1952 British Grand Prix

Championship standings

Ascari leads the championship by five points over teammate Taruffi after the French round. Farina is third, one point behind Taruffi. Ruttman is fourth, four points further back, with Manzon fifth one point behind Ruttman.

Previous race

At Rouen-Les-Essarts, Ascari won from pole in the three-hour race for his second consecutive victory, with Farina second and Taruffi third for an all-Ferrari podium. Manzon was the top non-Ferrari finisher in fourth; Trintignant took fifth in an older Gordini.

Between-race developments

Jean Behra broke his shoulder blade at the non-championship Grand Prix de Sables d’Olonne the weekend after Rouen. Maurice Trintignant steps up to drive Behra’s Gordini T16 at Silverstone, having raced a T15 in France.

Entrants

New pit facilities have been built at Silverstone on the straight between Woodcote and Copse corners, replacing the original pits between Abbey and Woodcote. Ferrari retain the same three works drivers — Ascari, Farina and Taruffi — with several private Ferrari entries alongside. The Connaught team makes its World Championship debut with four Lea Francis-engined cars for McAlpine, Downing, Thompson and Poore. Duncan Hamilton joins HWM alongside regulars Collins and Macklin. Mike Hawthorn and Reg Parnell both enter Cooper-Bristols.

Qualifying

Farina claimed pole position, with Ascari and Taruffi completing an all-Ferrari front row alongside Manzon. Downing, Parnell and Hawthorn occupied the second row, ahead of Poore, Thompson, Bira and Hamilton in row three.