The British Grand Prix is one of the classic races of Formula 1. It has an air about it rivaled only by Monaco. Since a host of teams operate out of Britain, this race has F1 die-hards as its fan base. It certainly makes for a lively atmosphere whenever the F1 circus rolls into town.

The Silverstone Circuit is in Towcester, Northhants, England. For 2010, the circuit features a design to improve the venue further for the knowledgeable race fans that attend. Further, the newer design provides an even greater driver challenge.

The new infield layout juts right at the reworked Abbey bend. It then heads into the new Arena complex of turns, to test driver skill.

Silverstone has a circuit length of 5.891 kms, for a race distance of 306.747 kms. The race is a 52-lap affair. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso set a new lap record there this past weekend, clocking a time of 1:30.874.

The Qualifying session on Saturday saw some turmoil in the RBR-Renault (Red Bull Racing) camp. There were only two of the latest front wings available for the racecars, and Vettel received the second as a replacement.

This was after his original wing broke in final practice. The Red Bull team brass made the decision to hand over the upgraded wing from Webber’s car to Sebastian Vettel.

This rankled Webber, who felt he was being treated as a second-class citizen Brand Viagra on the team. In fact, post-race he said, “Not bad for a number two driver.”

It was obvious he felt the team was giving preference to Vettel. This may spell trouble for the team’s cohesiveness, as friction between the two drivers has been evident in prior races this season.

However, Sunday’s victory was vindication for Webber. The Australian driver started the race in second spot on the grid, behind Vettel who took the pole position.

Fernando Alonso was third on the grid, followed by Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes. Nico Rosberg of Mercedes GP secured the fifth spot to start the Sunday race.

Vettel encountered misfortune on the first lap of the British Grand Prix. He punctured his tire after an encounter with Lewis Hamilton. Consequently, he had to make a pit stop, which saw him immediately drop far back in the pack. It was Webber’s chance to take control of the race.

That he did, as he moved from second into first, with Hamilton hot on his tail. That concisely was the race, Hamilton in pursuit, with Webber calmly building his lead as the day progressed. The race ended with Hamilton in second, unable to overtake Webber.

At one point, Renault’s Robert Kubica sat in third spot. Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso were fourth and fifth at this point, respectively.

Kubica was unable to hold his lofty third place position. He suffered driveshaft trouble. Therefore, he retired from the British GP on Lap 19.

Nico Rosberg slotted himself into third spot and drove an exceptionally strong race. Very consistent all season, Rosberg ended up finishing in third and took the final podium position. Alonso’s day went from good to worse and he ended up finishing 14th.

Jenson Button of McLaren Mercedes was a force the entire race. He pressured Rosberg hard all day. He ended up nailing down fourth place. This was significant as he started the race in 14th spot on the starting grid.

An accident on Lap 28 saw the dynamics of the race change. This changed the fortunes of Sebastian Vettel. The dispatching of the Safety Car was necessary to clear up debris. This allowed Vettel to catch up to the pack.

Subsequently, he managed to pass cars and earned himself a seventh place finish. This helped him earn valuable Championship points in his quest for the Drivers’ Championship.

Veteran racer Rubens Barrichello of Williams drove a smart race. He started eighth on the grid but managed to maneuver his way into fifth spot. BMW Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi, on the strength of a great start edged his way into sixth spot and garnered eight points.

With Vettel finishing in seventh, the three final points-earning positions went to Adrian Sutil, Michael Schumacher, and Nico Hulkenberg. They earned four, two, and one points respectively. That was the day at Silverstone and the Red Bull win makes for a tight title fight between McLaren-Mercedes and Red Bull Racing.

In the Drivers’ Championship, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton leads with 145 points. Fellow Brit, and teammate, Jenson Button, sits in second with 133 points. The Red Bull boy’s continue to chase, with Mark Webber’s 128 points and Sebastian Vettel’s 121.

In the Constructors Championship McLaren-Mercedes leads with 278 points. RBR-Renault (Red Bull) holds down second spot with 249 points. Ferrari is in third with 165 points. Mercedes GP follows with 126 points.

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Keywords: Grand Prix, F1, Britain, Silverstone, autos