#1067 2022 British Grand Prix

The 2022 British Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Lenovo British Grand Prix 2022) is a Formula One motor race held on 3 July 2022 at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Following the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen leads the Drivers' Championship by 46 points from teammate Sergio Pérez, with Charles Leclerc in third, a further three points behind. Red Bull Racing leads the Constructors' Championship, leading Ferrari by 74 points. Mercedes is in third place, trailing Ferrari by 40 points. In the 2019 season, Formula 1 announces its goal to become a carbon-zero category by 2030. During the current season, the debut of biofuels with 10% ethanol represents the first step towards 100% biofuels starting from 2026, when the new regulatory cycle related to the engines is introduced. Through an official statement, the category highlights, in addition to biofuels, that it has begun to use remote methods for meetings to reduce travel and its environmental impact as much as possible. For the upcoming seasons, a continental calendar is planned, which avoids back-to-back races, such as between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix, with a return to Europe two weeks later for this Grand Prix. This dynamic was already seen with the transatlantic move for the first edition of the Miami Grand Prix, which took place between the Emilia-Romagna and Spain Grands Prix. Furthermore, the Federation approves the reduction of the minimum weight of the cars in 2023, which is set at 796 kg, and the removal of tire blankets starting from the following season. Finally, the Federation allows teams to keep the tires wrapped in blankets and heated to a maximum temperature of 30 °C overnight to minimize issues related to the cold, given the low ambient temperatures. In the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, some rules of the championship are changed. The most important change concerns the limits of the power units. Teams are now authorized to change engines in parc fermé with newer versions that are included in their rotation. Additionally, the Federation adds a provision to the regulations to allow for temporary repairs of the engines. The rules regarding vehicle limitations for Pirelli testing are also modified. The flex tests to check the flexibility of rear wings are updated, as well as the rules on mirrors to improve visibility. Finally, after some issues during the season, teams are allowed to bring fuel to 20 °C in the hottest races. 

In races where the ambient temperature is 30 °C or higher, the fuel can always be cooled to 20 °C. The ambient temperature is recorded by a weather service approved by the Federation one hour before any practice session or three hours before the race or Sprint, and is displayed on the timing monitors. The fuel temperature is the one recorded on board by the primary flowmeter. From this race, the technical checks change concerning the deformation of the rear wing appendages. The new tests apply a force greater than the previous 60 newtons. The new rule imposes the simultaneous application of two 150-newton loads, applied at a greater distance from the car's centerline, thus further increasing the corresponding deformation. The lateral application distance from the centerline is now set at 270 mm, while it was previously between 100 and 215 mm. In addition, the deformation at the rear edge of the beam wing cannot exceed 3 mm, compared to the previous 5 mm. For the main rear wing, under the action of 2.000 newtons perpendicular to the surface, it can flex up to 3 mm, 1 mm more than the previous regulation. The Federation also specifies that with DRS open, the gap must be such that an 85-mm diameter ball cannot pass between the upper and lower profiles, with a force of 10 newtons. Finally, the regulations include the monitoring of rear wing deformation while driving, using cameras and adhesive markers placed on the profiles, a practice already used since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021. On the eve of the previous Canadian Grand Prix, the Federation begins an investigation to study how the bouncing of cars on full straights is dangerous for drivers, not only for safety on track but also for its impact on their bodies. The bumps are particularly pronounced on the long straight of the Baku circuit during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, causing significant concern for the drivers, particularly for the British Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, who experiences severe back pain due to the bouncing, which was initially uncertain for the Canadian race but was later confirmed by the driver. The Federation wants to have a complete picture, consulting specialist doctors and gathering data from other series, such as rallying. The Federation decides to issue a technical directive explaining that for safety reasons, it is necessary to intervene and require teams to make the necessary adjustments to reduce or eliminate this bouncing phenomenon.

Specifically, the governing body decides to address some points, such as a more detailed inspection of the car's floor and the establishment of a metric, based on the car's vertical acceleration, which provides a quantitative limit for the acceptable level of vertical oscillations. A meeting between the FIA and the teams is also announced. In the Canadian race, the Federation limits itself to collecting data in the third free practice session on Saturday, without applying penalties due to the short time available to the teams. After the data is collected, on the eve of the British Grand Prix, the Federation informs the teams that the directive will take effect from the French Grand Prix scheduled for the end of July. It also establishes some new parameters regarding floor wear and the rigidity of the central plank that teams must comply with. During the last Grands Prix, Scuderia Ferrari has certainly not benefitted from such tenuous, but indispensable, luck. The strategies have been much discussed, identified in common opinion as the cause of missed podiums for the Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc. Ravin Jain, Scuderia Ferrari Race strategist, analyzes the circuit from a technical point of view:

“Silverstone is a very technical and high-speed circuit characterized by quick changes of direction, such as the famous Maggotts - Becketts - Chapel sequence of corners which are some of the fastest on the F1 calendar. This fast-flowing nature with a lack of many slow speed corners means it is one of the least demanding circuits for brakes. However, being located in the middle of the English countryside, the track is quite flat with little elevation change but is very open and exposed so the wind often plays a role in affecting the balance of the cars around the lap. The newly resurfaced tarmac is now 3 years old and is smooth with high grip which means drivers can push their cars to the maximum".

Then, he discusses the possible strategies for this new race weekend:

"Because of its fast flowing nature, Pirelli have brought their hardest tires to Silverstone with the C1, C2 and C3 compounds. Nonetheless, we expect tire degradation to play an important role in determining how many stops there will be on Sunday. With a unique pit entry that cuts out the last couple of corners, the time lost for a pitstop is quite short and, coupled with two DRS zones, overtaking is possible so we expect to see some different strategies at play on Sunday. The British summer is also famous for some capricious weather, with it not being uncommon to see rain, sunshine and everything in between during a weekend! Teams and strategists have to be on their toes to react to any type of weather".

Finally, he thinks about its own role and lists the emotions associated with this professional position:

"I am proud to work for Scuderia Ferrari, an iconic Italian team, but also a place where many nationalities work together to represent the Cavallino Rampant all over the world. As a young British engineer, coming back to Silverstone is always special as it is the place that I first saw a Formula 1 car in person many years ago. There is a rich history of British people working for Ferrari: in fact, the first British world champion, Mike Hawthorn, won the crown in 1958 driving for the Scuderia , and I am proud to add my name to that long list of drivers and engineers . And suffice to say that I would be very happy to hear the Italian anthem ring out over the podium come Sunday afternoon".

The Race Direction sets the track limits for the circuit: the drivers will have to be careful not to run too wide out of Turn 9, the famous Copse corner, a very fast right-hander which Formula 1 cars can almost make flat-out. Besides, a special rule will involve the start/finish line and the handing of potential penalties. In fact, since the pit-lane entry allows a shortcut compared to the track (with the cars forced to run through the longer Vale and Club corners), the drivers will have to cross the line on the proper racing track and not in the pits to finish the race or complete a lap. 

This will prevent drivers, for example, from crossing the finish line before serving a penalty on one of their garage spots, which are all placed after it, repeating what Ferrari did back on the last lap of the 1998 British Grand Prix, after brilliantly exploiting a grey area of the sporting regulations. The British weather does not disappoint expectations and the teams are welcomed by heavy rain, with Lance Stroll having the worst experience of all the twenty drivers. In fact, the Canadian driver spins at Turn 9 and sends his Aston Martin in the gravel. As the track begins to dry out, but not completely, the conditions in the first free practice session become more and more enigmatic, since they suit neither the slick tyres nor the intermediates. Therefore, half the grid refuses to go out on track, as the session is deemed useless to collect any data. Among the remaining ten drivers, it is Valtteri Bottas to find the best compromise. The Finn comes out on top with a time of 1'42"249 set on intermediate tyres. Bottas is followed by and incredible Lewis Hamilton, capable of losing just 0.532s on soft tyres with the whole middle sector of the track still wet. The seven-time World Champion had the fastest intermediates in sector 1 and 3. 

Third and fourth the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz (+0.718s) and Charles Leclerc (+1.552), preceding Mick Schumacher, Guanyu Zhou, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda e Sebastian Vettel, all on intermediate tyres. A dry FP2 finally allows the teams to put to the test their updated cars. The wind disturbs the drivers in their attempts to find the limit, leading to some lock ups, like with Verstappen and Russell at Turn 3. Others, like Sainz and Hamilton, complain about the bouncing, despite being among the fastest for the whole session. It is in fact Carlos Sainz who tops the timesheet with a lap in 1'28"942, followed by Lewis Hamilton (+0.163s), Lando Norris (+0.176), Max Verstappen (+0.207s), and Charles Leclerc (+0.462) closing the top 5. Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull all seem very close also in terms of race pace, and this could result in a very interesting race. This time the Silver Arrows appear to be quite competitive, showing that the updates have brought a tangible improvement. A redesigned floor and sidepod inlet, a new front suspension and a new rear wing all seem to have had a positive effect, as Andrew Shovlin points out:

"It's great to be back at Silverstone and fantastic to see the grandstands so packed. This was our best Friday for a few races. We've still got a lot to improve but the car is working much better at this track than the last few street circuits. It's really hard to evaluate whether the updates are doing exactly what we'd expect, especially in the windy conditions, but we've not seen anything worrying so we'll continue with this specification for the rest of the weekend. George had a trickier session than Lewis but we had the Hard tyre on his car for the start of the second session and the double compound step made it difficult for him to get the most out of the Soft. Saying that, his long run pace was encouraging. Lewis put in a strong lap on the Soft compound but we expect the fast teams to have plenty to come tomorrow so we need to work hard to iron out a few of the balance and bouncing issues. Lots of work to do overnight but a reasonably encouraging start to the weekend".

Improvements that do not pass unnoticed by Lewis Hamilton, who seems a bit more relieved. Nevertheless, Friday has not been that easy for the seven-time World Champion, who still needs to find the perfect trim for qualifying and race, hoping to get some extra boost by the amazing home crowd:

"It has been a good day, we managed 10 laps in FP1 which was better than most, so I was happy with that. We're bouncing a bit still, not on the straights but through the corners so we've still got work to do. It does feel like a small step forward but we've got to keep working. With this car you can't drive the tracks the same as you used to, with how stiff it is and the ride characteristics, but it's still fun through Maggotts, Becketts and also Stowe - it's mega, my favourite corners. It was difficult to feel the upgrades because you're coming from such a different track - slow speed corners in Montreal to the medium and high-speed corners here. The track is smoother than we've had recently which is much better but in general, this track is just the best, it's still hair-raising to drive. Our long run pace isn't as good as some of the other guys but it isn't far off. The crowd give me hope, it's so good to see them here and I appreciate the support so much".

George Russell agrees with his teammate. The difference in performance is there, both thanks to track and updates. The young Briton also hopes for a good race in front of what is also his home crowd and is confident with the race pace of his car:

"I struggled on the low fuel compared to Lewis, he put in a very strong lap. The high fuel was definitely more promising compared to the McLaren which was also on the Hard. By the time our tyres warmed up, we showed good pace to the Ferraris and were improving lap after lap. Some positive signs there but definitely room to improve. We need to understand why our race pace is so much stronger than our single lap pace, the McLaren is very strong on a single lap but we just can't get the tyres working over a single lap. Over the course of a race, we're in a pretty good window but it's always a balance, you can't just put your eggs in one basket for Sunday. It's a very different circuit to Montreal and Baku, we knew the car was going to be a challenge through the high-speed corners and that proved true through Copse, Maggotts and Becketts, the car was bouncing around, so we need to try and understand that. But we aren't bouncing down the straights which is positive".

The only team not to bring updates this weekend sees its drivers close their Friday in 16th and 18th position. Yuki Tsunoda is involved in a little misunderstanding at Luffield with George Russell, as the British driver finds the young Japanese in his way during a flying lap. Tsunoda is clearly enjoying the track, even though he has to improve his performance:

"I enjoyed driving the new car here for the first time today, it’s always a challenging circuit with high-speed corners but with the new car it was really exciting - especially through Maggotts and Becketts, you can push even more than last year’s car and you slide around a lot. Overall, it’s been a bit of an unusual day compared to most race weeks, as we had almost no running in FP1 with the rain. I feel like we’ve only really had one session, so it’s a bit weird, but we still managed to complete all the running we needed to this afternoon. We’re currently struggling a lot with the car and we’re quite far away from other teams at the moment. We were always expecting it to be more difficult this weekend, but we’ll need to take a big step to be able to be competitive in Qualifying. It looks like the conditions will be tricky tomorrow, so we need to look at all the data tonight and be able to adapt to whatever the British weather throws at us".

Ferrari is showing again good pace despite following a conservative approach in car development like their engine customer Haas. In particular, the fast and flowing nature of Silverstone circuit requires a fine aerodynamic tuning, hence the Scuderia has brought a new engine cover with narrower cooling louvres to allow a better circulation of the airflow. Furthermore, some work has also been done on the rear wing. Carlos Sainz sets the fastest time in FP2, even though he has encountered some difficulties, like running wide out of Copse due to an unstable rear end and the bouncing that still annoys the drivers:

"A busy second session after the lack of running in FP1. We had to put together an intense run plan for FP2 to properly check both the short run and the long run pace. It was quite a challenging session. The wind made it tricky to get the right balance for the high-speed sections and the correct compromise for tyres in the low-speed ones. Overall we were quick, but it felt like there is margin to improve. Qualifying tomorrow could get interesting due to the weather, so those few laps in wet conditions in FP1 were also useful. Let’s see what tomorrow brings".

A hard-working day for Charles Leclerc, who ends with a 5th position, a bit overshadowed by his Spanish teammate, but still able to collect crucial data to find a good set-up for every condition:

"We didn’t run much in FP1 today, but we did a few laps in wet conditions to have some data should there be a wet qualifying tomorrow. Once the rain stopped, we put on a set of Soft tyres but we weren’t able to complete any laps on them due to a red flag. FP2 was a bit cleaner and I could tell that our performance felt good in the car. I am confident that we will be competitive and it will be a matter of putting everything together".

Red Bull has brought some important updates in order to stay in front of Ferrari in the championship battle. A new front corner, a visibly different engine cover in the coke zone, a new floor edge and new floor fences should be able to improve performance, even though Sergio Pérez is not very impressed. The Mexican closes his FP2 in 7th place, as he has encountered some balance issues along the way:

"It wasn’t a great session today, from the preparation I had on the simulator, the car is miles off that. We suspect the issues are related to the aerodynamics but I can’t go into too much detail until I see the data properly and then we need to understand the problems. Because of that we had a very short long run which impacted running at the end of the session. It’s not a great start to the weekend, we are a bit on the back foot now and we need to look into it in more detail now. It will be difficult to catch up, but we have done it before and as long as we are able to get things in the right place we should be good. You need confidence around these tough corners here, so as long as I can get that back, things should be alright. Ferrari look strong and I hope we can match them tomorrow come qualifying".

Max Verstappen, 4th with a gap of 0.207s from Sainz, seems strong and will be a threat for Ferrari on Sunday with his race pace. However, prior to the race comes qualifying, and since rain is expected, the young Dutchman could make a difference as usual in these conditions:

"It’s always a bit tricky when you don’t run a lot in FP1, it means there’s a lot more guess work in FP2. I think we know what we need to work on and we’ll do that overnight. It looks like it’s going to rain during qualifying tomorrow, so there’ll be different conditions compared to our sessions today. I got a few laps in with high fuel on the softest compounds, the tyres wear quickly here with all the high-speed corners, so it’s always going to be quite tricky to manage the tyres on this track. Overall it went okay today and I’m looking forward to qualifying tomorrow".

It is Saturday, July 3, so it is time for the Final Practice session in Silverstone. The track is dry and the conditions are not bad but everything can still change and rain is expected during the day. The air temperature is 17 °C and the track one is 25 °C. Green lights are on and the FP3 starts. The Saturday session, held with a dry track, is dominated by the two Red Bull Racing cars, with Verstappen leading his teammate Pérez by four tenths. The Dutch driver does not participate in the first few minutes of the session, but then takes to the track and sets the best time immediately, which is later improved in subsequent attempts. The Austrian cars have a more aerodynamically loaded setup than Ferrari's, but this does not seem to affect their speed. Leclerc is still in third, although the Italian car suffers from some bouncing. Sainz Jr. is in sixth, also trailing the Mercedes duo. The eleven drivers following the Spaniard are all within one second of each other. Unlike the morning practice session, the qualifying takes place in the rain and on a wet track. In fact, the conditions are not difficult enough to require extreme wet tires, only intermediate tires. The drivers spend the entire first phase of the session circling the track, hoping to gain more confidence with the conditions and waiting for improvements in the weather. After the time set by Alexander Albon, Charles Leclerc moves to the top of the timesheet; Carlos Sainz Jr., the other Ferrari driver, is second, two seconds behind the Monegasque. Max Verstappen takes the lead, beating Albon, then Leclerc (1'43"028). Gasly moves up to third before the two Mercedes drivers intercalate into second and third positions. The top spot changes hands several times, between Verstappen and Leclerc. Pérez is third, before losing the position to Sainz Jr. The third spot moves to Russell, then to Lando Norris. Russell takes first, before Verstappen sets a new benchmark of 1'40"452. In this case, Leclerc does not improve his time and stays second.

Sainz Jr. rises to third, while Zhou Guanyu climbs to fifth. Verstappen becomes the first to go under one minute and forty seconds. Pérez, his Red Bull Racing teammate, also improves and moves up to fourth. Sainz Jr. improves again and is second, before being beaten by Hamilton. The track, still improving, shakes up the ranking again. Leclerc takes the lead once more, but Verstappen reclaims it. Albon, the two Aston Martins, and the two Haas drivers are eliminated. Albon complains to his team, who asked him to complete a tire cooling lap during the session. At the start of Q2, Nicholas Latifi takes the lead, then Zhou beats him. Yuki Tsunoda slots in between them. Meanwhile, the rain seems to intensify further. Fernando Alonso moves to the top, but Pérez beats him with a time of 1'42"512. As in Q1, Verstappen snatches the best time again. Hamilton moves up to third, ahead of his Mercedes teammate Russell. Zhou recovers third shortly after. McLaren's Norris moves to second, while Leclerc sets the provisional best time in 1'41"247. Once again, Verstappen improves on the Monegasque's time. Hamilton jumps to second, before Sainz Jr. sets the fourth best time. Unlike Q1, the track does not improve, and the drivers who are in the elimination zone fail to improve in their last attempt. Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and Esteban Ocon do not pass into Q3. At the start of the final phase, the rain seems to ease, although the risk of further precipitation remains high. Sainz Jr. sets his lap time of 1'51"022, then loses the top spot to Leclerc. Verstappen, who spins, finishes far behind the Ferraris. Zhou beats Leclerc's time with a 1'49"454. Alonso takes the lead with a time of 1'46"227. Sainz Jr. retakes the lead, but Leclerc surpasses him again with a time of 1'44"844. Verstappen improves to 1'41"055, taking back the provisional pole, while Norris moves up to third, soon to be passed by Pérez. Alonso rises to fifth, but Sainz Jr. improves again and beats Verstappen. Hamilton takes fourth, before being passed by Pérez. Carlos Sainz Jr. wins his first career pole position in his 155th Formula 1 Grand Prix.

"P1. P1 confirmed".

Says Riccardo Adami to Carlos Sainz:

"Wait, what?!"

Riccardo Adami:

“P1 confirmed, baby. Good job".

Carlos Sainz:

"I didn’t expect that one".

He gets off his car and waves to the public. Verstappen goes to give a congratulation to him on his first pole. Leclerc and Sainz Jr. shake their hands and get ready for their interview. Carlos Sainz is extremely happy with today’s result as he got his first pole in tricky conditions:

"I’m extremely happy today! Securing my first pole at Silverstone in the wet is something special that I will never forget. The whole qualifying was very tricky, and every lap was a new adventure because of the track conditions. Finding grip and traction was a huge challenge and every lap you had to adapt. On the very last attempt I went for it and managed to put a good lap together that gave us pole. The confidence for tomorrow is high and hopefully we can bring our good pace from Friday into the race. It will be a very tight battle with our competitors, but I’m ready for it and I’m sure we can put together a strong race and fight for the win. Let’s race".

Charles Leclerc is disappointed for his performance:

"Unfortunately, I spun on that last lap in Q3 and didn't put it together as I wanted to, so I am disappointed, but I am happy that Carlos finished on pole. I felt confident in the car and we were quite competitive, even in these conditions which is where we struggled quite a lot for the past two years. It's good to see that we've found some consistency in the wet. Strategies will be different between teams tomorrow, so whether it will be one or two stops, I hope we can gain something by making good moves and fight for a 1-2 for our team".

Ferrari’s Team Principal Mattia Binotto is satisfied with today’s results, especially for the pole. On Carlos, he finds that he stayed focused enough to success:

"It’s very satisfying to come away with pole position and third place in the difficult conditions we faced in today’s qualifying. It was a day where what mattered most was to stay focussed and Carlos certainly succeeded in that. So, he fully deserves this result. Securing his first pole position at such a demanding track and in these extreme conditions is the best possible confirmation of how Carlos’ confidence in the car has grown over recent races, especially after Canada. Now we turn our attention to the race, the most important part of the weekend. Charles also had a good qualifying and he can move forward from his start position. However, it’s going to be a hard race tomorrow with many variables coming into play. We will now work on preparing to convert this pole into the best possible result tomorrow".

Max Verstappen expresses himself about today:

"It was a good qualifying, I felt comfortable out there. It was obviously very slippery on track, my 360-degree spin in Q3 was a new tyre warming technique [laughs], but overall I think we did a good job, we have a great race car".

He finds that Q3 was uncertain, especially with these weather conditions, so he could not improve, also due to the yellow flag:

"I think that cost me pole position today. As you can see it's all very tight at the front at the Ferraris are very strong. It will be a close battle tomorrow but hopefully we can finish ahead of them. The car is good in the wet and the dry, so if the car is working well during the race tomorrow then we should have a good chance of winning".

Sergio Perez recognises that his result is good with these conditions even if he wants to improve:

"In these changeable conditions, today was a good result for us. I obviously wanted more and I am not fully satisfied but we can fight from there and I look forward. It wasn't ideal but on the other hand I am not too disappointed because towards the end of Q3 I had Stroll right ahead of me, so my last two laps were not ideal and maybe there was a bit more in it without that hold up. We found the issue in the car that was troubling us on Friday and in the race we will be a lot more competitive. It will be important to stay in the mix and have a strong pace in the race tomorrow, then things can look very different. We have made good progress so I will be confident hopefully we are able to give a hard time to the Ferraris, it is going to be tough but we will fight hard".

For Christian Horner, Red Bull’s Team Principal, today both drivers had a good performance:

"It was a good qualifying today from both drivers, in very tricky conditions. We got a bit unlucky with the yellow flags which meant Max lost around three or four tenths but we're pleased to be on the front row with Checo up there on the second row, in a session like that, it's a good place to be. If tomorrow is a straight dry race, then strategy and tyre deg are going to be crucial, this year, we've seen our cars can follow closer which is going to be critical through Becketts, but if the beautiful British summer continues tomorrow it could all change so quickly, hopefully we can take the fight to Ferrari. Congratulations to Carlos today, he's always been fantastic in the wet even when he was a junior for us, he did a great job and deserved the pole".

Lewis Hamilton finds that his team worked really hard to update the car, in particular the new aero furniture.

"The team have worked incredibly hard to bring updates to the car and we have a bunch of new aero furniture around the car and it has improved. But we still have bouncing in the high-speed corners which is where, particularly the Red Bull, is pulling away from us. In the rain, we were fighting for the front row; all the way until that second to last lap we were up there. We backed off to charge the battery and go into a racier mode for the final lap but that was just when the rain started to fall heavier and it cost us. I was so hopeful because we have this incredible crowd and we were in the fight, I was feeling great. We've got a great race car and fifth isn't the worst place to start, in previous races I'd have been happy with P5 but it's the British Grand Prix, you're hopeful for more. I'll try and pull something special for tomorrow, I really appreciate the support here - the fans were amazing".

George Russell experienced some issues during all the qualifying, so he clearly did not have a good qualifying session:

"In Q1 I was feeling really well in the car, very confident but in Q2, it felt slightly worse and then in Q3, I struggled for confidence in the car, made a mistake and it was tough to recover from there. It was tricky for everyone out there but I'm slightly disappointed we didn't have a better qualifying session, we didn't expect to fight for pole but more was possible. In FP3 we looked very strong with good pace in the dry and we felt like we made good progress. We know that we have a much faster race car than qualifying so let's see what we can do tomorrow, starting P8 puts us on the back foot so we need to get through those midfield cars as quickly as possible. In the dry and in race pace, we feel we have a car than fight Red Bull and Ferrari so we'll be giving it everything tomorrow".

Mercedes’ Team Principal Toto Wolff finds that the team made important steps into the dry and they managed the session well in the rain, setting competitive laps. He explains that both drivers had difficulties in Q3:

"It felt like we had made a good step with the car in the dry in FP3, and that we could be in the mix for qualifying. Obviously the rain came and we managed the session well, setting competitive laps as the rain ebbed and flowed. But in Q3, the final laps didn't come together - George had a lock-up on his penultimate lap, and Lewis struggled with a split on brake temperatures and losing some tyre temperature. So it's a little disappointing to be only P5 and P8, and to not have extracted the full potential today. The silver lining is that we had strong long runs yesterday - we have improved the car since then - and it's race pace that matters round here. I'm looking forward to watching it all play out in front of these fantastic fans and another packed house".

It is Sunday, July 3, so it is the day of the 2022 British Grand Prix. After Sebastian Vettel delighted the audience with a run in the 1992 Williams FW14B, it is time for the real race to begin. After a wet qualifying on Saturday, the weather seems better today, even if cloudy. The risk of rain is at 20%, but soon after the clouds dissipate. Max Verstappen starts from P2 with soft tyres, while the pole-sitter Carlos Sainz Jr. is on the mediums. 

Lights out and Verstappen takes the opportunity to go first, leaving the Ferrari behind, while at his back Lewis Hamilton overtsakes Charles Leclerc, taking the third position. But there is immediately a twist: an incident occurs at Turn 1 involving George Russell, Pierre Gasly and Zhou Guanyu, followed by another one involving Sebastian Vettel, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, and Alex Albon. This causes an early red flag, with Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu and Williams' Alex Albon both taken to the medical centre. At the same time, it is found that on the Wellington straight there are same protesters who are putting in place an environmental protest, in a dangerous way. A group of men managed to evade the security systems of the circuit, going on track during the first lap, fortunately when the race was already interrupted. There are at least three men on track, with the marshals who try to take them out. According to the last news, the protesters are immediately taken outside the track and delivered to local law enforcement. On the Grand Prix’s eve, there already was fear of a protest and Tom Thompson, Northamptonshire Police Chief Inspector, tried to dissuade protesters from invading the track:

"We have received credible intelligence that a group of protestors are planning to disrupt the event and possibly invade the track on race day. First of all, I want to appeal directly to this group of people and strongly urge you to not put yourselves, the drivers, as well as the many marshals, volunteers and members of the public, at risk. Going onto a live racetrack is extremely dangerous - if you go ahead with this reckless plan you are jeopardising lives".

When it is found that both drivers are conscious, the FIA announces that the race will restart with the grid reset to its original positions. Charles Leclerc asks to his track engineer to go to his car, because he has some questions to ask about the team’s strategy. After a 45-minute stop, the cars go back to the grid. When the lights go out for the second time, Sainz immediately takes the lead over Verstappen, now on mediums. Behind, Perez and Leclerc make contact at Turn 4 in a fight for the third position, and this causes damage to the Mexican’s front wing, while Norris overtakes Hamilton to take the fifth position. Leclerc, after passing Perez, tries a move on Verstappen into Brooklands, but the Dutch defences himself and Leclerc runs off track; the Stewards see the incident but decide not to issue a punishment. Perez is forced to dive into the pits on lap 5 for a new nose and another set of medium tyres: this stop drops him from fourth to sixteenth position. At the front, Verstappen attacks Sainz: He’s a bit quicker, says the Ferrari driver to his team. Then, he makes a mistake on the exit of Maggots/Becketts and goes off track, allowing the Red Bull an easy pass. At this point, Leclers says on the radio to not lose time if Carlos is struggling with the car. At the same time, Tsunoda loses the back end of his car at Turn 3 and hits teammate Gasly, both spin and is given to Tsunoda a five-second penalty for causing the collision. Gasly is later forced into retirement. On lap 12, Sainz is back in the lead: Verstappen, fearing a puncture, goes slow and straight into the pits. The two Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc are now in first and second position, while a new set of mediums is mounted on Verstappen’s car and he emerges sixth. The Red Bull team says that the Dutch driver’s car has a bodywork damage, while he says that the vehicle is 100% broken. With Verstappen out from the battle at the front, the real fight is now between the Ferrari teammates Sainz and Leclerc. Sainz is soon under pressure from Leclerc, because, despite his damaged front wing, the Monegasque driver reduces the gap to 0.9 seconds by lap 14. Leclerc insistes that they are losing time while his enginees says:

"We have to save the tyres in the high-speed corners".

Asks the Monegasque to keep attention to the tyres. Then he asks the team what to do to save his race, while Hamilton’s Mercedes is getting nearer to him. At the same time, Sainz’ engineer informs him about Hamilton’s lap time and insists on the radio:

"You have to push more. Hamilton turns at 32.9 seconds".

The Spanish driver says that he is pushing but Adami keeps saying:

"You have to push more, if you can".

So Sainz answers:

"Don’t say it to me anymore".

Xavi Marcos tells Leclerc:

"It has been said to Sainz that the target lap time is 32.9, and the driver insists that he is quicker than his teammate, so asks the team to do something, while his engineer informs him that Sainz has been ordered to push and, despite this, he will pit on the following lap".

On Lap 20, Sainz is called to pit for new hards, so now is Leclerc to lead the race, while the Spaniard emerges in third position just ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. On lap 25, Leclerc pits and emerges third behind Sainz, while Hamilton takes the lead of a race for the first time in 2022. On lap 28, the Ferraris are in second and third position, and Xavi Marcos tells Leclerc that he and Sainz are free to fight. He also says that Sainz’ lap time is 32.2 and if he does not improve they will change position. Leclerc says: we are losing time; 32.3 is not enough, and his engineer tells him to take P2 at Turn 6. The same is for Sainz, after his track engineer has told to him to reach a lap time of 32.2, but he did not manage to improve. Leclerc is now in second position, while Hamilton is called to pit for hards on Lap 33. Because of an issue on the rear-left, the pit lasts longer than normal and so it ends up being a 4.3 seconds stop that makes him emerge third, 4 seconds behind Leclerc and Sainz. Sainz has been warned he needs to save fuel, so the gap between the two Ferraris is 3.5 seconds at the end of lap 38. Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon, after having overtaken Verstappen for the eighth position, slows down before Copse and brings out a Safety Car. Sainz and Hamilton are immediately called to pit, so Leclerc leads the race on his used hards. Xavi Marcos tells Leclerc to stay out, because even if Sainz and Hamilton have pitted, there is no time for him to pit anymore. All drivers except he and Magnussen pits: Ferrari has chosen to leave the Monegasque out on his aging hards. Leclerc says on the radio that it will be difficult for him to mantain the lead, while the engineer reassures him:

"We think that the softs will be faster for the first lap, than they will have more degradation".

Meanwhile, the team says to Sainz that the priority is defending on Hamilton, who is behind on softs. The restart tour takes place on lap 43 and Sainz, ordered to:

"Leave a distance of ten cars from Leclerc, a breathing room".

At the restart, ignores the instruction, saying:

"I am under pressure from Hamilton! Please don’t ask me this. Please. Please".

And attacks and passes Leclerc into Brooklands to retake the lead. Perez passes Hamilton through The Loop for the third position. On lap 45, with Sainz Jr. is ahead by 2.3 seconds, Leclerc slips through Luffield and Perez is on his tail, then he makes a dive on the inside line at Stowe, they go side-by-side and, when Perez seems to go off track, Hamilton passes both running onto the Hamilton straight.

Perez passes Hamilton into the Village Complex, with Leclerc going past the Mercedes too; while Sainz crosses the line 3.779 sconds up on Perez and takes his first Formula 1 win after 150 races disputed, Leclerc brilliantly overtakes Hamilton through Copse, but he then loses his position at Stowe.

"Vamos. Good work".

Says the track engineer on Sainz’ radio. Also Team Principal Mattia Binotto congratulates the Spanish driver: “It’s a beautiful and deserved race Carlos. I am so happy for you”. “Thanks, Mattia. Thanks. I did everything I could, thanks. Also for the team” the Spanish driver says. Perez is happy for his brilliant recovery from the sixteenth position, while people celebrate Hamilton, who takes the third position in his home race. Leclerc has to settle for the fourth position, and he says on the radio:

"The amount of time we lost in this race is…oh my God. The only good thing about today is Carlos’ victory, but guys…anyway, enjoy the victory".

Fernando Alonso ends in the top five and Norris takes the sixth position in front of his home crowd. After fighting with Mick Schumacher, Verstappen takes the seventh position, while the German scores his first F1 points. Vettel and Magnussen end in the top 10, so Haas takes double points. Stroll makes it up from P20 to P11, ahead of Latifi, with Ricciardo P13 after a difficult afternoon. Tsunoda is 14th and last. So, after 150 races, Carlos Sainz is a winner in Formula 1. The Spanish driver on Saturday took his first pole position and gained the victory. Anyway, it was not an easy afternoon for Sainz Jr., who often struggled for pace and was ordered to let his team mate pass. Then, the Safety Car gave Sainz Jr. the chance to pit for new soft tyres, with which he passed Leclerc and gained the lead:

"Smile? Yesterday I had to contain them, today I can smile. It was a really difficult race, as has always happened to me in my career. Things are never easy, they are always complicated but they come in the end. You keep believing and fighting if things don't go. You don't give up, then things come. Today was not easy. We have to understand where the pace went on Friday, because on Friday I was the fastest rider on the track, whereas today I was not. But even so we won. You have to be there to take the chance and we took it. As a team we managed well. Me and Charles? As soon as the team asked me to let him pass I let him pass. I was trying to make the pass the team was asking me, I was destroying the tyres to make that pass. Today in the fast corners I had understeer that we had to figure out where it came from. It was killing my front tyres. That's why I couldn't go the way the team wanted. As soon as they asked me to let Charles pass, I let him go. He was going, then I tried to follow him. I was 3-4 seconds away to see what happened. Eventually there was an opportunity and we took it. Overtaking him? It was the cleanest overtaking possible. We were fighting for a one-two, after all, we couldn't afford any mistakes. I knew I had the grip, but I didn't want to get him off the track. I knew I was going to pass him 100 per cent but I wanted to do it in such a way that he didn't lose time. I was maybe even too calm with him: he almost overtook me again at Turn 6, because I didn't want to do too much damage to him. How do you celebrate? I'm going back to Maranello tonight with the whole team, it will be fun for sure".

As for Leclerc, Ferrari chose not to pit him during the Safety Car, when he was leading the race, and left him vulnerable with old hard tyres, when every driver mounted softs:

"Could it have been done differently at the Safety Car? I don't know. Obviously it's still a race where the final result is not there. I did everything, I think it also showed in the defence at the end. I don't know what more I could do. However, I was the car in front at the time of the Safety Car. The team decided to diversify the strategies, not stop the car in front and stop the car behind".

"If we had stopped Charles to put on the softs, as the race leader, the others would have stayed out and that point Leclerc would not necessarily have recovered. We were the only ones with two cars in a close position, the others only with one. If the leader stays out it is automatic that the others stop and vice versa, if he had stopped, he would have automatically lost positions. I think the choice made was the right one. In hindsight the soft tyres didn't degrade and Charles finished fourth, but all this happened because there was the Safety Car at the moment when he was leading, without us being able to stop both cars, otherwise we would have done it. If you look at the facts, today before the Safety Car it is Charles who is winning the race, thanks also to a team choice by reversing the positions at a certain point. What we aim for is always first and foremost the victory of the Scuderia. I have always said it and I repeat it: what we try to do is win. Charles was faster today, we asked for a swap and Carlos immediately did so. I don't think any other team would have been able to do that".

Binotto’s advice is to focus on the victory rather than on the positions lost by Leclerc:

"I understand the disappointment, because it is a missed opportunity today for Charles with Max having problems. But the fact remains that today we have to celebrate Carlos' first win, which he deserves, as well as a Ferrari win. We did everything we could to win with Charles and we were even managing it before the Safety Car, but after the neutralisation there was little we could do at that point. Not only are we fine with that, but we are also very happy with how he performed today, because for example when we asked him to swap positions a few laps earlier he did it straight away, without hesitation. Then when we told him to take space on the restart after the Safety Car, he said he didn't want to do it, because the drivers behind would be very aggressive, and he asked us to leave the situation to him. I think he understood what the intention was and also behaved very well".

He also comments on the dialogue he had with Leclerc immediately after the checkered flag:

"I know Charles is frustrated, which is understandable, because he was clearly leading the race before the Safety Car and because it was an important opportunity in terms of the championship. When I met him I knew he was disappointed, but I told him that once again he had an incredible race. He did some great early laps battling and then also the way he drove and protected his position after the Safety Car restart was incredible and amazing. I simply told him to stay calm, because he drove fantastically. Was it a difficult weekend for us? I don't think so. We took pole and victory here at Silverstone. We know that the battle with Red Bull is certainly very close, it has been since the start of the season and it will be in the coming races too. Maybe they are a little bit faster at Silverstone and now Mercedes seems to be back in the fight as well. We knew they would come in and solve their problems sooner or later. Will they be competitive at all tracks and in all conditions? I don't know, in qualifying in the wet they finished 1.2 seconds behind, although maybe in the dry they would have been closer. But I think it's good for the championship to have Mercedes back".

Max Verstappen immediately passed Carlos Sainz during the first start, but the red flag put him back to his P2. He overtook Sainz again when the latter ran wide in the opening stages, but a few laps later a puncture dropped him down to sixth and the damaged floor made him struggle all afternoon:

"Seventh place is a good result considering the damage I had on the car and with Checo on the podium, we've scored some good points for the Team. I, of course, had hoped for more but today was just unlucky. I had a look at the car during the red flag and the whole of the underneath on the left-hand side was ruptured. I hit a huge piece of debris; I think it was carbon. As I was driving it felt like a puncture as I had no balance and a lot of oversteer. The car was a handful to drive, I tried to find a good aero balance but it was difficult. I understand that Alex is having precautionary checks at the hospital, so I hope that he's okay. It's never nice to see these things and today proved once again that the halo is a massive improvement for safety, I think without it Zhou would have been in a different state".

Sergio Perez pitted early for a new front wing after contact on the first lap, but then he recovered positions battling with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps:

"It is a good day for us and the Team after such a messy weekend for us. Physically I wasn't one hundred percent this week and after lap one I was last, so to come away with second place is a great result. I was so unlucky on the first lap making contact with Charles, I broke my front wing and had to drop to the back. So we had to fight for it and it feels good to have a result like this. I am also very happy for Carlos and to share his first win with him is a nice moment for him and his family. I enjoyed the racing today a lot, we were fighting hard and fair and it felt like my karting days. Everyone was pushing really hard and going wheel to wheel, my heartrate was pretty high on those last laps. It was a race where it was important not to give up".

The Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner, reflects after the race:

"It was a phenomenal performance today from Checo after the damage he sustained to the front wing end-plate on the first lap, we had to change the nose and his drive back through the field was just sensational. He benefitted from the safety car which enabled us to put on a fresh set of tyres, but his pace and race-craft was just exceptional. For Max, he'd taken the lead and was in a commanding position but unfortunately some debris did a lot of damage to the floor of the car which lead to a massive loss of downforce. It was unfortunate because I think it would have been a fantastic race for him today, but every point counts and he fought as hard for P7 as he would for the win".

The Red Bull’s number one admits the biggest result of the day was both Zhou Guanyu and Alexander Albon escaping injury in what was a huge crash during the opening lap of the race:

"The biggest result today is that all drivers are in reasonable shape considering the scale of the crashes we saw today and we hope to see Alex and Zhou fighting fit in Austria next week".

He also expresses his surprise for Ferrari’s strategy. He thinks that the Scuderia Ferrari could have done a double pit-stop to mount the soft tyres on both cars:

"The call I understood least was not to pit both their cars or certainly Charles for the soft tyre. With the tyre advantage that Carlos had at that point, he’s got 13-lap-old hards versus a brand new set of softs. So I actually thought he did very well, Charles, to hold off Checo and Lewis as long as he did".

However Horner says that Ferrari faced a difficult decision over whether to pit Leclerc as doing so would have offered his rivals the chance to stay out and pass him:

"It’s the hardest thing in the world to pit from the lead".

With the changes done in the W13, Lewis Hamilton gained the podium in his home race:

"I gave it everything today! I was chasing, trying to get those Ferraris, but congratulations to Carlos. They were just too quick today for us and at the end I was in amongst that battle with Checo. Those guys were just too quick on the straights for me today, but I'm so, so grateful for all the hard work the team did to get an upgrade here, we've made a step closer to them, so we've got to keep pushing! We lost a little bit of time in the pit stop, and then I was chasing, and chasing, and chasing, but the pace was great on both sets of tyres and then at the end there it was just a little bit difficult. Once you get a Red Bull behind, they're so fast on the straights. We've got some improvements to make but this is a huge bonus for us to be on the podium. I'm glad everyone was safe from that big crash at the beginning of the day. Thank you to everybody, we're going to continue to push".

Retirement for George Russell, who was caught up in the accident on the first lap. He immediately jumped out of his car to check on Zhou Guanyu, and his team did not manage to repair his car on time:

"I'm glad to hear that Zhou is OK after this horrible accident, we gambled by starting on hard tyres, but there was no grip and I was swallowed up by all the cars immediately after the start. I was touched from behind, I saw the onboard and it's very difficult that scenario, because a lot of things happen all at the same time. Seeing Zhou's car fly away was scary, I immediately went to see if he was OK. When he flew into the crowd it was scary. We know the dangers of motorsport and they were highlighted today. Shocked? Yes. I have a lot of emotions on me. It was my home race. I was really excited to race at Silverstone".

Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, evaluates on what was a mixed afternoon for the team:

"A great race today for the fans who all came out with such passion. We had some light at the end of the tunnel in Barcelona and then struggled on three street circuits so I don't want to talk us up too much or be too pessimistic, I'd rather be cautious. We still had our persistent ride issue all three days which is a key focus for us to tackle but we showed strong pace this weekend which is pleasing and our updates seemed to work well. In Austria, there will be a couple of corners which haven't made our car happy in the past but it's a constant learning process for us. This year is going to be a pretty tough one to win but we just need to get our house in order to be properly on top of the car's performance. It was disappointing for George not to be in the race because the car pace was good but that's the regulation so it is what it is, unfortunately. Lewis drove a strong race, we had the win right in front of us before the safety car and were chasing the Ferraris down but then after the safety car, we were never quite in the position to challenge for the front and lost a little momentum. I'm glad it's a quick turnaround for Austria, another chance for more information which is more learning".

After the race, the Northamptonshire police announces the arrest of seven protesters. Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 President and CEO, unhappy about this fact, says:

"Everyone has the right to speak out on issues, but no one has the right to put lives in danger. The actions of a small group of people today were completely irresponsible and dangerous. We thank the police for their great work, and we shouldn't be complacent about the risk this posed to the safety of the drivers, marshals, fans and the individuals themselves".

Also Tom Thompson, Northamptonshire Police Chief Inspector, expresses his opinion:

"I'm really disappointed that this group of people ignored our warnings prior to race day and made the incredibly dangerous decision to enter the track. We offered to facilitate a peaceful event at the circuit, but they instead chose to put the lives of the drivers, marshals and volunteers at risk".

The Northamptonshire police knows that protesting is a human right, but when on Friday they knew that some people were planning to protest on track, they urged anyone involved to not create excessive risk for themselves and the other’s life:

"Thankfully we had plans in place for an eventuality such as this and the group were swiftly removed and arrested by our officers. All seven are currently in custody where their details are being ascertained. Finally, I would like to thank all of the officers and staff, as well as our partners, who have worked tirelessly on this policing operation. Generally, we have had very low crime rates, today's incident was dealt with effectively and efficiently, and I could not have asked for more".

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton says he supports the cause of environmentalist group but not the fact to invade the track during the British Grand Prix. On Twitter, he expresses his thought about what happened:

"As we've seen today, this is a very dangerous sport. I wasn't aware of the protests today, and while I'll always support those standing up for what they believe in, it must be done safely. Please don't jump onto our race circuits to protest, we don't want to put you in harm's way".

The day after the 2022 British Grand Prix, on Scuderia Ferrari’s official website, is released an interview of the Team Principal Mattia Binotto, who is asked to explain what were the reasons that led the Maranello pit wall to make certain strategic choices in the key moments of the British race. He first talks of his feelings about Carlos’ performance in Silverstone:

"My feelings haven’t changed since yesterday, I’m very pleased with Carlos’ performance, not only in the race, but throughout the weekend. His confidence is growing steadily and he handles difficult conditions well. His first win was only a question of time, we’ve known this from the start and, it was not only fantastic for him, but also great for us as a team to see him on the top step of the podium".

Ferrari’s Team Principal also understands Charles Leclerc’s disappointment after the race:

"When you’re comfortably leading a race with just a few laps to go and you don’t win, then it’s natural to feel disappointment. But Charles’ disappointment is also our disappointment - we win together and we lose together. We’re as frustrated as he is about his result, because the way he drove yesterday was amazing and showcased once again how strong a driver he is. Charles thoroughly deserved to win the race, if it wouldn’t have been for the safety car".

Binotto says that Ferrari did not ask Carlos to give up his position to Charles during the first stint because it was not necessary to do it at that point and there was still a lot of time to make that decision:

"Our priority is always to maximise the situation in order for the best team result. Only when this goal is under threat do we need to act. We did this during the second stint and swapped cars when Carlos was not fast enough and our opponents were catching us".

The Safety Car caused a lot of controversy. As Binotto says, at that moment the goal was to prioritise the lead car by protecting track positions:

"There’s nothing unusual in this strategy, we always prioritise the lead car and therefore Charles in this situation. He was on fresher tyres at that point, and if he had pitted, our opponents would have done the exact opposite and gained track position on almost new hard tyres. Just think of Lewis Hamilton at last year’s season finale in Abu Dhabi when he stayed out on track. At the same time we decided to put Carlos on the opposite strategy in order to cover all opportunities. If we wouldn’t have done that split strategy, we would have risked losing the race and handing the win to our opponents".

Ferrari’s number one specifies that Carlos Sainz Jr. was not ignoring the team orders, but was just protecting himself against the pressure from behind and in doing so, he was protecting the goal to stay ahead. Everyone inside the team was alligned:

"Without this insider information I can see how this could be perceived as Carlos not being a team player. But a few laps before he swapped positions without any hesitation or complaints, clearly demonstrating that he puts the team first".

Then Mattia Binotto looks forward to the next upcoming races:

"There are three more challenging races coming up before the summer break, and as Silverstone showed again, each race this year is absolutely unpredictable. We will make sure that we have our cars ready for the challenge and present ourselves as a strong team and a strong unit".

On Wednesday, July 6, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, looking at the race, says that Max Verstappen worsened his situation, already compromised by the damaged floor, because his first set of mediums could still be used. Marko hits back at the Dutchman for screwing up his set of medium tyres in his anger:

"Verstappen drove into the pitlane so fast and angry that he screwed up his good set of medium tyres when he put on the brakes when entering the pitlane. As a result, that set could no longer be used. That was a mistake made by Verstappen, but in the situation it was understandable".

The Red Bull advisor then, commenting on his team’s situation, says that nothing is decided yet and they are open to both the drivers. He continues that if Perez wants to gain the world title he will have to beat his teammate and that is not their concern. When asked about Perez’s performance in Silverstone, Marko defines him an incredible Mexican fighter:

"After the restart, he suddenly realized that he could still win, and the Mexican woke up with an incredible fighting spirit and was the fastest. He lost the fastest lap because we saw that when Hamilton reached the third place; he couldn’t wait to recharge his battery; which gave additional power, and that’s why he managed to take it. An incredible Mexican fighter, it has definitely been the best race he has given us in that final part".

Anxious wait for the next weekend, July 8-10, as the fight for the World Championship will take place in Austria. As the circuit name suggests, this is Red Bull’s home: what will happen? Will the Bulls prevail on the track nestled in the Styrian Alps?