The British Grand Prix

- Published on Dec 11th, 2010 by The Badger

Silverstone 1987-present

In the nineties the race belonged to the Williams team, who took six wins at Silverstone between 1991 and 1997. Armed with the superb FW14 and FW14B Nigel Mansell once again took back-to-back victories at his home race, winning in 1991 and 1992. The ‘91 running saw Mansell give Ayrton Senna a lift back to the pits after his McLaren had expired, one of the classic images of this era in F1.

A year later Silverstone was Mansell’s 7th win in 9 races, and resulted in another track invasion as the fans greeted the champion in waiting. That day also saw the debut of a future British champion, as Damon Hill made his first start in a Brabham. He finished last, four laps down, but two years later claimed victory himself. With pole, the win and the fastest lap in ‘94 Damon had a perfect weekend, and achieved something his legendary father never managed- victory at his home grand prix.

Then there was 1998, one we simply can’t forget. Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari led with just two laps to go, but he was issued with a stop-go penalty for overtaking under the safety car earlier in the race. It seemed he’d lose top spot to Mika Haikkinen, but Michael didn’t enter the pits until the very last lap. He crossed the finish line- and won the race- in the pitlane, before he’d even reached his pit stall. Everyone was mighty confused, but Michael would hold on to his victory, partly because the stewards had failed to issue the penalty in the correct time. McLaren’s protests were rejected by the FIA, and the German legend had added another controversial chapter to his career.

The 2000s kicked off with a British winner, David Coulthard following up his 1999 success with a repeat Silverstone victory. Teammate Mika Haikkinen bagged another McLaren victory in 2001, the penultimate win of the great Finn’s F1 career.

2003 provided one of the oddest moments in British Grand Prix history, not to mention one of the more scary. On lap 11 a man dressed in a green beret and orange kilt somehow found his way on to the track. Brandishing a banner with a religious message the man ran up Hanger straight in the direction of oncoming cars. That he wasn’t hit is quite remarkable, and a safety car was immediately deployed as the man was removed.

He turned out to be one Neil Horan, a defrocked priest who has since attempted invasions of several other sporting events, including the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 football World Cup. The invasion worked in the favour of Ferrari’s Rubens Barichello, who used the safety car period to leap to the front and win the race. This is definitely one incident we won’t ever forget- and never want to see again.

2005 saw a great battle between the McLaren of Juan Pablo Montoya and Renault’s Fernando Alonso. The two traded fastest lap times at the head of the field, with the Colombian eventually coming out on top, winning by under 3 seconds from Alonso. Fernando would take the victory the following year, beating title rival Michael Schumacher.

In 2008 Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning wet weather drive that cemented his place among the current F1 grid’s elite. Whilst title rival Felipe Massa seemed unable to go more than a lap without spinning Lewis was serene out front, and deservedly won by over a minute from Nick Heidfeld’s BMW. In the process Lewis lapped world champion Kimi Riakonnen, teammate Heikki Kovalainen and Fernando Alonso. Dominant stuff.

 

2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull-Renault)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
2007 - Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
2006 - Fernando Alonso (Renault)
2005 - Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren-Mercedes)
2004 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2003 - Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)
2002 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2001 - Mika Häkkinen (McLaren-Mercedes)
2000 - David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes)
1999 - David Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes)
1998 - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
1997 - Jacques Villeneuve (Williams-Renault)
1996 - Jacques Villeneuve (Williams-Renault)
1995 - Johnny Herbert (Benetton-Renault)
1994 - Damon Hill (Williams-Renault)
1993 - Alain Prost (Williams-Renault)
1992 - Nigel Mansell (Williams-Renault)
1991 - Nigel Mansell (Williams-Renault)
1990 - Alain Prost (Ferrari)
1989 - Alain Prost (McLaren-Honda)
1988 - Ayrton Senna (McLaren-Honda)
1987 - Nigel Mansell (Williams-Honda)

Silverstone & Brands Hatch (1963-1986)

The 1973 is best remembered for hugh pile-up that eliminated a gaggle of cars. Beginning lap 2 Jody Scheckter spun his McLaren on the pit straight causing mayhem behind him, as several cars piled in to the South African or took eachother out trying to avoid him. Revson won from Ronnie Peterson’s Lotus and fellow McLaren drver Denny Hulme, the top 3 separated by just 3 seconds.

1976 was an odd one. Starting from 2nd on the grid British hope James Hunt was involved in a first corner collision caused by Clay Regazzoni’s spinning Ferrari. The race was red flagged, and the cars made their way back to the pits. But Hunt took a shortcut, using an access road to make his return, and the stewards declared that, being as he had been off-track when the red dropped, Hunt couldn’t take part in the restart. But after some consideration, and a lot of pressure from the home fans, Hunt was allowed to take part in the grand prix- and duly won it from arch-rival Niki Lauda.

Ferrari and Tyrrell protested the result, but had their complaints rejected by the stewards. It would be another two months before the result was finally made official- Hunt was disqualified, handing Lauda victory. But, 12 months later, Hunt got his home victory, as he defeated Lauda to claim triumph in the 1977 event. It’s a funny thing, F1, and was even more so in the seventies.

Finally, whilst we’re on ‘77, it has to be mentioned that this race saw a stunning debut from Canadian senastion Gilles Villeneuve. Driving a third McLaren- and an out of date one at that- Gilles qualified 9th, beating teammate Jochen Mass (who had the latest car), and ran an impressive 6th before being forced to pit. He’d go on to finish 11th, but he’d done enough to impress: 4 months later he was  Ferrari driver, and the rest is history.

1986 - Nigel Mansell (Williams-Honda)
1985 - Alain Prost (McLaren-TAG)
1984 - Niki Lauda (McLaren-TAG
1983 - Alain Prost (Renault)
1982 - Niki Lauda (McLaren-Ford)
1981 - John Watson (McLaren-Ford)
1980 - Alan Jones (Williams-Ford)
1979 - Clay Regazzoni (Williams-Ford)
1978 - Carlos Reutemann (Ferrari)
1977 - James Hunt (McLaren-Ford)
1976 - Niki Lauda (Ferrari)
1975 - Emerson Fittipaldi (McLaren-Ford)
1974 - Jody Scheckter (Tyrrell-Ford)
1973 - Peter Revson (McLaren-Ford)
1972 - Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus-Climax)
1971 - Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
1970 - Jochen Rindt (Lotus-Climax)
1969 - Jackie Stewart (Matra-Ford)
1968 - Jo Siffert (Lotus-Climax)
1967 - Jim Clark (Lotus-Ford)
1966 - Jack Brabham (Brabham-Repco)
1965 - Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1964 - Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1963 - Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)

Silverstone and Aintree 1950-1962

Formula One made its debut in 1950 with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, won Nino Farina, who was driving an Alfa Romeo. Italians made a good go of the race back then, with Alberto Ascari winning for Ferrari in 1952 and 1953. In 1955 Stirling Moss became the first British driver to win his home grand prix, triumphing at the Aintree circuit in a Mercedes. It was a great day for the Silver Arrows, as they took a clean sweep of the top four positions, Juan Manuel Fangio crossing the line just 0.2 seconds shy of Moss.

Also a success on British soil in the fifties was José Froilán González, known to his fans as The Pampas Bull. González claimed victory at the 1951 and ‘53 races, and the first was very significant: it was Ferrari’s first Formula One victory.

The 1957 race, held at Aintree, was shared - the only time this has happened at the British GP. Stirling Moss and fellow Brit Tony Brooks shared driving duties in a Vanwall that day, thus claiming the first F1 win for a British built car. Peter Collins claimed victory a year later, this time at Silverstone, heading an all-British top four.

1962 - Jim Clark (Lotus-Climax)
1961 - Wolfgang von Trips (Ferrari)
1960 - Jack Brabham (Cooper-Climax)
1959 - Jack Brabham (Cooper-Climax)
1958 - Peter Collins (Ferrari)
1957 - Stirling Moss & Tony Brooks* (Vanwall)
1956 - Juan-Manuel Fangio (Lancia-Ferrari)
1955 - Stirling Moss (Mercedes-Benz)
1954 - José Froilán González (Ferrari)
1953 - Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
1952 - Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
1951 - José Froilán González (Ferrari)
1950 - Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo)