Few things in Formula 1 can claim to be older than ourselves, but Silverstone is one of them, having featured on the calendar since the very first season of the sport in 1950. And yet, a lap of the famed British circuit remains as thrilling as its very first race.

From Ayrton Senna’s win in 1988 to Lewis Hamilton’s victory in 2008 and Lando’s thrilling fight with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on his way to the podium in 2023, Silverstone has hosted so many major McLaren moments over the years, and we can’t wait to find out what it’s got in store for us this season.

Along with our home hero Lando, we’ve recruited the help of Oscar and Team Principal Andrea Stella to help us look ahead to this year’s British Grand Prix. We’ll also walk you through what we love about the circuit, explain another typical F1 term and guide you on what to wear.

“I’m so excited for the British Grand Prix. I love Silverstone. It’s a fun track and of course, it’s mine and the team’s home race. The support from the home fans makes it even more special. 

“We know we have a fast car that can compete for wins at every type of circuit, which makes us excited for the rest of the season. Getting a podium last year in Silverstone was amazing, but I know that winning at a home race would be next level. Let’s go!” 

“Picking up some silverware in Austria is good motivation going into the final race of this triple header. Silverstone is one of my favourite circuits, and it’s an important one for the team being McLaren’s home Grand Prix. 

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of papaya fans in the stands. I made some really special memories last year, and I’m sure it’s going to be another exciting weekend. Most importantly, we’ll hopefully keep adding more points to the bank.” 

“We come to the final round of this triple header more motivated and more resilient than we came into it. While there have been challenges, there are also many positives to take away. Our home Grand Prix at Silverstone is always special for us, not only because of the amazing fans, but because so many of our team members attend with their friends and family.   

“While it’s great to be back at the front of the grid, we must acknowledge that every weekend is going to be challenging as our competitors are very strong. However, when I look at our two drivers and our team members both at track and back in Woking, I know we have a team capable of delivering consistent results.” 

Track insights

Having debuted on the F1 calendar in 1950, Silverstone is expectedly old school, in the very best of ways. The circuit is wide and free-flowing, with plenty of opportunity for drivers to put their foot down, and features several abrupt changes of direction that get the neck working.

None more so than during the famed Maggots, Becketts and Chapel sequence, which takes a driver quickly left, swiftly right and sharply left, navigating roughly 2 lateral G’s, before seeing them fire down the Hangar Straight at around 200 km/h. If a driver can find the right lines through this section of circuit, and resist the urge to hit the brakes, then it’s a great momentum builder and can be used to line up a move going into Stowe, which immediately proceeds the Hangar Straight.

Another overtaking opportunity can also be found at Abbey. This is taken flat-out following the circuit’s main straight, which is a slightly slower straight than Hangar, but not by much.  

The season so far

Lando and Oscar started the weekend strongly by finishing second and third in the Sprint to outscore every other team. They then carried this form over into Qualifying, with Lando finishing second and Oscar seventh – which would have been third had he not seen his lap deleted.

Lando was battling with Verstappen for the lead in the race on Sunday when the two collided, and he was forced to retire from the pits. Oscar managed to capitalise on this, however. The Australian was promoted to third following the crash, having already passed Perez and Hamilton earlier in the race. He swiftly snatched second from Sainz in the closing laps and retained this at the Chequered Flag for his second podium of the season.

We are third in the Constructors’ Championship, 23 points off second and 72 ahead of third.  

F1 translations: Oversteer and understeer

F1 is full of specialist slang and complicated jargon that can stump even the most avid of fans, which is why we’ll be explaining common F1 terminology ahead of each grand prix this season. This week, it’s oversteer and understeer… 

In the simplest of terms, oversteer is when a car turns more than a driver wants it to. Oversteer happens when the rear tyres lose grip, but the front tyres don’t, meaning that when a driver attempts to turn, the front wheels will turn for them, but the rear wheels remain straight.

This will cause the steering wheel to jolt in the opposite direction and the car to slide outwards. In order to maintain control, drivers will turn their steering wheel in the opposite direction and into the skid.

Understeer is the opposite and occurs when the front tyres lose grip, but the rears don’t. Essentially, it is when a car doesn’t turn as much as a driver wants it to and instead carries on going straight. This requires the driver to continue turning in the same direction, but more aggressively.

Oversteer and understeer are primarily caused by a lack of grip at one end of the car. The car’s general setup can also have an impact. If one half of the car is heavier, or if the suspension is stiffer at one end than the other, it can also cause oversteer or understeer.

All F1 cars will have some form of understeer or oversteer baked into them, but teams can compensate for this by trying to find a balance between the two. Or, they can opt to align their car to one or the other depending on which track they are visiting and what their driver prefers.

Understeer is easier to control but slower as the car will go wider and off the racing line, preventing them from entering a corner at high speed. Oversteer is harder to control but faster, as it can allow for a quicker change of direction.

F1 icebreaker

Stuck for conversation with your F1-loving friends? Spark up a discussion with our F1 icebreaker…

Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 British Grand Prix for McLaren by a mammoth 68 seconds.

The fit: Lando Silverstone collection

Lando’s Silverstone collection, of course! At last year’s British Grand Prix, we experienced rain and sunshine, so we’d recommend picking up a hoodie and a T-shirt, not to mention a hat. In past years we’ve gone big and bold for Silverstone, but this year we’ve opted for a more subtle and sleek style, which we reckon you’ll love.