In numbers: 10 statistics ahead of Silverstone

Home is where the heart is, and that’s where we are for Round 10 of the 2022 Formula One season.

We’re back at Silverstone - one of the most iconic tracks on the calendar - and we can’t wait to race once again in front of our home fans.

Here are 10 statistics you need to know ahead of the British Grand Prix.

We picked up the DHL Fastest Pitstop Award at the Canadian Grand Prix, with our mechanics changing all four tyres on Alex Albon’s car in just 2.38 seconds.  It was also the fastest Williams pitstop in any race of the 2022 season so far.

Alex Albon qualified in P12 at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the best qualifying result we’ve achieved in this campaign prior to this weekend. The team went even better this weekend, making our first Q3 appearance of the season thanks to Nicholas Latifi, emulating the efforts of George Russell, who reached Q3 for us at last year’s British GP.

Albono has been backing up his impressive qualifying performances with some great starts in 2022.  The Thai driver has gained 13 positions on the opening lap this year, without ever losing any places.

Nicky will be making his 49th start for the team this weekend, equalling the total of his compatriot – and 1997 world champion for Williams – Jacques Villeneuve. Coincidentally, Nicky wears the same race number (6) Jacques did when he made his F1 debut with the team in 1996.

Our FW44 continues to be among the most streamlined of all cars on the grid. Alex and Nicky were 1-2 in the speed trap during the wet qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix, the fourth consecutive race weekend in which both cars were among the fastest eight cars in outright top speed.

Both Alex and Nicky are previous Silverstone winners in their F2 careers, with Latifi winning from pole in the 2017 sprint race, while Albon was victorious in the 2018 feature race.

Silverstone has been the scene of many of our most famous triumphs, with Clay Regazzoni claiming the first race win for the team at the 1979 British GP, while Jacques Villeneuve added our 100th victory at the 1997 race. Overall,  we have won the British GP on ten occasions, more than any other race in team history.

Nigel Mansell demonstrated the Williams FW14B in which he won both the 1992 British GP and the 1992 Drivers’ Championship at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. We were so dominant at Silverstone in 1992 that Nigel’s qualifying time was 2.741 seconds clear of every driver except his own teammate Riccardo Patrese, who himself was 1.919s adrift!

Our victory at Silverstone in 1994 was significant not only because Damon Hill finally claimed the win on home ground that had previously eluded his father Graham Hill, but also because the winners’ trophy was presented on the podium by HRH The Princess Of Wales.

Keke Rosberg became the first driver ever to break the 160 mph average speed barrier when he piloted his Williams FW10 to pole position – on a damp track – at Silverstone during qualifying in 1985. That would stand as the fastest-ever F1 lap for 17 years until it was broken at the 2002 Italian GP by Juan Pablo Montoya, at the wheel of a Williams FW24.