton is under immense pressure from above and below as he aims for a fourth consecutive British Grand Prix.

Not only is the British Grand Prix his home race, the Briton will be desperate to bounce back after finishing fourth in Austria on Sunday. To get himself in shape, Lewis has gone away for a bit of rest and relaxation. He said “Winning at Silverstone for the British fans is something I would very much like to achieve”.

The competition will be tougher than ever though, as he will require an extra boost from the home faithful to make it happen. For Vettel, the focus will be on minimizing the loss of points since his last win in Monaco six weeks ago. So will it be Vettel or Hamilton? Or another surprise, that has been the case on many occasions this season.

Did You Know?

The track is one of the only four grand prix from the first year of the World Championship to remain a part of today’s F1 calendar (the others being Monaco, Spa and Monza). And it has held a Grand Prix in every year of the World Championship since 1950.