FORMULA ONE

• Homecoming for many F1 team in British GP

  Silverstone, England (Sports Network) - Series: Formula One. Date: Sunday, July 11. Race: British Grand Prix. Site: Silverstone Circuit. Track: 5.901 km (3.667 miles), 18-turn road course. Start Time: 8:00 a.m. (et). Laps: 52. Miles: 190.676 (306.747 km). 2009 winner: Sebastian Vettel. Television: FOX (tape delay - noon et).

  The British Grand Prix will be homecoming event of sorts for many Formula One teams this weekend. McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes GP, Williams, Renault, Force India, Lotus Racing, and Virgin Racing are all based in the United Kingdom.

  With nine of 19 grand prix completed this season, the battle is heating up between McLaren and Red Bull Racing in both the drivers' and constructors' championships.

  Lewis Hamilton from McLaren currently holds the points lead, but Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel has gained ground on Hamilton after winning the European Grand Prix last week in Valencia, Spain.

  Hamilton won the British GP during his 2008 F1 title season.

  "To be leading the world championship going into my home race is a fantastic feeling," Hamilton said.

  "I know very well the effect of people-power around here.

  "In 2007, when I got pole position, I vividly remember driving around on my slowing-down lap and I could hear the noise of the crowd over the engine. And in 2008, in those terrible, wet conditions, nobody lost heart or faith, and they kept waving their flags and banners for me on every single lap." Hamilton has accumulated 127 points so far this season, while his teammate and British compatriot Jenson Button is just six points behind.

  "Two Brits heading into the British Grand Prix first and second in the championship, we couldn't really wish for anything better," said Button, the defending world champion.

  Vettel, currently third in points (-12), won last year's British GP. Vettel started on the pole and relinquished the lead only when he pitted for the final time. The young German finished a whopping 15 seconds ahead of teammate Mark Webber to give Red Bull a one-two finish.

  "Silverstone is a very nice grand prix, with a little tradition, and obviously, we had a very good race there last year, with a 1-2 finish," Vettel said. "It's the home race for Red Bull Racing.

  "A lot of people will be coming from the factory to see the cars, which surely is something special. They basically work on the cars everyday, more or less. They get the opportunity there to check everything out, and it's nice to get even more support, and obviously it's perfect if we could repeat the same result from last year." Silverstone Circuit, located in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, England, has hosted the British GP each year since 1987, and will continue to do so for the next 16 years.

  Last December, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC), and F1 president Bernie Ecclestone announced that Silverstone would remain as the site of the British GP. Silverstone had lost the rights to hold the event when Donington Circuit and Ecclestone agreed to a provisional deal in 2008.

  Donington Ventures Leisure Limited failed to generate enough funds to upgrade its track for an F1 race, forcing Ecclestone to terminate negotiations with the circuit's owners.

  The British GP is the oldest event on the F1 schedule.

  There have been several back-to-back winners of the British GP, with Scotsman David Coulthard the last to do it from 1999-2000. The pole sitter has won this race 22 of 60 times, but just three times in the past 12 years.

  Vettel and Webber have given Red Bull eight poles so far this season.

  07/06 20:12:50 ET