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F1 makes its debut – 1950
The first-ever world championship F1 race was held at Silverstone on May 13, 1950, with a 21-car grid including nine British drivers. Reg Parnell was the top home hope in the class-leading Alfa Romeo 158, alongside team-mates Juan Manuel Fangio, Nino Farina and Luigi Fagioli. A crowd of 200,000 flocked to the former airfield and saw Farina and Fangio battle it out, but when the Argentine retired eight laps from the end, Farina took the win, with Parnell flying the flag on the podium in third.
Duel of legends – 1969
Scotsman Jackie Stewart had won four out of five races in 1969, but he crashed his Matra in qualifying and started second alongside Jochen Rindt's Lotus. The pair raced away from the field and enjoyed a spectacular slipstreaming contest until Rindt was forced to pit due to a rear wing failure. He charged back but then ran out of fuel, leaving Stewart to claim an ultimately comfortable victory, an entire lap ahead of second-placed Jacky Ickx.
Woodcote pile-up – 1973
A dramatic crash at the end of the first lap in 1973 eliminated 11 cars from the race. The incident occurred at Woodcote corner when fourth-placed Jody Scheckter spun across the track and bounced back into the middle of it. As the field flew through at racing speed some avoided the stricken McLaren but others could not, and carnage ensued. Brabham driver Andrea de Adamich came off worst, with a broken ankle that ended his career, and the cars were stopped a lap later. The restarted race was eventually won by Ronnie Peterson in a Lotus.
Mansell sends a dummy – 1987
No fan of Brit Nigel Mansell will forget the magical moment in 1987 when he got one up on his bitter rival and team-mate, Nelson Piquet. Having qualified just 0.07s slower than the Brazilian, the legendary 'Red 5' Williams driver followed within two seconds for lap after lap in the race until a wheel balance came loose and he had to pit. The stop put him 28.4s back with 29 laps to go but, cheered on by his adoring fans, he hunted Piquet down and sold him a dummy into Stowe corner - soaring past to take the lead with three laps left. The sound of the crowd was deafening.
Senna goes side-saddle – 1991
Mansell was on top again at Silverstone in 1991, starting from pole and dominating the race to claim another popular victory. His only challenge had come from Ayrton Senna early in the race, but ultimately Senna couldn't challenge and after Mansell's easy win he picked up his McLaren rival on the cool-down lap in show of sportsmanship after the Brazilian ran out of fuel. The sight of Senna sitting side-saddle on the Williams as it made its way back to the pits is one of F1's most iconic and enduring images.
Schumacher and Hill collide – 1995
It was Michael Schumacher versus Damon Hill for the title in 1995 and they came to blows again at Silverstone after colliding in the Australian decider the previous year. Hill started from pole but Schumacher moved to the front after his one-stop strategy bettered his rival's two-stopper. Hill, however, had fresher tyres and closed in to challenge for the lead, but when he dived up the inside at Priory, the pair crashed and both spun out. Despite the disappointment the fans still got to cheer a home winner, as Schumacher's Benetton team-mate Johnny Herbert came through to take his maiden victory.
Schumacher's cheeky stop-go – 1998
McLaren's Mika Hakkinen had the 1998 race in control after starting from pole and building a significant lead over title rival Schumacher, but a safety car closed the field up on lap 50 and the German took advantage to grab the lead at the restart. He was given a stop-go penalty for passing Alexander Wurz under safety car conditions, but the team cleverly minimised the disadvantage by serving it on the very last lap – and the Ferrari driver crossed the finish line in the pits to take his first of three Silverstone victories.
The priest protest – 2003
The 2003 race was made memorable for non-racing reasons when, on the 11th lap, priest Cornelius Horan ran onto Hangar Straight dressed in a kilt and holding a banner about the bible. Luckily, a brave marshal managed to clear him from the circuit before the field of cars flew past. The incident also turned the race on its head, drawing out the safety car close to the pit window and shuffling the pack. That put many of the usual front-runners out of the picture and Rubens Barrichello climbed from seventh to pressure Kimi Raikkonen into a mistake and take the win.
Rainmaster Hamilton – 2008
This was Lewis Hamilton's first victory of an incredible eight (so far) at Silverstone and it was a masterclass in rain racing. A deluge soaked the track before the start, but when the lights went out it was drying out and everyone was on intermediate tyres. Hamilton moved from fourth to first off the line, but his McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen snuck back past as several drivers spun out on the sodden track. It was just five laps before Hamilton was back in the lead and he took control, combining driving skill and clever tyre strategies to end up more than a minute ahead of second-placed Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber by the finish.
Three-wheeled wagon - 2020
Silverstone hosted two races in the COVID-affected 2020 season, with the British Grand Prix followed a week later by the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix. The first event saw drama in the closing stages as several cars, including the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, suffered serious tyre failures. Hamilton, who had built up a comfortable lead over Max Verstappen, was told to look after his tyres but on the final lap he suffered a puncture and as his Dutch rival hunted him down. Despite having just three functioning wheels on his car, he somehow managed to keep going and crossed the line to secure an incredible victory.
And now for 2024…
The British Grand Prix will take place this year from 5 July – 7 July and no doubt bring the same drama and excitement we've come to expect from this track. Will Max Verstappen reign supreme again, can a British driver return to the top step of the podium or will we see a surprise new race winner this year? MoneyGram is giving one lucky fan and their guest the chance to soak up the iconic Silverstone atmosphere this year as part of the MoneyGram Silverstone Dream Weekend competition. With VIP hospitality, round trip travel, accommodation, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team merchandise and more available to the winner, it is a truly incredible package. To enter, just answer 'What drives your dreams?' at dreams.moneygram.com.
The Silverstone Dream Weekend with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team competition is for residents of the UK only. Entrants must be of majority age. The competition opens on May 26, 2024 and closes on June 23, 2024. The prize draw will be made on June 26, 2024 and the winner will be notified on June 27, 2024
