Johnny Herbert: ‘Silverstone is better than it’s ever been’
“Silverstone and the British Grand Prix is about more than history”
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We’re gearing up for the British Grand Prix in Silverstone’s 75th anniversary year. From a driver’s perspective, Silverstone has always been about high speed. I always recommend you go to watch at Maggotts and Becketts because it is eye-opening to see a car go through that section. From the cockpit it’s a massive buzz, and the drivers enjoy the challenge that Silverstone offers.
The modern layout is the most enjoyable version of Silverstone I’ve driven on – even if I’ve never raced on it. It’s still got the old speed, but is probably more challenging than the original version I raced on, which was fast in every corner. This one has all the ingredients, the old high-speed corners combined with the fiddly, more technical sections.
It’s always been a good circuit for racing, as we saw at the British GP last year. It does seem to generate wheel-to-wheel racing and that’s an important part of promoting F1, which it does fantastically.
As for my win there in 1995… well, being British makes it that much more special of course. There’s the history of the place, but also all your younger career played out there, in Formula Ford, Formula 3 and Formula 3000. It’s close to our hearts because we know it so well, and of course we used to test there day after day back then. Then there’s the grand prix weekend which is so special. The build-up is wonderful from the Wednesday and Thursday. The fans that turn up, they were there when you were doing Formula Ford and Formula 3. Going into the front gate with all the people hanging about. Going around the circuit you had the time to look into the grandstands because it’s so big and wide. You can see the fans getting excited in front of your eyes.
Of course I was there in Mansell Mania times and with Damon as well. All that was something I went through and was pretty wowed by. You see it at other tracks we go to, but British fans are very passionate about the sport. It’s wonderful to have that support, wherever you are on the grid.
“Lewis to Ferrari? It’s the perfect chance for an eighth title”
I know that they are renegotiating the contract after 2024 and clearly today no circuits are safe – especially those that can’t pay the huge fees to F1 that some of the newer venues can. But I’d be sorry to see Silverstone go. It needs to be on the Formula 1 calendar. Apart from my personal memories of it there is the history, being the very first world championship grand prix venue, but also because it has moved with the times which is something Silverstone has always been very good at. Even when Bernie Ecclestone was criticising it regularly and it had the old paddock. They built the Wing, the circuit has changed – sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But they have produced a circuit that is suitable for F1, MotoGP, GTs, sports cars and every class of motor sport. It’s special.
A word on Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari. Even if it is not true – and Lewis has said he hasn’t spoken to Ferrari – it makes complete sense to me. He’s shown he’s still passionate and hungry for F1. That’s a massive part of Lewis, just as motivation was Ayrton Senna’s most important weapon. Lewis is similar and must be frustrated right now.
That’s why it makes total sense for him to move. If he still wants to win races and get that eighth title, we can all see that’s not going to happen for a good couple of years at Mercedes. A lot has to change to get them back into winning ways. Ferrari? He knows Fred Vasseur from way back in Formula 3 and GP2. It’s the right balance to create something special again. Ferrari has got the engine and the chassis, it just needs more of the right faces. Having Lewis would excite the best people to go there again and were he to move, he might even pull in people he has worked with in the past to be part of it. He’s a very different character to Michael Schumacher, but he can steer a team in the same way. He can also take some inspiration from what has happened recently at Aston Martin.
I hope it comes off and actually I think it will happen. There’s enough hunger for it to happen, from Fred, Ferrari, F1 itself and from Lewis too. It’s the perfect chance for a last hurrah to get that elusive eighth. Is it a risk? Yes. Is it worth the risk? Damn right it is. I’d actually be more surprised if it doesn’t happen – and if it doesn’t Lewis might well stop.
Johnny Herbert was a Formula 1 driver from 1989-2000 and a Le Mans winner in 1991. He is a regular contributor to Sky Sports F1
Follow Johnny on Twitter @johnnyherbertf1