Many hardened Formula One followers reviewed things on Saturday evening with slight disbelief, while casual race-goers, enjoying the drinking and eating which is always part of the festival of the British Grand Prix, had actually taken time off to look at the Formula One cars. They had turned back to their real occupation saying, “My goodness, They do go, don’t they?”.
“It was really all down to the new safety measures taken by the Silverstone Circuit people. When Formula One was last there, in 1985, Rosberg had made the fastest qualifying lap; an average speed of over 160 mph, and when asked how fast he had been going down the straights, replied “Straights? What straights?”, pointing out that at that sort of average speed Silverstone is one long series of corners.
By the time you finished coming out of Chapel Curve, down Hangar Straight, you were taking aim across the track to line up for Stowe corner. All this was super stuff, but those who are responsible for our enthusiasm were getting anxious about cars exiting the Woodcote chicane at 162 mph, in case one got away and flew off into the grandstands.
