Five British F1 drivers at Silverstone: A first for 30 years at the British Grand Prix
30 June 2026With Arvid Lindblad joining Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell and Ollie Bearman on the Formula 1 grid in 2026, this year's British Grand Prix will feature five full-time British drivers, marking the first time since 1996 that five British drivers have lined up on the grid at Silverstone.
Three decades on from the 1996 season, Silverstone once again finds itself in a golden era for British drivers.
Remarkably, Lewis Hamilton is the only member of the current British contingent who was alive the last time five British drivers appeared on the British Grand Prix grid.
Back in 1996, an 11-year-old Hamilton was winning the Kartmasters British Grand Prix in the Comer Cadet category.
The British stars of 1996 and 2026
Leading the charge at Silverstone in 1996 was Damon Hill, who arrived at his home race on course for the world championship with Williams. Although he retired early from the British Grand Prix that year, Hill would go on to secure eight victories that season and claim the 1996 Drivers' Championship.
Alongside him was David Coulthard, then in his first season with McLaren after moving over from Williams.
Eddie Irvine was establishing himself at Ferrari as team-mate to Michael Schumacher, while Martin Brundle brought his experience to Jordan.
Completing the quintet was Johnny Herbert, racing for Sauber, fresh from his pair of breakthrough Grand Prix victories the previous year.
Thirty years later, Britain's latest generation of drivers has assembled an equally impressive line-up.
Lewis Hamilton
The seven-time World Champion has rediscovered his form in his second season with Ferrari and arrives at Silverstone with an understated title bid bubbling away. Victory at Barcelona marked the 106th of his career, while consecutive runner-up finishes in Monaco and Montreal moved him into contention in the standings.
George Russell
Russell opened the season with victory in Melbourne and has added multiple pole positions and podium finishes, finally bookending his campaign so far with another win in Austria. Although he’s been outpaced by team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the early phase of the season, he currently sits second in the standings, and has the fastest car on the grid at his disposal.
Lando Norris
The reigning World Champion has endured a more challenging start to his title defence than he would’ve hoped, with reliability issues costing him dearly, but a Sprint victory and second place in Miami, as well as a podium finish in Barcelona, showed that if the car is underneath him, he could still challenge for a top result on home soil.
Ollie Bearman
Now in his second full Formula 1 season, Bearman has built on the foundations he laid down in his rookie season. Strong performances in Australia and China helped him secure an excellent start to his sophomore campaign, and he arrives at Silverstone towards the top of the midfield battle.
Arvid Lindblad
The newest member of Britain's Formula 1 contingent, Arvid Lindblad, has quickly made an impression on the paddock, scoring points on his Grand Prix debut and even finding himself battling Hamilton on the opening lap of the season in Melbourne.
What happened the last time Silverstone featured five British drivers?
Hill delighted the Silverstone crowd by securing pole position, while fellow Britons Martin Brundle, David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine all qualified inside the top 10, with Herbert 13th.
On race day, however, the home crowds’ hopes were dashed when Hill got away from the grid poorly, dropping down the order. He climbed back to third in the opening stint, but spun out of contention on Lap 26 after a wheel nut came loose, with Irvine also retiring in the first five tours.
Coulthard finished fifth for McLaren, while Brundle claimed sixth for Jordan and Herbert narrowly missed out on the points in ninth. Hill’s team-mate Jacques Villeneuve ultimately won the race ahead of Gerhard Berger and Mika Häkkinen.
Could Silverstone deliver another memorable home result?
British fans have had plenty to cheer about at Silverstone in recent years; Hamilton's emotional ninth victory in 2024 was followed by Norris becoming the latest home winner in 2025.
Hamilton and Russell both arrive at Silverstone with considerable momentum this year, while Norris has already shown flashes of the pace that delivered his win on home turf last year.
Further back, Bearman and Lindblad will be looking to feed off the energy of the Silverstone crowd to score strong points at home.
Whatever happens, for the first time in 30 years, five British drivers will take the start of the British Grand Prix, giving fans the chance to witness a unique moment in Silverstone’s history.
