The British Grand Prix, the pride of the calendar for many teams as it represents their home race and the heart of their fan base. For McLaren Honda cautious optimism is the approach. After what has been called rock bottom by some, there can, seemingly, only be upside after poor showings at both the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix. Coming off of a productive test in Austria we can expect both cars to be wearing the new short nose, floor, and wings tested then. Additionally, new sidepods are said to debut this weekend. However, just as McLaren Honda get to a circuit better suited to the car there could be more grid penalties they have to endure after Alonso’s Power Unit was apparently damaged in the crash with Raikkonen in Austria. Button’s Power Unit may not have a clean bill of health either after the issue that sidelined him in Austria. With the recent upgrades and a little reliability (and luck) this could be the beginning of a long-awaited turnaround.
Elsewhere on the grid, we have no reason to think Mercedes won’t win, but with this circuit not favoring outright power we can expect Ferrari to be closer. Upgrade packages brought by Williams and Force India look to make a meaningful difference in their pace as well, to the point where Williams will be challenging Ferrari. The race for P4-P10 is going to get tighter and better for fans and drivers alike.
US TV SCHEDULE:
Practice 2, Friday July 3rd, 9:00AM
EST
,
NBCSN
Qualifying, Saturday July 4th, 8:00AM
EST
,
CNBC
Race, Sunday July 5th, 7:30AM
EST
,
CNBC
CIRCUIT
INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 5.891km (3.66 miles)
Race laps: 52
Race distance: 306.332km (190.346 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’30.874 (233.374 kph) by Fernando Alonso, 2010
Fastest lap: 1’29.607 (236.673 kph) by Lewis Hamilton, 2013
Maximum speed: 302kph (187.654 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and Hangar straight
Distance from grid to turn one: 420m
Car performance
Full throttle: 66%
Longest flat-out section: 1034m
Downforce level: High
Fuel use per lap: 2.8kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.112s
Strategy
Quickest complete pit stop in 2013: 24.092s by Red Bull (see full list)
2014 prime tyre: Hard (2013: Hard)
2014 option tyre: Medium (2013: Medium)
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2014 (V6
TURBO
ERA
) RESULTS:
Laps: 52
Pole: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
Fast race lap: 1:37.176
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Valtteri Bottas, Williams-Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull-Renault
CURRENT
STANDINGS:
Drivers
Lewis Hamilton, 169
Nico Rosberg, 159 (-10)
Sebastian Vettel, 120 (-49)
Constructors
Mercedes, 328
Ferrari, 192 (-136)
Williams, 129 (-199)
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