If we’re going to describe this season's British Grand Prix in one word surely it has to be WILD! With a Mercedes front row lock out, rain on the horizon and a proper old school track to race on, surely this race was going to cause some kind of chaos. And, trust me, it damn well did.
After the falling outs of the Austrian Grand Prix only the weekend beforehand, there was sure to be some nervy feelings doing the rounds as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen started side by side on the grid, in 3rd and 4th respectively. However, it was Mercedes chance to shine with both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton starting on the front row, joining Norris in securing a 1-2-3 in qualifying for British drivers for the first time ever at the British Grand Prix. Quite patriotic, if I must say so.
Incredibly, F1 continued it’s run of relatively clean race starts. I mean, Silverstone isn’t vigerously known for incident free race beginnings, looking at you 2022, nevertheless, everyone made it through this time despite the odd bish, bash, bosh here and there, as Alex Albon wiggled his way through turn one avoiding cars and clipping others. However, one driver who had a mare of a start was Pierre Gasly in his Alpine, pitting at the end of the formation lap due to technical problems. After starting the race from the pit lane, alongside Sergio Perez (let’s not go there), he would eventually retire at the end of Lap One. Not how one wants to spend their weekend in the Silverstone countryside.
Despite the front of the field managing their pace, there was plenty of early action in the mid to backend of the pack. Perez was making his way up from last position, following Kevin Magnussen’s Haas through on rivals ahead of them. Daniel Ricciardo was also on the move, taking advantage of the DRS on the straights. But, when the talk of rain started to inundate team radios, it was now when Norris made his move on Verstappen for third, after the Dutchman pipped him to the position off the line. I can confirm that no McLarens or Red Bulls were hurt in this process.
Yes, it rained. Just like it had been doing all weekend, on and off, per se. And, where drivers like Verstappen were falling down the order, the McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri became incredibly suited to the damp conditions, with the duo quickly passing the leading drivers - Hamilton ahead of Russell, into the lead of the race - Norris ahead of Piastri. With some drivers having to take to run off areas due to slight aquaplaning, several teams called their drivers in for a change to inter tyres. A surprising move considering the rain was light and many didn’t feel the need for this tyre as of yet. Alas, this was not a wise decision and once again Charles Leclerc found himself on the wrong tyre at the wrong time, throwing his race into complete dissarey in scenes similar to that of Canada earlier on in the season.
But, this is Silverstone and British weather refuses to hold back. The rain came again, but this time at a higher intensity. Unfortunately, those who stayed on the inters after the first shower, found themselves with yet another disadvantage. Their rubber was shot and new inters were on the cards, dropping them even further behind, with Perez and Leclerc being lapped by their teammates. But, the fun truly began when some of our front runners decided that it was also time for the green striped Pirellis to make an appearance. Verstappen, the first to dive into the pitlane, was the big winner in the kerfuffle, moving up into 3rd. The losers? Piastri and Russell, with the former having to stay out an extra lap compared to his rivals and the latter DNFing with, ironically, a water pressure issue.
After a bit of slipping and sliding in the rain; Kevin Magnussen seemed to be the only driver coming ever so close to loosing it at one stage; slick tyres made a return to the track on Lap 39. There were big gains for Hamilton who, now on the soft tyre, jumped Norris for the lead after his pit stop. Norris, now in 2nd, would also pit for softs, Verstappen in 3rd was on hards and going along very, very nicely, inching ever so closer to the top two. Verstappen and Red Bull's decision to fit the hard tyre over the soft was starting to pay off, with both Norris and Hamilton gradually falling into the Dutchman's clutches in the latter stages of the race. However, with only a handful of laps remaining, was this a big ask for Verstappen to catch the duo ahead and win? The race was on, with many fans holding their breaths as Verstappen caught Norris, overtaking him fair and square for second, before leaving the McLaren in the distance as the Red Bull chased down the Mercedes for the win.
For the British fans who came to the British Grand Prix hoping for a British driver to win, they were about to get their prayers answered, as the chequered flag started to fly, with Hamilton crossing the line ahead of Verstappen, making it his first win since 2021. Something that's pretty difficult to comprehend! Norris would cross the line in 3rd, ruing his chances at taking a second place at his home race. Carlos Sainz would make a last minute pit stop for Ferrari, fitting the softs and taking the fastest lap in the process.
What a race, huh? This new resurgence that F1 is currently going through is definitely reigniting long time aficionado's love for the sport. And, that same question as to whether a championship battle is on our hands lingers in the air. Oh, the excitement! Although, some teams strategy calls, especially at this race, are quite questionable. Looking at you McLaren, Ferrari and, to some extent, Red Bull. But, that just adds to the fun and the unknown.
Next up: Hungary.
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