The British Grand Prix is one of the cornerstones of the F1 calendar, having been the very first race in the very first season back in 1950.

Home success has been plentiful, with Lewis Hamilton have taken the chequered flag a record eight times.

What	British Grand Prix
Where	Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
When	15:00, Sunday 9th July 2023
How to watch	Sky Sports F1, Channel 4
Odds	F1 Drivers Championship 2023: Max Verstappen 1/8, Sergio Perez 5/1, Fernando Alonso 50/1, Lewis Hamilton 50/1, Charles Leclerc 100/1

Where is the British Grand Prix?

The British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone as it has done every year since 1987. It is one of the fastest circuits on the F1 calendar and the current iteration of the track has been in use since 2010 with an "arena" style start/finish complex.

Brands Hatch has also been a previous venue for the British GP, as well as the old Aintree circuit.

How many British Grands Prix have been run?

73 races have been officially held as part of the F1 World Championship, with Giuseppe Farina winning the first back in 1950.

Who is the most successful driver in the British Grand Prix?

Unsurprisingly, Lewis Hamilton tops the charts having won the race eight times since his F1 debut in 2007.

He picked up a maiden home win in 2008 and has won the race in seven of the last eight seasons for Mercedes. Next on the list are former world champions Jim Clark and Alain Prost with five victories apiece and then Nigel Mansell, another home hero, who triumphed in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1992.

Who won last year's race?

Hamilton's dominance at Silverstone ended in 2022 as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz claimed the first victory of his F1 career. Crashes involving Zhou Guanyu and Alexander Albon caused the race to be halted early on and Max Verstappen took the lead from Sainz, who had been on pole, when it was restarted. 

However, debris damaged Verstappen's Red Bull and he could finish only seventh as Sainz held off Sergio Perez and Hamilton to take the chequered flag.

How have Red Bull performed at Silverstone in the past?

Not well is the short answer. Silverstone is a bit of a bogey circuit for the Austrian team and they last won a race in Northamptonshire back in 2012 when Mark Webber took victory. 

Webber also won in 2010, while four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel triumphed 12 months earlier, but Perez gave Red Bull something to celebrate with his second-placed finish in 2022.

How have Ferrari performed at Silverstone in the past?

Ferrari hadn't had much to shout about at Silverstone in recent seasons but that all changed with Sainz's surprise victory in 2022. His teammate Charles Leclerc briefly led last year's race before coming home in fourth place. 

Before Sainz's success, Ferrari had a lean spell in Britain. Since Michael Schumacher's last British GP win for the team in 2004, only three Scuderia drivers had jumped on to the top step of the podium: Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, Fernando Alonso in 2011 and Vettel in 2018.

How much longer does Silverstone have the contract for the British GP?

Currently, the deal with Silverstone is due to expire at the end of the 2024 season although given the illustrious history of the circuit, and Britain's overall contribution to F1, it is highly likely a new deal will be sought.

What time are the main events?

Qualifying will take place at 3pm BST on Saturday 8th July while the race gets underway at 3pm on Sunday 9th July.

Who is leading the championship going into the race?

Max Verstappen, the world champion in 2021 and 2022, is 1/8 to retain his F1 drivers' title after winning three of the first five races in 2023.

Verstappen's victories in Bahrain, Australia and Miami have given him a 14-point lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who triumphed in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan and has also twice finished second to the world champion.

The Red Bull pair have opened up a significant gap to the rest of the field but veteran Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin is in third place in the standings after four podium finishes in the first five races.

Lewis Hamilton was second at the Australian GP but has had a frustrating start to the season otherwise and is 50/1 to win the world title, while Carlos Sainz, last year's British GP winner, failed to make the podium in his first five outings of 2023.

Could Lewis Hamilton win this year's British GP?

Home fans have come to expect Hamilton victories at Silverstone but Mercedes have been off the pace in the early races of the 2023 season. 

The seven-time world champion finished second in Australia but that was a messy race disrupted by three red-flag incidents and Mercedes will need to find significant improvement if the British ace is to threaten a ninth win at his home Grand Prix.

How can I watch the British GP?

Both Sky Sports F1 and Channel 4 have live coverage of every practice session, as well as qualifying and the race, with plenty of build-up and post-race fallout also on offer.

How many spectators are expected to attend on race day?

142,000 people descended on Silverstone for the 2022 race, breaking the record for attendance at the circuit, and a similar level of interest is expected this year.