Two weeks after the magnificence French Grand Prix, the World Championship contenders gathered at Silverstone for another showdown between the factory Ferrari and Maserati teams and with Mike Hawthorn having won in France, British interest was high. The two teams fielded the usual drivers (Ferrari: Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Villoresi and Hawthorn; Maserati: Juan Manuel Fangio, José Froilán González, Felice Bonetto and Onofre Marimón). HWM ran four cars and Connaught had three while there were a variety of Cooper-Bristols (including an Ecurie Ecosse car entered for Jimmy Stewart - brother of Jackie Stewart) in addition to the usual three-car Gordini effort.

The front row of the grid reflected the close battle with Ascari ahead of González, Hawthorn and Fangio. Fangio made the best start but went wide at the first corner and so Ascari went into the lead. He would stay there for the rest of the afternoon. Behind him Hailwood spun while González moved up the second but then slipped back to fourth when he was black-flagged for trailing oil. He rejoined in fourth place behind Ascari, Fangio and Villoresi although the last-named disappeared later with suspension trouble. Marimón also went out when his engine failed and so Farina was able to move up to and then pass González to finish third. Hawthorn finished fifth with Bonetto sixth.