British Grand Prix: Select your most memorable Silverstone race

With Method 1 celebrating its seventy fifth anniversary this 12 months, and the 2025 season arriving at Silverstone this week, BBC Sport is trying to reply the query: What’s the most memorable British Grand Prix?

We’ve got put collectively an inventory of 9 and all you need to do is select your favorite.

The Nineteen Sixties had been coming to an finish and Jackie Stewart was the motive force to beat in Method 1. The Scot had gained 4 of the primary 5 races of the ’69 season and was the favorite to take victory when spherical six landed in Britain.

Austrian Jochen Rindt, driving for Lotus, took pole forward of Stewart’s Matra. As quickly because the flag dropped, although, the 2 drivers started an epic duel that will see the lead of the race often change fingers.

Within the closing phases, bodywork injury and an absence of gas denied Rindt the possibility of victory. Stewart triumphed, lapping your complete discipline, earlier than toasting the win along with his spouse, Helen.

Manufacturers Hatch was the host of the 1976 British Grand Prix for probably the most controversial races in F1 historical past.

James Hunt secured victory that day in July, however it might be be taken away from the house driver two months later.

Hunt was concerned in a first-lap crash with the Ferrari of Clay Regazzoni, which resulted in a crimson flag. After he drove his broken McLaren again to the pits by way of a shortcut, the stewards initially barred him from the restart. Nonetheless, the partisan and sun-baked crowd had been outraged, so the choice was reversed and Hunt was capable of take part.

Following his win, Ferrari protested the end result, arguing that Hunt had not accomplished the total race distance due to the shortcut. Hunt was formally disqualified in September, giving Lauda the race victory.

The 12 months is 1987 and the moustachioed Nigel Mansell is beginning in second place at Silverstone, as his Williams team-mate Nelson Piquet claimed the coveted pole place.

On lap 35, Mansell was inside two seconds of Piquet. However a wheel stability difficulty meant the group elected to pit the Briton for contemporary tyres. Following a fast (for the time) 9.5-second cease, Mansell rejoined the motion 28 seconds behind Brazilian Piquet with 29 laps left.

Hopes had been fading for a British win, however Mansell relentlessly hauled in Piquet, finally overtaking his rival into Stowe with solely three laps remaining.

The followers swarmed on to the monitor, delirious with pleasure. “And the British crowd break ranks – they’re marvellous at this!” cried commentator Murray Walker.

“I can consider no different crowd on the planet that will try this.”

This weekend just isn’t essentially remembered for the victory, regardless of Mansell celebrating a dominant third win of his profession on dwelling soil, however extra for the long-lasting, albeit barely harmful, piece of sportmanship.

Championship chief Ayrton Senna, who began subsequent to Mansell in second, was categorised in fourth place after his McLaren ran out of gas on the ultimate lap.

As Mansell accomplished his cooldown lap, he seen the Brazilian ready for help, so he beckoned Senna over and gave him a elevate again to the pits on the aspect of his automobile. Cue rapturous applause from the followers, however disapproving glances from the marshal Senna had disregarded as a way to climb on the Williams.

“In your manner, Nigel, says Senna, with a faucet on the helmet,” mentioned Walker in commentary.

The Silverstone ambiance amplifies when a British driver is concerned within the title race, in order the Nineteen Nineties reached the halfway level, Damon Hill being solely 11 factors behind defending champion Michael Schumacher put the house crowd on a excessive.

Willimas’ Hill was on pole with Schumacher second, however the German took the lead on a one-stop technique.

On lap 46, Hill in second was on more energizing tyres when he made contact with Schumacher, making an attempt to overhaul the Benetton driver for the lead by means of the Priory nook, with the 2 vehicles ending up within the gravel.

After the race, as followers clamoured for his autograph, Hill mentioned the stewards felt there was “equal blame on each components” for the collision.

There was celebration for the house crowd, although, as Johnny Herbert – Schumacher’s Benetton team-mate – took his first profession win that day after 74 makes an attempt.

The nice British summer time was in full impact in 2008 as gloomy circumstances and rain hampered spherical 9 of the marketing campaign.

Lewis Hamilton was 23 years outdated and in his second 12 months at McLaren when he wrote his title into British Grand Prix folklore. He had been below stress coming into the race, after failing to attain factors within the earlier two grands prix.

Beginning in fourth, Hamilton’s pure wet-weather driving expertise noticed him move team-mate and polesitter Heikki Kovalainen on lap 5 up the within into Stowe – the identical place Mansell had overtaken Piquet for the lead 11 years earlier.

The beautiful victory – his maiden win in Britain – by greater than a minute put Hamilton in a three-way tie for the championship lead with Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

Silverstone fell silent due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, with no followers current for back-to-back race weekends on the circuit in August.

The primary occasion, carrying the standard ‘British’ title (the second was the seventieth Anniversary Grand Prix), was a largely routine affair till the ultimate moments, when chief Lewis Hamilton suffered a puncture on the final lap.

Hamilton had watched on as Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas’ race was ended two laps earlier by tyre points. So when Max Verstappen, who was about 30 seconds behind, started to shut in, it regarded like a document seventh dwelling victory was about to slide by means of Hamilton’s fingers.

Along with his left-front tyre in dire straits, Hamilton managed to achieve the road to take the chequered flag. “That was shut,” he mentioned, his aid evident.

Polesitter Max Verstappen was forward of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by 32 factors in a tense title race when the pair began alongside one another on the entrance row at Silverstone in 2021.

It didn’t take lengthy for the drama to unfold, because the opening lap took a dramatic twist into the 190mph Copse nook – one of many quickest in F1 – when the 2 rivals made contact at excessive velocity, sending Pink Bull’s Verstappen spinning out of the grand prix. The Dutchman was taken to hospital for precautionary exams after the 51G impression.

Hamilton – who was given a 10-second penalty for inflicting the collision with Verstappen – needed to move Lando Norris and team-mate Valtteri Bottas earlier than setting after race chief Charles Leclerc within the Ferrari. He had 12 laps to shut an eight-second hole and did so, getting previous on lap 50 of 52 when Leclerc ran broad on the exit of Copse.

Hamilton’s victory, his eighth on dwelling soil, minimize Verstappen’s lead on the high of the drivers’ championship to eight factors.

“I assumed it was by no means going to occur once more,” mentioned Hamilton after his truimph at Silverstone in 2024. His victory in his remaining 12 months at Mercedes was his first win in an astonishing two years, seven months and two days – an unfathomable dry spell for one of many all-time F1 greats.

Hamilton gained an intense race-long combat with Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris in wet-dry circumstances in entrance of 164,000 folks. The victory was his ninth at dwelling to develop into the record-holder for wins at a single circuit.

“I am unable to cease crying,” he mentioned straight after climbing out of his automobile. Later, he remarked: “That could be probably the most emotional ending to a race I feel I’ve most likely ever had.”