There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.  

We don’t realise how lucky we are to have one of the Formula 1 calendar’s most beloved tracks right on our doorstep. This week, we’ve left our passports behind and are travelling to leafy Northamptonshire for a classic British staycation. And what’s better, we’re travelling with a special Chrome livery.  

It took Lando six years of badgering CEO Zak Brown on a near-weekly basis, but our home hero will finally be getting his wish, with the iconic Chrome look set to return for one race only, with a papaya twist, as part of our 60th-anniversary celebrations.  

Dressed in shiny new Google Chrome suits, Lando and Oscar are on-route to the Silverstone Circuit, and we caught up with them on the journey to get their thoughts on the race and the new-look MCL60.  

We realise Silverstone will need no introduction, but a refresher never hurt anyone, so we’ve also compiled a track guide for you and some tips on how to spend your time in Northamptonshire.  

Critical info

Round	11
Where	Silverstone
When	7 - 9 July
Lights out	15:00 local
Follow	The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

“Silverstone, let’s go! It's my home race, the team's home race, and one of my favourite weekends of the whole year. The fans are amazing, and I can’t wait to see all the papaya in the crowd, particularly with the amazing Google Chrome livery we have on the car.

“The P4 in Austria was such a feel-good moment for everyone. The car felt good, and I enjoyed racing some of the front running cars. I want to thank the team back at the factory once again for working hard on this upgrade package. 

“I’ve been back in the sim preparing for the weekend, working on optimising the upgrade package further and I’m excited to get more time in the car across the weekend. While we’ve still got a lot of work to do, hopefully we’ll end this double-header on a high and get some more points for the team.”

“I’m really excited for my first McLaren home race. Everyone at the team is looking forward to it and it will be great to see all the McLaren fans out there.

“Austria was bittersweet, but it was encouraging to see the improvements with the upgrades and for the team to get some good points. I’ve already been back at the MTC in the sim this week, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the new package feels on track. 

“We’ll be looking good in the special Google Chrome livery, and hopefully we can have another positive weekend.”

The Great British Race-off

The number of high-speed corners, in particular, should suit us. The left-right-left of Maggots, Becketts and Chapel is the circuit’s crowning feature and among the most revered sections of tarmac on the calendar. The three kinks are taken at pace and allow cars to really open up before they fire down the Hangar Straight and into Stowe.

The old Turn 1, Copse, and the new Turn 1, Abbey, are two more examples. The right-handers share similar qualities: both are taken flat-out and provide overtaking opportunities. Following on from the main straight, Abbey is a particularly good place to make a pass, with DRS available.  

In general, there is just a lot to be loved about Silverstone. It’s properly old school. The track is wide and flowing, with a high potential max speed – around 200km/h – and the fans are brilliant. Not to mention the good old unpredictable British weather. The chance of rain? High. The chance of wind? High. The chance of sun? High. The chance of all three within a race-long window? High. 

Last time out

We returned from Austria with a healthy haul of points thanks to an absolute corker of a race from Lando. Fitted with fresh upgrades, our British star drove his updated MCL60 to fourth in the Austrian Grand Prix, earning himself F1’s “Salesforce Driver of the Day” award.  

Oscar endured a tougher time of things in the old-spec MCL60 and wasn’t helped by taking damage in the race, which dumped him at the back of the field. But thanks to the hard work of the team back at base, the Australian rookie has access to the upgrades in Britain and will be determined to bounce back in front of the team’s home crowd.  

Setting the scene

So, we’ve already touched upon our erratic weather conditions, but we promise you that there’s more to Britain than this alone. If you’re travelling from outside of England for the race, then we’d suggest a pit-stop in London. It is a little out of the way, but we assure you, it’s worth the effort. There’s very little you can’t see or do in the capital.  

If you’re set on sticking to Northamptonshire alone, then there are some fantastic walks and hikes, with various reservoirs, farmland, forests and rolling hills to explore. Pack yourself a picnic and make a day of it.  

In regard to food, take your pick. You could go ultra-traditional with beer-battered fish and chips, afternoon tea and a Sunday roast, or you could try one of the many cuisines that have crept into British culture, such as Chinese, Indian, or Italian.  

“The whole team is looking forward to McLaren’s home race and to get out on track in front of our home fans and many of our people. For many it is the only time they will have the opportunity to see our cars live on track.

“We come back from Austria with 12 points for the team, a very good result for us. It was good to see the upgrades performing well on Lando’s car. We’ll have the same upgrades fitted to Oscar’s car. 

“We remain focused and realistic, with our feet on the ground, regardless of the encouraging and positive result in Austria. The most important thing is to continue to move forward and evolve, however little, every day.

“Silverstone is a very different track from Austria, but we obviously hope to achieve another good result at a circuit that has brought so much joy to all F1 fans and competitors.”

Set your alarms 

Free Practice 1	07:30 ET / 12:30 BST / 21:30 AET
Free Practice 2	11:00 ET / 16:00 BST / 01:00 AET
Free Practice 3	06:30 ET / 11:30 BST / 20:30 AET
Qualifying	10:00 ET / 15:00 BST / 00:00 AET
Race	10:00 ET / 15:00 BST / 00:00 AET

Stat pack

• The Silverstone circuit is based on the site of a former WWII Royal Air Force bomber station, RAF Silverstone

• We are the second most successful team at the British Grand Prix with 14 wins

• Twelve of those wins have come at Silverstone, including three in a row between 1999 and 2001

• Nine different drivers have won the British Grand Prix for McLaren

• We're one of four teams to have won at Silverstone since 2008, with our most recent victory coming courtesy of Lewis Hamilton

• Hamilton won the 2008 British Grand Prix by 68 seconds

• David Coulthard won the 2000 British Grand Prix win over teammate Mika Häkkinen by only 1.5s

• Lando scored three podiums and a win at Silverstone across various series in his junior racing career

• Lando has only failed to score points at Silverstone once in F1, with a best finish of fourth

• Oscar finished on the podium in all three races during a 2017 British Formula 4 round, winning once and finishing third twice.

• Oscar followed this up by winning both races in a round of the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup series

The fit: The Lando look

In the years gone by, we’ve seen all manner of outrageous outfits at Silverstone. From full Union Jack dresses to Peaky Blinders’ style suits and Guardsman-inspired red tunics and bearskin caps. And whilst we’ll never discourage that level of creativity and patriotism, many of you will likely want to wear something more stylish that attracts a little attention.  

Luckily for you, Lando and our creative team were hard at work designing you the perfect British look. This year’s chic is tie-dye, and he’s designed matching New Era caps, T-shirts and a hoodie for you to don alongside his SunGods. Pair them with your favourite black jeans and trainers for the full Lando look.  

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