British Grand Prix: Start time, how to watch, weather and more

The British Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races on the F1 calendar and is a big part of the European leg of the season. This is everything you need to know about it.  

When is the British Grand Prix?

The 12th round of the 2024 Formula 1 season is the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. 

• Date: Sunday 7 July 2024  
• Start time: 3pm BST / 4pm CEST / 8pm ET / 12pm AEST  

The British Grand Prix will take place between 5-7 July 2024, with Sunday’s race starting at 3pm BST. 

What are the timings for the British Grand Prix

Here are the full timings for the British Grand Prix:  

Friday 5 July:   

• FP1 – 12:30pm BST / 7:30am ET / 9:30pm AEST  

• FP2 – 4pm BST / 11am ET / 1am AEST  

Saturday 6 July:   

• FP3 – 11:30am BST / 6:30am ET / 8:30pm AEST  

• Qualifying - 3pm BST / 8am ET / 12am AEST  

Sunday 7 July:  

• Race – 3pm BST / 10am ET / 12am AEST  

What is the weather forecast for the British Grand Prix?

It is expected to be cold and rainy for the British Grand Prix this weekend. Temperatures are expected to hit highs of 17°C (62.6 Fahrenheit), with a risk of thunderstorms.  

Friday 5 July:   

Friday is forecast to be a wet day with high chances of rain, which could become heavy across both FP1 and FP2. Thunderstorms are predicted towards the end of the day's final session, which could impact the second practice. 

FP1 will see temperatures of around 15°C (59F) with a humidity level of 82%. There is a 54% chance of rain and a gentle south-westerly breeze. 

Temperatures for FP2 will reach highs of 17°C (62.6F) with a slight reduction in humidity levels. There’s a risk of thunderstorms towards the end of the session and a 70% chance of rain during the practice run. The south-westerly breeze will slightly increase but should remain gentle. 

Saturday 6 July:  

Saturday is expected to see sunny intervals with a more moderate breeze, which could impact the afternoon’s qualifying session.  

FP3 at 11.30am has a 12% chance of rain and should reach temperatures of 14°C (57.2F), making it the coolest weekend session. Humidity will be lower at 64% and there will be a moderate westerly breeze. 

Qualifying should see a slightly reduced breeze but a 14% chance of rain. Temperatures will reach highs of 16°C (60.8) but could increase to 17°C (62.6F) over the session.  

Sunday 7 July:  

Race day should see light rain showers with Saturday’s moderate breeze continuing. Race temperatures will reach highs of 17°C (62.6F), with a 39% chance of rain. A moderate south-westerly breeze could also impact cars over the 52 laps. 

News heading into the British Grand Prix

Haas has announced the signing of Oliver Bearman for 2025. The Ferrari Academy driver will join the American team next year to replace the outgoing Nico Hulkenberg, who is set to join Sauber.  

Bearman said the news was “incredible”, saying: “It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me,” he said. “To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud”. The Prema F2 driver is set to take part in this weekend’s FP1 session for Haas. 

F2’s Franco Colapinto will make his Formula 1 debut this weekend in FP1. The Argentine rookie will replace Logan Sargeant at Williams during the practice, with the team’s sporting director Sven Smeets saying it is a “reward” for his promising start to the F2 season. 

Carlos Sainz has said he will not be pressured to decide on his future by “impatient” Formula 1 teams. The departing Ferrari driver is understood to have offers from Sauber, Williams and now Audi, but has not decided his next career move for 2025. 

What are the Pirelli tyre compounds for the British Grand Prix? 

Pirelli has announced that the tyre compounds available to the teams for the British Grand Prix will be three of the hardest in their catalogue due to the more abrasive track.  
 
The chosen compounds are: 

• Hard - C1 
• Medium - C2  
• Soft - C3 

The C1 was introduced in 2023 to offer a mid-range hard tyre between the previous C1 and C2, to fill the performance gap between the two compounds. The old C1 is now C0, and is the hardest compound offered by Pirelli.  
 
The C2 is now the third hardest compound available to the teams and is best suited to faster and hotter tracks. Both the C1 and C2 will be the preferred choice of tyre by the teams as they should last a significant proportion of the 66 laps.  
 
The softer C3s could potentially be used during the race but are more likely to be seen during Saturday’s qualifying session. This is the third time this season that the selection has been used – the first being at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and the second at the Japanese Grand Prix. 

Where is the British Grand Prix being held?

The British Grand Prix is held at the Silverstone Circuit in Hampshire, which has intermittently hosted the event since 1948. The 3.661-mile (5.891km) track has been the permanent host of the British GP since 1987 after the FIA ruled for one circuit per grand prix.  

The circuit - which opened in 1948 - was built on the site of RAF Silverstone, which was operational during World War Two between 1943 and 1946.  

Several F1 teams have factories in close proximity to the circuit. Aston Martin is the closest to the track - with their offices based just over the road. Mercedes is seven miles (11km) down the road in Brackley and Red Bull sitting 20 miles (32.186km) away in Milton Keynes. 

Lewis Hamilton holds the most wins at the Silverstone Circuit taking the top spot on the podium eight times between 2008 and 2021. At the track, a total of 10 British drivers have claimed a total of 23 wins, including Damon Hill (1994), Nigel Mansell (1987, 1991 & 1992) and David Coulthard (1999 & 2000). 

2023 British Grand Prix results

Lando Norris, McLaren, 2nd position, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, 3rd position, on the podium

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Polesitter Max Verstappen overcame an early attack from Lando Norris to claim his first British GP victory. The Red Bull was overtaken by the McLaren at the start of the race, with Norris leading the race for four laps before the Dutchman reclaimed the lead.  

A late Safety Car - caused by a fire in Kevin Magnussen’s Haas - saw a split in tyre strategies for the leaders. Many front-runners opted for soft tyres whilst Norris chose hards, resulting in him doing some heavy defending from Lewis Hamilton, who had overtaken Oscar Piastri. 

The Australian had held third place for the majority of the race but came into the pits just before the Safety Car was called. Hamilton was able to jump ahead when the race was neutralised and was able to bring home the final podium position for Mercedes.