Written by Traber Burns, Edited by Meghana Sree
A collective sigh of relief was heard from Formula 1 fans around the world this week. F1 announced a contract extension that guarantees Silverstone’s spot on the F1 Calendar through to 2034.
In an era of traditional venues being replaced by flashy street circuits, this agreement is a bright spot for the future. Prior to this week, the calendar announcement that Madrid would be replacing the Catalunya Circuit in Spain was not received well on social media by fans due to the increase of street circuits.
With regards to the British Grand Prix, speculation had circulated for quite some time that Silverstone could be replaced by a street circuit in London.
F1 and the owners of the Silverstone Circuit - The British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) - can thankfully put those rumours to bed for the near future. This contract extension means the track will enter its ninth decade as a host of F1 racing.
It’s also one of four tracks that remain from the inaugural FIA Formula 1 1950 Drivers World Championship, alongside Monaco, Spa, and Monza.
As far as action is concerned, Silverstone rarely lacks it. While the overtaking statistics aren’t spectacular, the quality of battles is extremely high, as many overtakes require multiple attempts by the driver behind.
With the switchback-type nature of the layout, many battles tend to carry through entire sectors. A perfect example of this is the start of the 2021 race.
Speaking of 2021, Silverstone has never been in dearth of dramatic moments either, especially in the 2020s alone. Classic examples are when Lewis Hamilton’s tires failed during the closing laps of the 2020 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, or the 2021 first lap battle and ensuing race that resulted in the title fight being flipped on its head.
The 2022 Grand Prix featured an issue for Max Verstappen, a fantastic battle for the top spots that manifested into the commentator David Croft’s now iconic call “Through goes Hamilton”, and not to mention Carlos Sainz’s first F1 victory.
The fan experience appears to be top notch as well. Apart from the occasional traffic complaint, it’s extremely rare to find a fan who claims they’ve had a poor experience.
On the broadcasts, Silverstone appears to host some of the loudest fans on the schedule, as cheers are frequently heard over the sounds of the engines.
F1 has made the perfect call in extending Silverstone’s contract. Many fans would agree that there isn’t a better track in Great Britain to host the British Grand Prix, and they can look forward to another decade of its greatness.