British Grand Prix - the one where the tyres blew

Ever since Silverstone held its first Grand Prix in 1950, the Northamptonshire track has been home to thrilling races for motorsport fans and car enthusiasts.

This year's British Grand Prix was no exception. Mechanical issues, tyre failures and some impressive overtaking manoeuvres - plus two safety car periods - left fans on the edge of their seats throughout the 52-lap race.

Multiple tyre failures shake up the pack

Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes on poll after Saturday's awesome qualifying lap. Banners bearing his name were on display everywhere and fans' hopes were high for Lewis to win. He started well but disaster struck in lap eight as his tyre deflated and disintegrated on the Wellington straight. Luckily he managed to limp back to the pit lane, but he re-entered the race in last place.

Hamilton's tyre failure wasn't a one-off event. A few laps later Felipe Massa's Ferrari suffered the same fate. The same rear left tyre blew while he was in almost the same position on the track. Teams were now questioning the safety of the tyres and drivers were pitting early to switch to the harder compound. Then Vergne's rear left tyre failed in lap 16. The safety car was called out and speculations about kerb damage to the tyres was conveyed to drivers over team radio.

Hamilton fights back up the grid

After rejoining in last place, Hamilton fought his way back to finish an impressive fourth. He dazzled fans as he overtook Gutierrez and later tussled with fellow Brit Paul Di Resta, nearly rear-ending him as they battled for 12th place in lap 37. In the penultimate lap he snatched 4th place from Räikkönen and then closed in menacingly on Alonso, although unfortunately there wasn't enough time left to win a place on the podium.

Vettel fails to score points

After Hamilton's tyre failure, Sebastian Vettel looked favourite to win as he stormed ahead of second place driver Nico Rosberg. Even the safety car session made little difference to his lead as he left the rest of the pack in the dust. He was so far ahead that he even retained first place after pitting.

Unexpectedly, the German World Champion's hopes were dashed in lap 40 when his car slowed down to a stop following a gearbox failure. Nico Rosberg sailed past into first place as the beleaguered Red Bull headed for the edge of the track and stopped by the wall.

Webber hunts down second place

Whilst one Red Bull driver failed to gain points, Mark Webber had a fantastic race. Things didn't start well for the Aussie driver. He made contact with Grosjean at the start and lost his front wing, which pushed him back into 15th place. But a combination of well-timed pit stops and some impressive overtaking, including nail-biting battles with Grosjean for seventh place and Räikkönen for second, put him on the podium.

Poor tyre strategy from Lotus

Kimi Räikkönen was also racing well. He'd fought his way up to second place and seemed guaranteed a podium finish. And then, oddly for a team that manages its tyres well, Lotus misplayed its tyre strategy. During the second safety car session most of the drivers pitted for new tyres. Räikkönen wasn't called in and he questioned this decision over team radio. But it was too late. The safety car session was over and racing recommenced.

It was soon obvious that Lotus had made a grave mistake. Kimi was repeatedly overtaken. First Webber took second, then Alonso closed in and stole third, finally in lap 51 Hamilton overtook the Finn for fourth place. Kimi must have been relieved to see the chequered flag.

Pirelli responds quickly to tyre issues

Following the tyre failures, teams were quick to condemn Pirelli, F1's tyre supplier, and some drivers suggested a racing boycott. But the Italian tyre manufacturer has been quick to respond.

Earlier in the season Pirelli had asked to change their rear tyre formula, but this request had been blocked by Ferrari, Lotus and Force India. Following Silverstone, however, teams have agreed that changes are needed. The FIA has also agreed to Pirelli's request for safety testing using a 2013 car. Whilst there were no tyre problems during the German Grand Prix, Pirelli used the 2012 construction soft tyre at the Hungarian Grand Prix this month.

Guest Post - 31 Jul 2013