Photo: Daimler AG
After a rather tough but great-ending race at Spielberg on the Red Bull circuit, the anglo-german Mercedes-AMG Petronas team is now heading for the ninth round of the 2014 Formula One World Championship at Silverstone.
Technically a home race for most engineers in Brackley and Brixworth, where the F1 W05 Hybrids and their power units are developed and built, the upcoming British Grand Prix will definitely be the home race for Lewis Hamilton, who also had a fantastic win here back in 2008.
Lewis Hamilton: ”It was great to get another one-two finish for the team in Austria and I’m so proud of all the hard work everyone is putting in to keep us at the front this season. Of course, it wasn’t the result I wanted personally and it was disappointing not to be able to capitalize on my pace when it was clearly there. But in the end, coming back to second place was positive in terms of damage limitation. Silverstone is obviously a special race for me and the support I have there is just incredible. The British fans are the absolute best in the world and it’s really humbling to see thousands of people out there cheering you on – no matter what the weather or the result.
I won the race in the wet in 2008, which was just the best feeling. I think the gap was around 60 seconds at the end, and I’d lapped everyone up to third place which was just unreal. I could never have hoped or dreamed for a race like that – especially at my home Grand Prix. That has to be one of the best moments of my career. I loved raising that gold trophy in front of the home crowds and I’m determined to get my hands on it again this year.”
Nico Rosberg, currently leading the Driver's Championship, isn't any less fit for yet another success at Silverstone, especially since he also won the event last year, when the naturally-aspirated V8 engines were still heard screaming at 16000+ rpm on the straights.
Nico Rosberg: “The last race weekend in Austria was not an easy one for us overall, so I was delighted to come away with the win and even more so for the team to have both cars at the front when we crossed the line. The atmosphere at the circuit was really great and, being so close to Germany, it almost felt like a home race for me. Silverstone is another special one for me, as I managed to win there last season. It was actually very close to my birthday and I had a really cool experience after the race. There’s usually a fan festival with rock bands and all sorts after the track action finishes, which is something I go to almost every year.
This time, I was up on stage doing a quick interview and the whole crowd started singing Happy Birthday to me, which was very cool! The British fans are absolutely fantastic. So I enjoy going to Silverstone personally, but really this one is all about the team. For the hundreds of people at Brackley and Brixworth it’s a home race and many of them will be there with their families and friends across the weekend. I want to put on a good show and get the best result possible out of it for them after all their hard work this season.”
Since Silverstone is actually seen by quite a lot of Formula 1 teams as their home race, the level of motivation for a win will be stronger than ever across the lineup, so a number of surprises are expected.
One of the longest standing circuits in the Formula 1 calendar, Silverstone has a layout with very few low-speed corners and a rather high-speed nature, which should benefit the more powerful Single Arrows.
On the other hand, it is also one of the most demanding circuits when it comes to both the tires and the braking systems, while the increased opportunities for overtaking should make for a pretty interesting race this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton: ”It was great to get another one-two finish for the team in Austria and I’m so proud of all the hard work everyone is putting in to keep us at the front this season. Of course, it wasn’t the result I wanted personally and it was disappointing not to be able to capitalize on my pace when it was clearly there. But in the end, coming back to second place was positive in terms of damage limitation. Silverstone is obviously a special race for me and the support I have there is just incredible. The British fans are the absolute best in the world and it’s really humbling to see thousands of people out there cheering you on – no matter what the weather or the result.
I won the race in the wet in 2008, which was just the best feeling. I think the gap was around 60 seconds at the end, and I’d lapped everyone up to third place which was just unreal. I could never have hoped or dreamed for a race like that – especially at my home Grand Prix. That has to be one of the best moments of my career. I loved raising that gold trophy in front of the home crowds and I’m determined to get my hands on it again this year.”
Nico Rosberg, currently leading the Driver's Championship, isn't any less fit for yet another success at Silverstone, especially since he also won the event last year, when the naturally-aspirated V8 engines were still heard screaming at 16000+ rpm on the straights.
Nico Rosberg: “The last race weekend in Austria was not an easy one for us overall, so I was delighted to come away with the win and even more so for the team to have both cars at the front when we crossed the line. The atmosphere at the circuit was really great and, being so close to Germany, it almost felt like a home race for me. Silverstone is another special one for me, as I managed to win there last season. It was actually very close to my birthday and I had a really cool experience after the race. There’s usually a fan festival with rock bands and all sorts after the track action finishes, which is something I go to almost every year.
This time, I was up on stage doing a quick interview and the whole crowd started singing Happy Birthday to me, which was very cool! The British fans are absolutely fantastic. So I enjoy going to Silverstone personally, but really this one is all about the team. For the hundreds of people at Brackley and Brixworth it’s a home race and many of them will be there with their families and friends across the weekend. I want to put on a good show and get the best result possible out of it for them after all their hard work this season.”
Since Silverstone is actually seen by quite a lot of Formula 1 teams as their home race, the level of motivation for a win will be stronger than ever across the lineup, so a number of surprises are expected.
One of the longest standing circuits in the Formula 1 calendar, Silverstone has a layout with very few low-speed corners and a rather high-speed nature, which should benefit the more powerful Single Arrows.
On the other hand, it is also one of the most demanding circuits when it comes to both the tires and the braking systems, while the increased opportunities for overtaking should make for a pretty interesting race this weekend.
Google News