The British Grand Prix returns at the new and improved Silverstone this weekend and while the new track layout was first used during last year’s Grand Prix, it is now the turn of the circuit’s brand new state of the art, not to mention visually impressive, pit complex to make its debut.
Three Brits will compete in the Grand Prix and two of them, McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, will look to put home advantage to good use as they chase down reigning world champion and current championship leader Sebastien Vettel.
Hamilton is looking for his second victory at the Northamptonshire circuit while Button has never even scored a podium at his home event, though the 2009 world champion has picked up a couple of fourth places. Button is currently second in the championship, 77 points behind Vettel while Hamilton is fourth and a further 12 points behind.
Vettel and his Red Bull team have been in dominant form this season, taking seven out of the first eight pole positions with the other one going to Vettel’s team mate Mark Webber. The German champion has gone on two convert six of those seven poles to race wins and while many perceived that his slip on the last lap of the Canadian Grand Prix that gifted Button the win offered a glimmer of hope to his rivals, one must not forget that Vettel still left the circuit that weekend with a bigger championship lead than he had started out with, despite the setback. He then bounced back two weeks later with another easy stroll to victory in Valencia.
The third Brit on the grid, meanwhile, Paul di Resta will more likely settle for a solid points finish to further cement his drive following some good performances for Force India this season.
The Scot has been very convincing this year, scoring points on his debut and out-qualifying his experienced team-mate Adrian Sutil at six of the eight races so far. He will be looking for more of the same this weekend.
The drivers will be starting the race from an unfamiliar location. With the new pit complex comes a new start finish straight and the final section of the lap during last year’s event is now the beginning of the lap this year.
The track layout, though, will remain the same as last year and another driver to look out for will be Red Bull’s Webber. He is yet to pick up a win this season but won this race quite comfortably when the new track was first used last year and will hope to kick-start his season by repeating that success.
It’s difficult to see past another Vettel victory, though, with his current blistering form looking increasingly likely to secure him his second world title on the trot.
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Certainly hoping Paul di Resta can build on his efforts so far. Definitely one to watch now and in the future.
will also be watching out for any “Red Shouldered Black Birds” that have migrated over here.
Not a huge Grand Prix fan, only really seem to watch the British GP for some reason.
But can’t see past a Vettel win.
Vettel seems to be taking all the excitement out of the sport for a lot of fans. If he continues this dominance then who knows where he can go!
I think in terms of excitment this has actually been one of the better seasons in recent times.
Had the cars been the way they were three years ago then this would probably be the most boring F1 season on record but although the title has all but gone to Vettel, the majority of the races have been exciting enough on their own to make up for it.
Vettel is certainly living up to his ‘Baby-Schumi’ nickname!