page_title: Silverstone Circuit
section_title: 1980s
hierarchical_section_title: Silverstone Circuit / History / 1980s
caption_attribution_description: Silverstone Classic 2011
context_page_description: Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the current home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first race in the newly created World Championship of Drivers. The race rotated between Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch from 1955 to 1986, but settled permanently at the Silverstone track in 1987. The circuit also hosts the British round of the MotoGP series.
  On 30 September 2004 British Racing Drivers' Club president Jackie Stewart announced that the British Grand Prix would not be included on the 2005 provisional race calendar and, if it were, would probably not occur at Silverstone. However, on 9 December an agreement was reached with former Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone ensuring that the track would host the British Grand Prix until 2009 after which Donington Park would become the new host.
context_section_description: In May 1980, World Championship for Makes – sports cars in other words – returned in form of the Silverstone Six-Hours, which was won by Alain de Cadenet driving a car bearing his own name, partnered by Desiré Wilson; the 235 laps (687 miles) being completed at 114.602 mph. The only other to complete the full race distance was the Siegfried Brunn/Jürgen Barth (Porsche 908/3), with a Porsche 935K Turbo driven by John Paul and Brian Redman third, a lap down.
  The passage of a further two years saw the arrival of the one-one-one grid in 1981, albeit staggered in two rows. The turbocharged era had arrived for not only did Renault occupy the front row of the grid, but turbo-engined Ferraris were fourth and eighth. The Renaults dominated the race, but total reliability was still lacking and the day went to John Watson in a McLaren MP4/1. Second place went to Carlos Reutemann in the Williams FW07C from the Talbot-Ligier JS17 of Jacques Laffite, a lap down; the race speed was down a little at 137.64 mph.
  For 1982, endurance sport car racing entered a rejuvenated phrase with the coming of Group C; the BRDC and l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest instituted a joint Silverstone/Le Mans Challenge Trophy. The trophy eventually went to Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell in a Porsche 956, but at Silverstone they could not make maximum use of the fuel allowance and victory went to the Lancia LC1 of Riccardo Patrese and Michele Alboreto. The winning car completed the 240 laps at a speed of 128.5 mph, with the second-place car three laps adrift, that of Ickx/Bell. The final podium place went to the Joest Racing Porsche 936C Turbo of Bob Wollek/Jean-Michel Martin/Philippe Martin.
  The big sports cars returned to Northamptonshire on 8 May 1983 to contest the Silverstone 1000 kilometres, which was a round of the newly instigated World Endurance Championship. It was a Porsche benefit with Derek Bell and Stefan Bellof bringing their 956 home ahead of Wollek and Stefan Johansson in an identical car – in fact 956s filled the first five places.
  In the 1983 British Grand Prix, the first Cosworth-powered car was in 13th place on the grid, all the cars ahead of it were being powered by turbocharged engines.  Fuel consumption of the turbos was heavy and refuelling mid-race had become de rigueur, the mechanics now playing as important part as the drivers. With the ever-increasing power, speeds were continually on the up and in practice René Arnoux became the first person to lap the circuit in under 1:10.000 with a time of 1:09.462 in his Ferrari 126C3, a lap at over 150 mph. In the race, the lap record was raised to over 140 mph by Frenchman Alain Prost who won the race in the Renault RE40 at an average speed of 139.218 mph, from Nelson Piquet in the Brabham-BMW BT52B and Patrick Tambay in a Ferrari. Finishing fourth, also using Renault power, was the Lotus 94T of future British hero, Nigel Mansell.
  The 1985 International Trophy (run 24 March) saw the race again make history, as it was the inaugural event under the regulations for the new International Formula 3000. Kiwi racer Mike Thackwell wrote himself into the record books by winning the International Trophy for the third time, and the first F3000 race in the process, driving a Ralt RT20 from John Nielsen in a similar car. The lower step on the podium went a March 85B driven by Michel Ferté.
  Six weeks later, the big sports cars returned for the Silverstone 1000 km.  This turned out to be a Porsche benefit, the Stuttgart cars taking the five of the top six placings in the shape of four 962Cs and a 956. The winners were the works pairing of Ickx/Mass from their teammates Bell and Hans Stuck but third was the Lancia-Martini of Patrese and Alessandro Nannini.
  The 1985 British Grand Prix saw Keke Rosberg in his 1,150 bhp (858 kW; 1,166 PS) Williams FW10-Honda set a qualifying lap at over 160 mph. Three others clocked an average lap speed of over 159 mph. Making Rosberg's lap even more remarkable was that he had a deflating rear tyre and the track was still slightly damp from the rain that hit the circuit during the day.
caption: John Watson's 1981 British Grand Prix race winning McLaren, during the 2011 Silverstone Classic meeting
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