SILVERSTONE FORTNIGHT BEGINS

After a two week break, Formula 1 is returning with a highly anticipated double-header at Silverstone , the second race of which will be celebrating the 70^th anniversary of the British Grand Prix.

Preparing for the race amid the global pandemic has been no easy task for the Northamptonshire track, but one that is essential for the survival of the business following the 12 weeks of lockdown in the United Kingdom.

Silverstone’s managing director, Stuart Pringle, admitted that hosting back to back races will be far less beneficial from a business perspective and for the fans but ended by saying, ‘it’s better than nothing.’

Despite the lack of revenue from ticket sales, which Silverstone relies on as they do not receive government funding like some other race venues, Pringle explains: ‘We’re still in business. And that’s a lot better than a lot of businesses at the moment!’

Moving on to the race itself, Mercedes are clearly still the favourites for the top spots and will likely remain that way for the rest of the season. However, there is some concern around their smokey engines. The W11 has proven to be a cut above the rest but plumes of smoke have been spotted coming not only from the Mercedes’ themselves but also from their customers, Racing Point and Williams.

Thankfully for the Silver Arrows, Team Principal Toto Wolff has explained that it is not a reliability issue, but they have not yet figured out the cause behind the smoking and hope to gain more data at Silverstone.

As far as the rest of the field goes, Racing Point, who have been performing exceptionally well this season, have lost Sergio Perez for this race and probably more as he tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.

The team confirmed that while excluded from this weekend, the Mexican driver remains ‘physically well and in good spirits.’ They still intend to run two cars over the weekend and maintain their hot streak and its expected that Nico Hulkenberg will drop into the car as Perez’s replacement.

Max Verstappen continues to get the best out of a Red Bull car that currently is not a match for the Mercedes. Coming to Silverstone off the back of two podium finishes in a row, it is entirely possible that he will find himself in amongst the two Mercedes’ this weekend challenging for another podium.

Ferrari continue to be a shadow of their former selves and a battle for the upper-midfield positions is what is most likely in store for them around Silverstone unless the track throws up some curveballs for us all to enjoy. In any event its great to see racing at Silverstone and we are eagerly anticipating a great race around a circuit that rarely fails to deliver the entertainment goods.

We are also delighted to be hosting our first Torque Shop Q&A series webcast so don’t forget to join us on Sunday Morning for our live Q&A with Rob Smedley.

JDC is looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Formula 1 in 2021 for what is expected to be a very exciting and closely run season. If you’d like to experience any of the races on the 2021 calendar, then take a look at our Paddock Club™ hospitality packages or contact JDC Promotions and let us build a bespoke package for you and your guests.