The Unofficial BMW Owners Site

The challenge of racing at Silverstone has been transformed in recent years by the introduction of V8 engines and ever-increasing levels of downforce. The result is that corners previously requiring downshifts can now be taken with just a lift of the throttle, and indeed the first half of the lap, all the way to Vale, requires very little braking at all. The engines are therefore under prolonged load with a full throttle percentage of 66% per lap. Corners range from 180 mph sweepers to the long, slow complex at the end of the lap - and the car must also cope with the bumpy surface and capricious, gusting winds.