2014 British Grand Prix

Championship standings

Rosberg leads the Drivers’ Championship with 165 points, ahead of Hamilton on 136, Ricciardo on 83 and Alonso on 79. Vettel is fifth with 60 points. Mercedes lead the Constructors’ with 301 points.

Previous race

Rosberg won the Austrian Grand Prix — his third victory of the season — starting from third and passing the Williams cars during the pit stop phase. Hamilton charged from ninth on the grid to finish second, recovering five places on the opening lap alone. Bottas took third for his first career Formula One podium.

Between-race developments

Niki Lauda said Hamilton’s series of errors over the previous four rounds — including two qualifying incidents and a spin — would only motivate him at his home race: “Lewis will fight back, there is no worry on my case about this at all.”

Entrants

Susie Wolff drives for Williams in FP1 in place of Bottas, becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula One Grand Prix weekend since Giovanna Amati’s attempted qualification for the 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix. Force India have given reserve driver Daniel Juncadella his first Formula One race appearance in Hülkenberg’s car. Robin Frijns drives Kobayashi’s Caterham for the second time in 2014. Giedo van der Garde takes Sutil’s Sauber for the fourth time this season.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the white-banded medium compound as the prime and the orange-banded hard as the option, along with wet weather tyres.

Track changes

Artificial grass has been removed at the exits of three corners since last year. The inside barrier at the Brooklands corner entrance has been enlarged, and circuit drainage improved.

Practice

Rosberg set the fastest time in FP1 at 1:35.424. Hamilton, Alonso, Ricciardo, Räikkönen and Vettel followed in positions two through six. Four minutes in, Massa ran onto artificial grass at Stowe corner and spun backwards into the tyre barrier at 130 mph, stopping his car near the pit lane entry — a 17-minute red flag. Wolff’s engine shut down after four laps; Ericsson spun at Becketts.

Hamilton was fastest in FP2 at 1:35.508 but his engine cut out with 30 minutes remaining. Bottas suffered a localised explosion on the left side of his engine cover with five minutes to go. Vergne’s left-front wheel detached at Abbey corner, bringing out a red flag.

Overnight rain left the track wet for Saturday morning’s session, with four drivers not setting a timed lap. Vettel set the fastest time at 1:52.522. Bianchi broke his front wing in contact with the barrier at Stowe; Sutil avoided the same wall and exited through the gravel trap.