British GP: remember tradition, records and fight for the championship
Formula 1 arrives at Silverstone this weekend for the British Grand Prix, the ninth stage of the 2026 season and the fourth with a sprint format. Sunday's race will have 52 laps on the traditional British circuit, which hosted the first race in the category's history in 1950.
The British GP is one of the most traditional on the Formula 1 calendar. Along with Italy, it is one of the only stages present in every season of the category. This year's edition will be the 77th of the race and the 60th held at Silverstone.
The circuit is 5,891 km long, totaling 306,198 km of racing. In 2025, pole position went to Max Verstappen, while Lando Norris won for the first time in front of the British fans. The official track record in racing remains with Verstappen, who clocked 1min27s097 in 2020.
Hamilton is the biggest winner at Silverstone
Among the drivers on the current grid, Lewis Hamilton is the one who collects the most achievements on the British circuit. The seven-time champion won nine times at Silverstone, a record in the event, as well as taking seven pole positions and being on the podium on 14 occasions - the highest record for a driver in his home Grand Prix.
In addition to Hamilton, four other drivers on the grid have already won the race: Fernando Alonso (2006 and 2011), Carlos Sainz (2022), Max Verstappen (2023) and Lando Norris (2025).
In total, 12 British drivers have already won the British GP. This season, five local representatives compete in the race: Hamilton, George Russell, Norris, Oliver Bearman and Arvid Lindblad.
Norris races at home as world champion
The stage also marks a special moment for Lando Norris. Current world champion, the McLaren driver will compete in the British GP for the first time carrying the number 1 in the car.
Another important fact is that, since 2000, no race winner has started below fourth place on the grid, reinforcing the importance of qualifying at Silverstone.
Among the teams, Ferrari leads the stage record, with 18 victories.
Mercedes dominates the season
After eight stages, Mercedes is enjoying a dominant season. The team has won seven of the eight races held so far, five of them with Kimi Antonelli.
The young Italian leads the drivers' championship with a 40-point lead over teammate George Russell. Lewis Hamilton appears in third place, six points behind Russell.
In the Constructors' World Championship, Mercedes has a 98-point advantage over Ferrari, while McLaren, the current champion among the teams, occupies third place, 143 points behind the leader.
Antonelli won the GPs in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco. Russell triumphed in Australia and Austria. The only victory outside of Mercedes was that of Hamilton, who ended the team's run by winning in Barcelona, achieving his first triumph since 2024.
Hamilton remains the biggest winner in the history of Formula 1, with 106 victories in 388 starts. Verstappen occupies third place in the historical ranking, with 71 triumphs, behind only Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, who have 91.
Ferrari, in turn, could achieve a historic milestone at Silverstone: if they win, they will achieve their 250th victory in Formula 1.
Sprint returns to Silverstone
The weekend will also feature a sprint race, the fourth of the season, after races in China, Miami and Canada.
George Russell won the Shanghai and Montreal sprints, while Norris prevailed in Miami. All of this year's short races were won by drivers who started on pole position.
Despite leading the championship, Antonelli is still looking for his first victory in a sprint race.
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Source: CNN