Last five years at the British Grand Prix
Silverstone hosted the first race of the Formula One world championship 60 years ago, and has been hosting the British Grand Prix every year since 1987.
Two-time world champion Jim Clark and four-time world champion Alain Prost are the most successful drivers at the British Grand Prix with five wins each. Of the current crop of drivers, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has three British Grands Prix to his name.
It is amazing to think that commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone wanted to change venues for the grand prix last year and let Donington Park host it in 2010. That didn’t happen, and now the track is under the ownership of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, with 1996 world champion Damon Hill the president.
Here's a look back at the last five races at Silverstone:
2005
Fernando Alonso took pole position ahead of Kimi Räikkönen. Jenson Button managed to qualify in third for Honda, while Schumacher started in 10th.
Juan Pablo Montoya from fourth took the lead of the race after the first lap. Alonso battled Montoya for the race, as both traded fastest lap times. When Alonso exited after his first pit stop, he was almost side by side with Montoya, who managed to hold his advantage.
Montoya’s McLaren teammate Räikkönen fell back to sixth position, but began to make his way through the field, finding a way past Rubens Barrichello, Button and Giancarlo Fisichella.
Montoya increased his lead over Alonso, and took the chequered flag almost three seconds ahead. Räikkönen salvaged third, leaving him second in the drivers’ standings 26 points behind Alonso.
2006
Driving for constructors’ champions Renault, 2005 world champion Alonso took pole position ahead of Räikkönen and Schumacher. Alonso was dominating the first part of the season, collecting four race wins and three second places out of the seven races so far.
Räikkönen was in a much slower car compared to Alonso, and third-placed Schumacher in a superior Ferrari needed to find a way past. After the safety car had returned to the pits, the German attempted an overtake. They almost touched, but Schumacher couldn’t find a way past.
Instead, he made his move when Räikkönen pitted. Having stayed out for much longer, Schumacher put in fast laps, and when he made his stop and rejoined the race, he found himself a long way ahead of Räikkönen.
Alonso was unstoppable, and took his fifth win of the season and third on the spin. As the world champion of 2005, the Spaniard retained his world title at the end of the season.
2007
Lewis Hamilton in his debut season poled, ahead of Räikkönen and Alonso. Felipe Massa’s race was virtually over before it had begun as he stalled on the grid from fourth, forcing him to start from the pitlane. As the race developed, Räikkönen kept tabs on Hamilton and it was becoming obvious he had the race pace and was going to find a way past.
On his first pit stop, he emerged ahead of Hamilton, who made a mistake during his. Alonso led for a while, but as he was short-fuelled, Räikkönen got back in front and took command of the race.
Massa drove superbly and collected the award for the most overtakes in a race crossing the line in fifth behind Robert Kubica.
Räikkönen took his second win in successive races and his third of the season. The Finn would go on to win his first world championship and become the latest champion from Finland, following on from Mika Häkkinen and Keke Rosberg.
2008
Hamilton took the race victory in one of the wettest grands prix of the year. Starting from fourth on the grid, the Briton overtook his teammate Heikki Kovalainen from pole position, and pulled away at the front.
When the rain eased off, Räikkönen had clawed back the gap to Hamilton at the front, but after both pitted, the rain came down again, and Hamilton maintained his tyres while Räikkönen lost ground and fell behind. Massa, who went on to lose the world championship by one point at the end of the season, spun five times during the race.
Hamilton went on to become world champion, and he won the race by over a minute from Nick Heidfield. He described the race win as the best in his career.
2009
All the talk before the race was the threat by the Formula One teams of leaving and forming a breakaway series as a stand against ex-president of the FIA Max Mosley and his new regulations, which included a controversial budget cap.
On the track, Button headed into his home grand prix winning six of the first seven races and was favourite to make it seven out of eight, but the Brawn GP driver didn’t have his best race, finishing in sixth place. Sebastian Vettel poled and stormed to victory, ending Button’s winning streak, and led his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber to a one-two finish.
McLaren and Ferrari were struggling last season, and during the race, the only world champions in the field, Alonso, Hamilton and Räikkönen were battling for places down the back of the field.
Red Bull announced they were ready to take the fight to Brawn GP and challenge for the world championship.
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