The next Formula One race is the British Grand Prix, which is held at Silverstone. This Grand Prix is bound to be an interesting one, and here’s some things we can expect from this weekend.
The first thing we can expect is a lively crowd. Silverstone has been cleared to operate at full capacity, meaning that over 140,000 fans will be in attendance. Fans in attendance will have to test negative within 48 hours or be fully vaccinated. While it is important that fans attending take actions to keep themselves and each other safe (such as practicing good hygiene and wearing masks especially if not fully vaccinated), having a crowd of this size will undeniably add energy to the weekend.
Additionally, the crowd will likely be even more passionate because the British GP is the home race for numerous teams and drivers. The teams that consider this grand prix their home race are Mclaren, Aston Martin, and Williams, and Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and George Russell are the British drivers. This means that British fans have plenty of home-country heroes to cheer for, and the cheers from the crowd are amazing to hear even when you’re watching from home.
The second thing we can expect is a different race weekend schedule, which is caused by the sprint qualifying session that is being tested at Silverstone and two other races this season.
A normal race weekend has two free practices on Friday, a final free practice and qualifying on Saturday, and then the race on Sunday. This weekend, the sprint qualifying format changes things a bit.
On Friday, there will be one free practice session and then a qualifying session, which will determine the grid for the sprint race.
On Saturday, there will be a second and final practice session and then the sprint race, which will determine the grid for Sunday’s race. The sprint race itself will be run over 100km, estimated to last approximately 30 minutes. The aim of the sprint race is to add more excitement for the fans by showing them a short event filled with action.
The sprint qualifying also means some changes to typical race weekend procedures and rules. One thing that is changing is that additional points are up for grabs. The top three finishers in the sprint race will be awarded points, with the top finisher receiving three points, the second finisher getting two points, and the third finisher being awarded one point. Additionally, drivers will be free to start Sunday’s race on any tire they choose.
Finally, Parc Ferme will also change to accommodate the addition of the sprint qualifying session. Teams will be allowed to reconfigure their cars a bit more than usual throughout the weekend. For example, teams will be permitted to adjust or change suspension elements or components on their cars in between qualifying and sprint qualifying. They will also be allowed to change their brake friction material or brake ducts for safety reasons.
The final thing we can expect out of the British Grand Prix is a good race on Sunday. The circuit at Silverstone is 5.891 kilometres, making it one of the longest circuits on the current calendar, and the race will be 52 laps long. With the tight title fight between Mercedes and Red Bull and some close battles in the midfield, this race is sure to be interesting. Sprint qualifying might make the race even more exciting because it has the potential to shake things up when it comes to Sunday’s grid, especially in the midfield.
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