Ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, let’s take a look at our favourite races.

1969

A race once described by Sir Jackie Stewart as one of the best in the history of motorsport, the great Scot found himself in an enthralling dice with one of the finest drivers of his generation, Jochen Rindt.

Stewart already had a healthy lead in the championship and was expected to take another easy victory, but Rindt had other ideas. Both drivers were in a class of their own as they swapped places constantly using the slip stream.

The battle was decided when Rindt’s rear wing end plate became detached and began to damage his left-rear tyre. The Austrian was forced to pit and would finish the race fourth.

Stewart on the other hand took his fifth win in sixth races and extended his lead in the World Championship.

1987

Thirty years before Honda’s unfortunate struggles in Formula 1, the Japanese manufacturer provided the best engine in the business. At Silverstone, the Williamses showed what they were made of as Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell pulled well away from the rest of the field.

It was believed that the race at Silverstone could be completed without tyre stops. But a balance weight on Mansell’s front tyre had gone and the Englishman was forced to pit. Mansell returned to the track 29 seconds behind the Brazilian but on fresh rubber he began an incredible charge which saw him break lap record after lap record.

On Lap 63 Mansell sold Piquet a dummy down Hangar Straight. He dived down the inside into Stowe Corner, sending the British fans into a frenzy. They stormed the track and engulfed his car as it ran out of fuel on the slowing down lap. It was one of Mansell’s finest victories, and almost unnoticed it was Honda 1-2-3-4, as both Lotuses followed the Williams pair a lap down.

1995

British fans were keen to see their favourite Damon Hill repeat his triumph of 1994. They would not see a Hill victory but would still be treated to a home victor.

Hill maintained his advantage from pole and extended his lead as his title rival Michael Schumacher was initially losing time behind Jean Alesi’s Ferrari. The Benetton pit crew however would perform their usual heroics in getting the German ahead of Hill during the stops.

Damon, perturbed by Schumacher again getting ahead of him, was determined not to let the German win and extend his championship lead. On Lap 46 Hill tried a move into Priory but it did not work, the two collided and both were out of the race.

That left their teammates Johnny Herbert and David Coulthard fighting for the lead, the Scot took first place but received a 10-second stop go penalty for speeding in the pit lane. He would finish third. Herbert finally had a lucky day as he was left trouble-free to take a very popular first career victory.

2003

For all the wrong reasons the British Grand Prix of 2003 proved to be a classic. On Lap 11, Irish priest Neil Horan breached the security fences and ran out onto the track, against the flow of cars racing at 170 mph. Nobody was hurt as the track invader was dragged away by a marshal.

The incident brought the safety car out and a rush of cars into the pitlane, the biggest losers were those forced to queue behind their team mates, such as Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Schumacher. Both dropped to 12th and 14th respectively. At the front it was the two Toyota’s, Cristiano da Matta ahead of Olivier Panis having both already completed their first stops.

As the race restarted Kimi Raikkonen began a charge up to second but could not pass da Matta, who finally pitted for the second time, the Brazilian would finish seventh. Compatriot Rubens Barrichello set the fastest lap and closed in on leader Raikkonen, the Ferrari pressured the young Finn into a mistake allowing Barrichello through. After finishing 3rd in 2001 and 2nd in 2002, it was fitting that he should win at Silverstone in 2003.

2008

British fans had waited almost a decade for the last home victory but that would finally come to an end in 2008.

Heikki Kovalainen had qualified on pole position ahead of Mark Webber and Kimi Raikkonen, but Lewis Hamilton did not feel like waiting around in front of his home crowd and was quickly up to second by the first corner in the damp conditions. Kovalainen could do nothing about his storming team mate and had to relinquish the lead on lap five.

During the first pitstops McLaren chose to fit a new set of intermediates on Hamilton’s car while Ferrari gambled on a drying track and didn’t change Raikkonen’s tyres. It was McLaren who got it right as the rain returned.

As the rain got heavier many cars spun off, including Felipe Massa who had five spins in total during the race but survived. Title contender Robert Kubica was not so lucky and was beached in a gravel trap. Even Hamilton slid off but without too much drama. The Englishman would go on to win the race by over a minute from Nick Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello who took his first podium finish in three years.