What is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone?
The British Grand Prix is a Formula One race held each summer at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. Silverstone hosted the first ever Formula One World Championship race in 1950.
Silverstone was built on a former Royal Air Force airfield after World War II. The circuit uses parts of the old runways.
The first World Championship race, on 13 May 1950, was attended by King George VI and was won by Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo.
A fan favorite
The British Grand Prix attracts some of the largest crowds of the Formula One season, with hundreds of thousands of people attending over the race weekend.
British drivers such as Nigel Mansell and Lewis Hamilton have won the race in front of home crowds. Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix a record number of times.
Silverstone is close to several Formula One team headquarters in the area known as Motorsport Valley.
The circuit is famous for fast corners such as Copse, Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel. It also hosts motorcycle races and other motorsport events.