British drivers to have gained the British Grand Prix

Not each F1 driver is fortunate sufficient to have a house grand prix, as many world champions spent a whole profession with out racing of their native nation.

That’s very true for Finnish trio Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Keke Rosberg, because the Scandinavian nation has by no means hosted an F1 race.

So, these from the UK ought to rely themselves fortunate because the British Grand Prix has been a staple of the F1 calendar because it hosted the championship’s inaugural race in 1950.

The grand prix has since been gained by 12 British drivers, so who’re they and who has claimed victory probably the most regularly?

Lewis Hamilton – eight British GP wins

Years lively in F1: 2007 – current
Wins on the British GP: 8 (2008, 2014-17, 2019-21)

Lewis Hamilton is the king of the British GP, as his eight victories are probably the most of any driver in historical past. From the second he entered F1 in 2007, the seven-time world champion has been preventing on the entrance as Hamilton claimed pole for his debut British GP – solely to lose victory throughout the pit window on account of a gradual McLaren cease.

However Hamilton rebounded completely by dominating the 2008 British GP en path to his maiden world championship that 12 months. He delivered a masterclass within the moist to win by 68.577s.

Hamilton needed to wait till the turbo-hybrid period started in 2014 for not solely his subsequent world championship, but additionally his subsequent British GP victory. In his second 12 months at Mercedes, Hamilton had one other giant win margin of 30.135s, however was helped by team-mate Nico Rosberg shedding his result in a gearbox downside.

That began Hamilton’s run of 4 consecutive British GP victories – the second driver to realize such a feat – which resulted in him tying Jim Clark and Alain Prost for probably the most wins on the occasion. He needed to wait a short while to outright declare the document although.

In 2018, Hamilton misplaced the result in Sebastian Vettel in the beginning, earlier than a tag from Raikkonen prompted him to spin at Flip 3 on the opening lap. However Hamilton returned to profitable methods in 2019 at Silverstone with a record-breaking sixth British GP victory.

This began one other profitable run that culminated in Hamilton’s eighth and most up-to-date British GP win in 2021, a race remembered for his well-known conflict with Max Verstappen at Copse on lap one.

Jim Clark – 5 British GP wins

Clark gained the British GP 5 groups, all aboard Lotus equipment

Picture by: David Phipps

Years lively in F1: 1960-68
Wins on the British GP: 5 (1962-65, 1967)

Earlier than Hamilton, Clark was the primary driver to win 4 consecutive British GPs. One distinction was that not all of Clark’s victories got here at Silverstone, as throughout his time in F1 the British GP alternated its host annually.

The {old} Aintree circuit was the venue for Clark’s first British GP win in 1962, the place the Scotsman by no means misplaced place from pole to win by 49.2s and begin his record-breaking run.Highlighting his dominance, Clark achieved all of his victories in that interval from pole.

His second British GP win got here at Silverstone, earlier than claiming a 3rd round Manufacturers Hatch. The British GP returned to Silverstone for Clark’s fourth victory in 1965, however this time his profitable run appeared doubtful because the Lotus 33 driver began shedding oil strain within the closing levels.

This prompted Clark to kill the engine via the quick corners in an try to nurse his automotive to the top, a ploy that delivered him victory by simply 3.2s.

The tempo of Jack Brabham’s self-built Brabham BT19 automotive in 1966 proved an excessive amount of, ending Clark’s profitable streak, however he returned to the highest step in 1967 by changing pole at Silverstone. Denny Hulme languished 12.8s behind in what proved not solely his remaining British GP victory, but additionally his remaining house race earlier than Clark was tragically killed in a crash at Hockenheim in April 1968.

Nigel Mansell – 4 British GP wins

Mansell’s well-known victory over team-mate Piquet got here with a dramatic late cross into Stowe

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1980-92, 1994-95
Wins on the British GP: 4 (1986-87, 1991-92)

Nigel Mansell as soon as endured numerous onerous luck at his house occasion, as he retired from three of his first 5 British GPs whereas additionally failing to qualify in 1981. However that run was led to the most effective of circumstances, as Mansell gained the ultimate British GP to be held at Manufacturers Hatch in 1986 after overtaking Williams team-mate Nelson Piquet roughly a 3rd of the best way via an occasion the Brummie described as the race of his life.

Silverstone then grew to become the British GP’s everlasting host in 1987 – the 12 months Mansell gained his second house race in what proved to be a traditional. Mansell once more began from second behind Piquet and was on his team-mate’s tail earlier than making a pitstop with 30 laps remaining, whereas the Brazilian tried to nurse his tyres till the top.

Regardless of the delay, Mansell’s technique proved to be the proper one. He decreased his 30s deficit to Piquet by breaking the lap document eight instances, to the delight of the house crowd, then sealed the job by overtaking Piquet with three laps to go and gained by 1.9s.

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Two second-place finishes and a retirement on the British GP adopted, earlier than Mansell gained his third house race in 1991 by holding off Ayrton Senna’s early assault to win from pole. The 1991 British GP can also be well-known for Mansell giving Senna a raise again to the pitlane, after the Brazilian’s McLaren ran out of gas on the ultimate lap.

And the long-lasting British GP moments for Mansell didn’t finish there, as he claimed a fourth victory in 1992 en path to lastly securing the world championship. Throughout a dominant begin to 1992, Mansell’s Silverstone triumph was his seventh win from the opening 9 grands prix. Followers subsequently invaded the monitor and swarmed their hero throughout his victory lap.

David Coulthard – two British GP wins

Coulthard made it back-to-back British GP wins for McLaren in 2000

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1994-08
Wins on the British GP: 2 (1999-2000)

David Coulthard joined F1 in probably the most tragic of circumstances, changing Senna at Williams following the triple world champion’s dying in 1994. Coulthard impressed over the next 18 months, which included his maiden grand prix victory in Estoril and third on the 1995 British GP, resulting in the Scotsman shifting to McLaren for 1996.

Though Coulthard largely performed second fiddle to double world champion Hakkinen at McLaren, which means he did not clinch a title of his personal, he nonetheless solid a powerful profession that included two victories in entrance of his house crowd. The primary got here in 1999, as Coulthard was handed the lead when Hakkinen’s loosely-fitted rear-left tyre got here flying off on the exit of Luffield, forcing him to retire with 25 laps remaining.

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Coulthard went back-to-back on the British GP in 2000, exhibiting robust tempo within the early levels to climb from fourth to first, earlier than holding on for victory regardless of a late gearbox downside. The Scotsman failed to complete greater than fifth in his subsequent British GPs, earlier than retiring on the finish of 2008.

Jackie Stewart – two British GP wins

Stewart was completely dominant in his Tyrrell-Ford 003 in 1971 to notch his second Silverstone success

Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

Years lively in F1: 1965-73
Wins on the British GP: 2 (1969, 1971)

F1 icon Jackie Stewart gained the world championship 3 times, in 1969, 1971 and 1973, whereas spending a lot of his profession campaigning for higher security rules. It was throughout his first title-winning season that Stewart gained his maiden British GP and the story behind it’s fairly exceptional.

The Matra driver began second at Silverstone, behind pole winner Jochen Rindt, and the duel between each drivers stole the present as they always swapped positions. This was till the closing levels when Rindt pulled alongside Stewart and the Scotsman signalled to his rival that his Lotus’s rear wing endplates had been free. When the Austrian determined to pit, it handed victory to Stewart, one lap forward of runner-up Jacky Ickx’s Brabham.

PLUS: Jackie Stewart’s 10 greatest races

Stewart adopted that up with one other victory in 1971, additionally at Silverstone, however this one got here a lot simpler. He claimed the lead on lap 4, earlier than disappearing into the gap. Stewart solely entered yet another British GP (he retired the next 12 months), by which the Tyrrell driver completed a disappointing tenth after spinning from second.

Stirling Moss – two British GP wins

Moss grew to become the primary British winner of his house grand prix at Aintree in 1955 aboard the Mercedes W196

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1951-61
Wins on the British GP: 2 (1955, 1957)

One other British nice to have gained his house race twice, the primary of Stirling Moss’s two victories was additionally his maiden grand prix triumph. It got here at Aintree in 1955, Moss profitable from pole by simply 0.2s from Mercedes team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio, as he additionally grew to become the primary Briton to win his house occasion.

Moss’ subsequent British GP victory got here in 1957, additionally at Aintree, the place he shared the race profitable automotive with team-mate Tony Brooks. That’s as a result of the Vanwall squad agreed that if Moss’ #18 automotive hit bother, then he would swap to the #20 began by Brooks as he was nonetheless recovering from a crash on the earlier month’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

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When Moss’s engine caved in, he duly changed Brooks. An excellent cost from ninth, helped by reliability issues for others, noticed a British automotive win the British GP for the primary time. It stays the final time a grand prix was gained by two drivers, which beforehand occurred on the 1951 French GP (Fangio and Luigi Fagioli) and 1956 Argentine GP (Fangio and Luigi Musso).

Johnny Herbert – one British GP win

Herbert took full benefit of Hill clashing with Schumacher to document his maiden F1 win

Picture by: Motorsport Images

Years lively in F1: 1989-2000
Wins on the British GP: 1 (1995)

Johnny Herbert claimed his first of three profession race wins on the 1995 British GP, as he took a shock journey to the highest step after beginning fifth. His Benetton had climbed as much as third by lap 23 earlier than inheriting the lead 24 excursions later, when Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher each spun off at Priory after the Williams driver made an ill-timed lunge down the within.

Herbert held on for the remaining 16 laps to beat runner-up Jean Alesi by 16.4s, which additionally occurred to be the ultimate time that Herbert recorded a factors end on the British GP.

Damon Hill – one British GP win

Hill scored the British GP win his father missed out on in 1994

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1992-99
Wins on the British GP: 1 (1994)

Earlier than Hill’s despair on the 1995 British GP, he had loved jubilation the 12 months earlier than when he gained his house race on the third time of asking. Not for the final time, it concerned an issue with Schumacher.

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The German driver, who began second, overtook Hill twice on the formation lap. This resulted in a five-second penalty for the championship chief and later a black flag, as he did not serve it by lap 21.

Schumacher continued to race although, as Benetton claimed it had not seen the black flag, and served a stop-go penalty on lap 27. This allowed Hill to consolidate his lead and finally win the British GP whereas Schumacher, who crossed the road second, was finally disqualified post-race over the black flag drama.

John Watson – one British GP win

Watson picked up the items when others fell by the wayside in 1981

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1973-83, 1985
Wins on the British GP: 1 (1981)

John Watson had two visits to the British GP podium – 1976 and 1978 – earlier than he lastly stood on the highest step in 1981 for his second grand prix victory. It got here whereas driving for McLaren and a few could take into account it fortunate as Watson, who began fifth, moved into third on lap 13 when Didier Pironi’s engine failed.

4 excursions later, Prost additionally suffered an engine failure and retired from first, then the identical downside struck his Renault team-mate and new race chief Rene Arnoux on lap 64. This left Watson in entrance, with the Ulsterman conserving his lead for the remaining 5 laps to say his first victory since Austria 1976.

James Hunt – one British GP win

Hunt was disqualified after profitable his house GP at Manufacturers Hatch in 1976, however the world champion made amends at Silverstone in 1977

Picture by: David Phipps

Years lively in F1: 1973-79
Wins on the British GP: 1 (1977)

James Hunt’s first British GP victory initially got here in 1976, his championship-winning 12 months, when the McLaren driver was concerned in a first-corner crash at Manufacturers Hatch that prompted a purple flag on lap one. Hunt, who began second, drove his broken automotive again to the pits however took a shortcut through the use of the escape street on Cooper Straight, leading to disqualification as he was not on the circuit when the purple flag was waved.

This choice was then reversed and Hunt gained the restarted race, prompting Ferrari, Tyrrell and the Fittipaldi group to protest his inclusion. Two months later, Hunt was disqualified from the race and Ferrari’s Niki Lauda grew to become the winner of the 1976 British GP.

Hunt’s distress at his house race didn’t final for lengthy as he bounced again by profitable the 1977 version held at Silverstone. Hunt began from pole but dropped to fourth in the beginning with a clutch downside, however the tempo of his McLaren proved too nice as he fought his method again to first and at last gained the British GP by 18.3s from Lauda.

Peter Collins – one British GP win

Tragedy adopted shortly after Collins triumphed at Silverstone in 1958

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1952-58
Wins on the British GP: 1 (1958)

Peter Collins grew to become the third British driver to win his house race when he claimed victory in 1958 at Silverstone. The Ferrari driver began sixth, however benefitted from an electrical begin the place he gained the lead on lap one and that set the precedent for the remainder of the outing, as compatriots Moss – whose Vanwall later expired – and Mike Hawthorn couldn’t match his tempo.

Collins finally led world champion-elect Hawthorn throughout the road by 24.2s in a Ferrari 1-2, the third and remaining victory of his all-too-brief profession. The 26-year-old was tragically killed the next race in a crash on the Nurburgring.

Tony Brooks – one British GP win

Brooks (left) shared his Vanwall with Moss at Aintree in 1957

Picture by: LAT Photographic

Years lively in F1: 1956-61
Wins on the British GP: 1 (1957)

The one British GP win of Brooks’ profession got here in 1957 when he shared his automotive with Moss, as accidents from his Le Mans crash at Tertre Rouge took their toll. That was the primary of six grand prix wins for the 1959 world championship runner-up, however he by no means actually got here near victory on the British GP once more. The following finest end for the late Englishman was fifth in 1960 – his penultimate season in F1.

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