We have reached the tenth round of the 2021 Formula 1 season. Two more weekends and the time will come for Formula 1 take a break. However, it is still early to think about the sea, sun beds and umbrellas. For the paddock it is time to go to Silverstone and above all to experience the sprint race format (of which you will find a complete guide by clicking here). It will be an anomalous weekend, or perhaps it is better to say, different. Qualifying will be held on Friday, we will have a sprint race on Saturday and obviously the real Grand Prix on Sunday.
Having only one hour available before qualifying will make it very difficult to identify the optimal set-up to adequately face the entire weekend. In this sense, with two out of three sessions based on distance, rather than focusing on qualifying, many teams should focus on a decidedly more racing set-up. Or at least, this seems to be the thought most insiders agree on.
Pirelli will bring newly built rear compounds, more solid, but with very similar behavior to those used already at the beginning of the year. The nomination is: Hard C1, Medium C2 and Soft C3. The hardest set of tyres. It could not be otherwise since the Silverstone track is one of the most difficult for tires (it is no coincidence that the 2020 British GP was the scene of another ‘spectacular’ final laps characterized by the victory of Hamilton who reached the finish line practically on three tires). From this point of view it will constitute an excellent test bench for the new specifications brought by the Italian manufacturer.
The British weekend will also be characterized by a high presence of the public in the stands. 140,000 people expected. A crowd that will give the track a unique setting that will provide further boost to the hosts: we are undoubtedly talking about Hamilton (Mercedes), but also of the two formidable talents Norris (McLaren) and Russell (Williams).
2021 British GP preview: layout
When the perimeter of the Royal Air Force airport at Silverstone, Northamptonshire, was mapped out in 1942, there was no idea that this would be the layout that would create the first real car race in history. Later it was also the scene of another historic event, when on 13 May 1950 it went to host the GP that inaugurated the first season of the F1 World Championship. The edition was won by Nino Farina, ahead of Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell, all three at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo.
The track consists of 18 turns (10 on the right, 8 on the left) spread over a distance of 5.891 km. It is one of the most complete circuits on a technical level, with high distance sections interspersed with more twisty areas. The rapid initial change of direction leads to a string of slow curves (3-4-5) which effectively puts an end to the first sector.
At the end of the Wellingtone Straight, the most demanding braking of T2 takes place, where you generally also have the opportunity to witness the greatest overtaking opportunities in the race. The Luffield (turn-7) acts as a bit of a springboard to the fastest part of the circuit, made up of the Copse, and the sequence most loved by the drivers: Maggots, Becketts and Chapel.
Leaving Turn 14 you enter the very long Hangar Straight and consequently also the third sector. The Stowe, a bend to the right to be covered at medium speed leads to the braking of Turn 16, and to the final straight of the track, which has alo been the scene of great battles in the past. The lap ends at the exit of the Club arriving again on the straight of the pits renamed last December Hamilton Straight (formerly known as International Pits Straight) in recognition of the results obtained in the 2020 season by the British Mercedes driver.
2021 British GP preview: aerodynamics and DRS
Even if being able to count on a good level of downforce is essential to better tackle the sequence of fast corners that characterize the second sector, we can still consider Silverstone as a medium downforce track. This is because, in addition to having high cornering mileage, the car will also have to demonstrate good top speed in the 5 well-defined straight sections that we find along the track. The other aspect that the technicians will undoubtedly have to take care of is traction, a characteristic to be applied in the most twisty section of the track.
Drivers will be able to use the mobile wing only in two circumstances. Making use of the DRS on the Wellington Straight (between Turns-5 and 6) will guarantee a speed increase of about 12 Km / h, with the delta going up to 14 Km / h at the Hangar Straight. Given the conformity of the track, the opportunities for greater overtaking will be concentrated more near the braking of turn-6, one of the most powerful of the event.
2021 British GP preview: fuel and transmission
Despite the great importance and use the power unit, the Silverstone circuit will not be particularly demanding in terms of consumption. However, considering that 10 kg is equivalent to about 0.15 seconds per lap, some teams may consider taking on less fuel than expected, hoping for a Safety Car or then returning to the optimal situation through techniques such as that of the lift and coast.
This of course with regard to the traditional Sunday event. In the sprint race on Saturday, on the other hand, even if someone may decide not to take great risks, at the base of the race strategy, to face those 100 km in the program there can only be one thought: attack. Thanks to a prevalence of straights and fast turns, the track wins the primacy, among those on the calendar, for being the least demanding as regards the use of the transmission: there are about 1700 gear changes that are made during the race.
2021 British GP preview: braking system
Brembo technicians place Silverstone in the category of tracks that are not very demanding for the brakes. With a difficulty index of 2, on a scale of values ranging from 1 to 5, it records the lowest level among the events currently present within the Formula 1 championship. Due to the geographical position and also the often difficult weather conditions, the element of greatest risk for the race will be the enamelling of the friction material.
Despite the layout unfolding over 5,891 meters, the drivers will resort to using the brake pedal on 7 occasions, with deceleration exceeding 2.8 G and a force of 55 kg in only 3 of these. The system will go into operation for a total of 12.6 seconds per lap, about 15% of the total duration of the Grand Prix. From the start of the race to the checkered flag, each driver will be called upon to exert a total force of 30 tons: about half the amount compared to the Imola and Monaco events, where loads of 58.5 and 62 tons were achieved respectively.
Of the 7 braking sections in question, 2 are classified as very demanding, 1 of medium difficulty, with the other 4 defined as light. The most complex is the braking that the drivers will take to Turn-3. Exiting Turn 1 and 2 still in full acceleration, the cars will slow down from a speed of around 320km / h to 125km / h in just 2.37 seconds and 130 meters. The force that will be exerted on the pedal will be 150 kg, which will result in a deceleration of 4.8 G.
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