The British Grand Prix is always a Formula 1 fan favourite and the 2023 iteration certainly didn’t disappoint.
Taking place at Silverstone, as it has since 1952, this historic race broke a new crowd record this year, with 480,000 Formula 1 fans piling through the gates for an event that lived up to its high expectations. This is our recap of the British GP results and highlights.
So, let’s see how it all happened …
Image: David Davies/PA via independent.co.uk
Who won the 2023 British Grand Prix at Silverstone?
The relentless Max Verstappen won the 2023 British Grand Prix after starting from pole position. However, his route to the chequered flag required more of a battle than recent races.
The red-hot Red Bull driver lost the lead to Lando Norris on the very first corner, yet retook top spot on the fifth lap and eventually won the race with a gap of 3.8 seconds.
This victory – Verstappen’s first in the British Grand Prix – marked 11 in a row for Red Bull, which matches the record set by the McLaren team in 1988. Of course, it’s a record that we fully expect to be broken within the next few weeks.
Talking of 11 in a row, this year saw Lewis Hamilton finish on the Silverstone podium for the 11th consecutive season. The legendary Brit clearly relishes the home advantage as he finished third behind fellow British driver Lando Norris.
Two Englishmen on the home podium was a welcome sight for the British fans and a fitting way to end a memorable race.
Image: ANP via Getty Images
2023 race highlights and key moments
Lando Norris got the dream start at Silverstone, holding the lead in front of the animated home crowd for five laps before ‘normal service’ resumed, when Max Verstappen soared ahead at Brooklands.
For Norris, this was potentially the most memorable performance of his career so far as he continuously held off the persistent advances of Hamilton to claim second.
The most dramatic incident in the race came during the 32nd lap when Kevin Magnussen’s Haas caught fire on the Wellington Straight. This soon resulted in a full safety car that gave way to a mass tire change, which proved the catalyst for Hamilton to claim third place.
As for the rest of the pack, rookie Oscar Piastri in the McLaren secured a career best finish in fourth, while George Russell – another Brit – took fifth in the Mercedes. Meanwhile, the Ferrari team once again disappointed with their now consistent inconsistency. We also saw a double DNF for Alpine, after Lance Stroll crashed into Pierre Gasly, forcing him to retire.
Key takeaways from the 2023 British GP
Continuing our Silverstone recap, here are a few key points to note:
- Verstappen claimed his first British Grand Prix victory and 11 consecutive wins for Red Bull.
- Verstappen added to his now 99-point lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
- Verstappen also set the fastest lap, with a time of 1:30.275 on lap 42.
- Red Bull walked away from Silverstone with a 208-point lead over Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship.
- McLaren came alive in its home race, with Norris finishing on the podium and Piastri in his highest-ever finish.
- Lewis Hamilton took a podium place at Silverstone for the 11th consecutive season.
- Despite another Red Bull victory, this was a much less predictable race than previous months.
Image: Ultimate Driving Tours
Looking ahead: upcoming races and beyond
Approaching the middle of the season, the next race on the F1 calendar is a driver and fan favourite alike – the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on 30 July, before the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort after the season resumes on 27 August.
Perhaps the most hotly anticipated race comes on 18 November with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, and at UDT we can’t wait to once again experience one of our personal favourites – the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 3 September.
Will Red Bull continue to dominate or will there be a few twists? Either way, the remainder of the season is sure to deliver an abundance of racing brilliance.
Image: Ultimate Driving Tours
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