Silverstone Circuit

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What is a lap of Silverstone Circuit like?

Built on a former RAF bomber station, Silverstone hosted the first ever World Championship race on 13 May 1950; the British Grand Prix is the oldest fixture in the championship and Silverstone remains one of the fastest tracks on the calendar. The high-speed Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel sequence (Turns 10-14) is the circuit's fastest and most famous run of corners, while The Loop at Turn 4, a left-hand hairpin taken at around 90 km/h, is the slowest corner. The two DRS zones are on the Wellington Straight into Brooklands and the 770 m Hangar Straight into Stowe, where cars reach about 325 km/h and which gives the best overtaking opportunity. Corner names record history: Abbey and Luffield recall the medieval Luffield Abbey, Brooklands and Aintree are earlier homes of the British Grand Prix, and Woodcote and Club are named after RAC properties (Woodcote Park in Surrey and the club house in Pall Mall).

Lap length

5.891 km

Turns

18

Direction

clockwise

Longest straight

770 m

Elevation change

11 m

DRS zones (to 2025)

2

Character

Fast and flowing (about 41% of the lap is cornering)

Layout described

Arena Grand Prix circuit, 5.891 km and 18 turns, with the start/finish and pits at the Wing complex, used for every British Grand Prix from 2011 to 2025 (the Arena infield section was first used in 2010 and the Wing pits in 2011).

Sources for the checked facts (13)

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverstone_Circuit
• formula1.com/en/racing/2025/great-britain
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_history_of_the_Silverstone_Circuit
• racingcircuits.info/europe/united-kingdom/silverstone.html
• espn.com/f1/circuit/_/id/3707
• formula1.com/en/latest/article/circuit-guide-everything-you-need-to-know-about-silverstone
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_British_Grand_Prix
• formula1.com/en/latest/article/explained-how-every-silverstone-corner-got-its-name.idMlxFC
• formula1.com/en/latest/article/whats-in-a-name-the-history-behind-silverstones-iconic-corn
• racefans.net/2025/07/05/2025-british-grand-prix-strategy-briefing-all-the-data-to-follow-t
• tracktitan.io/post/silverstone-track-guide-sector-2
• motogp.tech3racing.fr/index.php/pages-gp/british-grand-prix
• formula1.com/en/latest/article/highs-and-lows-which-f1-track-has-the-most-elevation-change

Map, character and grey values are approximate (measured from a GPS trace). Report a correction.

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Does pole position win at Silverstone Circuit?

The pole sitter has won 23 of 61 races here (38%). Across all circuits since 1950 the pole sitter wins 44% of races. The winner started from the front row (P1 or P2) in 41 of 61 races (67%) and from the top three in 50 (82%). Lowest grid position to win: 7th, Emerson Fittipaldi in 1975.

Where the winner started, every race at this circuit. Pole sitter means the driver who set the fastest qualifying time (first on the grid where no qualifying data exists); a grid penalty can move the pole sitter back, and that race still counts for them. Compare every circuit.

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How are races at Silverstone Circuit won?

Since 2010

18 races; winners made 1 stop in 5, 2 stops in 10, 3 or more in 3; first stop at a median lap 18 (35% of the race)

1994 to 2009 (refuelling)

16 races; winners made 1 stop in 1, 2 stops in 14, 3 or more in 1; first stop at a median lap 21 (35% of the race)

Lap times over the years

All races at Silverstone Circuit