The Athletic has live coverage of the F1 British Grand Prix including FP1 and Sprint Qualifying.The British Grand Prix offers one of the most iconic tracks on Formula 1’s calendar, rich in history and a thrilling high-speed drive.Nestled in the heart of the UK’s motorsport valley, where eight of the 11 teams are based, Silverstone hosts the home race for five drivers: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris, Ollie Bearman and Arvid Lindblad (Alex Albon is British-born but races under the Thai flag).It’s had epic showdowns over the years, such as Michael Schumacher vs. Ayrton Senna in 1993, Rubens Barrichello vs. Schumacher in 2003, Sebastian Vettel vs. Valtteri Bottas in 2018, and Sergio Pérez vs. Charles Leclerc vs. Hamilton in 2022.This circuit, built on a former Royal Air Force base, is known for its high-speed nature. So much so that Hamilton once said, “The faster this track gets, the better it gets. It has to be the best track in the world, it feels like driving a fighter jet around the track.”Wind is a fairly significant factor, given how open the circuit is. Albon noted, “It changes the (car) balance so much, so to be on the limit throughout the whole corner, it’s very easy to underdrive a part of the corner which has a bit of a headwind, and you can use a little bit of that wind to push a little bit more into a corner.”The track, which crosses the county line between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, has had several layout changes over the years, but the character has remained. New names for new corners and straights have been added to pay homage to Silverstone’s heritage and culture.Here’s what to expect from Silverstone as the British Grand Prix kicks off in 2026.Silverstone’s royal historyBefore it became a racing circuit, Silverstone operated as an RAF base during World War II. The airfield opened in 1943 and served as a base for Wellington bombers.When the war ended in 1945, the United Kingdom was left with a surplus of airfields, and RAF Silverstone was converted into a race track. The Royal Automobile Club hosted the first British Grand Prix in Oct. 1948, with around 100,000 spectators in attendance. When the F1 World Championship began in 1950, Silverstone kicked off the calendar.Another notable fact about the first world championship race: It’s the only time a reigning monarch attended a British motorsport race. King George VI attended with then-Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, as well as Lord and Lady Mountbatten.And the royalty extended onto the track too, with a Thai prince and a Swiss baron competing in the race.Aerial view of the Silverstone motor racing circuit, located beside the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury, 8th July 1965. (Photo by Victor Blackman/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)(David Goddard/ Getty Images)Points of interestOne of the Silverstone’s unique aspects is that nearly everything on this track has a name, but do the drivers remember them?