The 2020 championship calendar was heavily modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation of several rounds and the introduction of double races at certain venues. The 70th Anniversary Grand Prix was added as a one-off event held seven days after the British Grand Prix. This marked the first time since 1993 that the United Kingdom hosted two Formula One races in a single season. Due to public health measures, the event was held "behind closed doors" without spectators, and the British government granted Formula One an exemption from certain quarantine restrictions to allow the race to proceed.
The entry list largely mirrored the pre-season roster, with two notable exceptions. Sergio Pérez was replaced at Racing Point by Nico Hülkenberg after Pérez tested positive for coronavirus. While there was initial uncertainty regarding whether Pérez's isolation period would allow him to return for the second Silverstone) race, a subsequent positive test on 6 August confirmed Hülkenberg would drive. Additionally, Robert Kubica appeared in the first practice session for Alfa Romeo Racing, replacing Antonio Giovinazzi.
Pirelli supplied the C2, C3, and C4 tyre compounds, which were one step softer than the selection used at the British Grand Prix the previous week. This change was intended to create strategic variety. Despite three cars experiencing punctures during the preceding race, Pirelli maintained the softer selection but mandated increased minimum tyre pressures. The manufacturer attributed the previous failures to excessively long stints rather than compound weakness. To accommodate these changes, a planned test of 2021 prototype tyres during practice was cancelled to give teams more time to adjust their car setups.
Valtteri Bottas secured pole position, outqualifying Lewis Hamilton by 0.064 seconds. Nico Hülkenberg qualified third, followed by Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. Notably, both Mercedes drivers and Ricciardo did the best Q3 laps on the medium tyre rather than the soft compound. Further down the grid, Esteban Ocon received a three-place penalty for impeding George Russell, while Sebastian Vettel failed to reach Q3, qualifying 12th. With this session, Bottas set a new record of 67 consecutive Q3 appearances, surpassing the previous record of 66 held by Hamilton.
At the start, Bottas and Hamilton maintained their positions while Verstappen overtook Hülkenberg for third. Sebastian Vettel dropped to last place after spinning at Turn 1. As the race progressed, the Mercedes cars suffered from heat-induced tyre blistering, forcing Bottas to pit on lap 13 and Hamilton on lap 14. This allowed Verstappen, who had started on the hard tyre, to take the lead.
Verstappen pitted for mediums on lap 26, emerging just behind Bottas but quickly overtaking him to regain the lead. On lap 31, Daniel Ricciardo spun while battling Carlos Sainz Jr. for 12th. Late in the race, Hamilton pitted on lap 42 to mitigate the risk of tyre failure, falling behind Charles Leclerc before quickly reclaiming the position. Kevin Magnussen retired from the race due to a tyre shortage. Verstappen maintained his lead to win by approximately 11 seconds over Hamilton, with Bottas finishing third. Alexander Albon finished fifth after passing Lance Stroll on lap 51.
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