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BBC Sport Online brings you everything you've ever wanted to know about this weekend's big race at Siverstone.

Silverstone staged the first race in World Championship history on 13 May 1950. The race was won by Italy's Giuseppe Farina, who spearheaded a clean sweep for Alfa Romeo.

The British Grand Prix is one of only two races - the other is Italy - to have been a permanent fixture on the championship calendar.

Silverstone is named after the early English word for `wooded' area. Many parts of the circuit have retained the names they were given in 1948 when the track hosted its first race.

This year will be the 52nd British Grand Prix. Silverstone will be staging the race for the 35th time.

The former World War Two airfield has been the event's permanent home since 1987. Brands Hatch hosted 12 races while Aintree was the venue on five occasions.

Stirling Moss won the 1957 race at Aintree after swapping cars with Vanwall team-mate Tony Brooks. It was the first World Championship victory for a British-built car.

French driver Alain Prost won the race five times
Alain Prost won the British Grand Prix five times

Scotland's Jim Clark and Frenchman Alain Prost are the most successful drivers in British Grand Prix history - each won five times.

Four of Prost's five victories were with different teams - Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Williams.

David Coulthard will this year bid to become the first man since fellow countryman Clark to complete a hat-trick of victories.

Coulthard is one of only three current drivers to have won the race. The others are Michael Schumacher (1998) and Jacques Villeneuve (1996 & 1997).

Schumacher will be bidding to equal Prost's all-time career record of 51 victories at the race following his triumph in France.

World champion Schumacher controversially clinched his solitary Silverstone victory in the pit-lane, serving a stop-go penalty for overtaking under the yellow flag in 1998.

Schumacher will be one of four Germans to line up for this year's race. There are also four Brazilians and three Brits.


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