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Every driver dreams of winning their home Grand Prix, but it’s not always an easy task. Often, it takes having the right car at the right time, and that’s exactly what’s happening now for Lando Norris. The McLaren driver arrives at Silverstone with a real chance of securing a new victory after his win in Austria. The dominance shown by the British cars over the competition is clear, and the general consensus is that it will be him and Oscar Piastri battling for the win in what is obviously also the home race for the Woking team.
"Would it be the highlight of my career so far? I think so. It’s difficult to put any race above Monaco, but even before winning in Monaco, I said that if I could choose just one win and trade all my victories for one, I’d probably always choose Silverstone. Sure, Monaco is a special win. But here, it would be very different for various reasons: Monaco represents history and means a lot to everyone, but Silverstone is my home race, in front of the British fans, my fans, so it would definitely be the win that would probably make me smile more than any other, even more than Monaco. This is the race that, since I was a kid, since I started watching Formula 1, I’ve always wanted to win".
Norris also answers questions about his rivalry with Piastri, which will likely continue until the end of the season and will be crucial in the title fight.
"The line that Piastri and I shouldn’t cross? I’d say Canada is an example. We have to avoid any contact, that’s the line. For us, it’s clear; it’s not something we necessarily have to say out loud. We know it".
Finally, the British driver shares his thoughts on the latest updates made to his MCL39:
"The new suspension? I can’t clearly say if it’s better or not, not even to the team. We need to see how it performs on different tracks. Canada was very particular, but in Austria, I definitely had clearer feelings at the wheel".
This 2025 is turning into the year of Oscar Piastri’s full-fledged breakthrough. Regardless of how the title challenge with Lando Norris ends, the young Australian driver is proving himself capable of managing a title fight with calm and composure in only his third season in Formula 1, after winning both Formula 3 and Formula 2 as a rookie. Piastri has been dubbed "Iceman 2.0" due to his apparent ability to show no particular emotion even in the tensest situations. This characteristic, according to some, makes him resemble Kimi Raikkonen. Speaking with journalists at Silverstone during the traditional media day, the current World Championship leader seems intent on living up to this nickname. Nothing, in fact, seems capable of cracking his shell:
"Beating Lando at home? I’d be happy to win anywhere. Silverstone is a track I’ve always liked. The crowd has always been very kind to me, which I appreciate. But I’m not worried about that. I’m more focused on trying to win, to get another victory for the standings. Silverstone is, for me, a special race. I’ve lived in the UK for a long time, so it’s been sort of a second home race. Plus, it’s a track I like, so I’ll be trying to win more because of those feelings than anything else. I’m not concerned about what Max is doing or how many points he’s behind. I think he’ll be a threat every weekend, or almost, and I don’t think he can be ruled out. We don’t know if the car has the right pace or not. But ultimately, I approach each weekend trying to do my best and focus on that. So I’m not worried about his position in the standings. Obviously, he’s a bit further behind now. It’s a nice gap to recover, but I’m not concerned in any case".
Finally, the Australian driver says he doesn’t see much difference between this title fight and those he’s experienced in the past when vying for the F3 and F2 Championships:
"The title fight? To be honest, it feels [pretty] familiar. I think the championships I’ve won in my junior career were all won in different ways. So I don’t think there’s just one way to approach it. I think I’ve learned lessons from every year I’ve raced, but also from the championships I’ve won. So, honestly, there’s not much difference. I’ve tried to keep the same approach. We’re still at the start of the year, so there’s still a lot to do. But it feels like familiar ground compared to where I’ve been in my career. So, I’m not approaching it any differently".
In recent months, McLaren's superiority has certainly not made Red Bull Racing happy, as they were overtaken in the second half of 2024. That’s when the first doubts about the secret of the British cars arose, and one of the more fanciful theories circulating was that water was being added to the tires to lower their temperature. It’s a theory that CEO Zak Brown already joked about earlier this year in Miami, and now Norris comments on it with irony.
"They invent nonsense. When you dominate, it’s normal for everyone to start suspecting something. These are things you learn in kindergarten. It was very funny to see what people can come up with without any sense. We’re more controlled, there have been more rules and more implementations to try to slow us down. But that’s life at the top. When you get to the top, there are more people trying to pull you down, especially when it’s a team versus another. That’s an important aspect for them, trying to figure out how to go up against each other. In a sense, for a team trying to get back to the top, any means are necessary. Sometimes, individuals spread bizarre theories about water in the tires or in the brake ducts: if people need to say these stupid things, you’re doing a good job".
As expected, Max Verstappen’s meeting with journalists during the media day at Silverstone completely dominates the sports media world. The World Champion is bombarded with questions about his contract and his sporting future. However, with incredible calm, the Dutch driver rejects any attempts to clarify his sporting destiny. The only certainty, confirmed by Verstappen himself, is that he will not take a sabbatical year and that the current Red Bull Racing driver plans to combine his Formula 1 presence with participation in other championships in the future:
"A sabbatical year, without racing in F1? No, definitely [there will be] F1. And I will try to combine it in the future with any other type of racing possible. The ones I can prepare for. Because I want to explore the world of racing outside of Formula 1. I’m already doing that with testing, but I want to do some racing as well".
For the rest, Verstappen says the same things he said in Austria:
"I have nothing to add. Nothing has changed on my end. Exit clause in the contract? I don’t talk about my contract, there’s no decision at the moment. For me, it’s not about 2026 or anything else. I’m just focused on what’s coming and my work with the team. Then, of course, a lot of people make assumptions, but that’s not me. Why not say that I will be 100% at Red Bull? As I said last week, that’s all I can say about it. I don’t think anyone can say with absolute certainty that they’ll be completely comfortable next year. There are still a lot of unknowns for next year. The only thing I can do is drive as fast as possible with what I have".
Meanwhile, Helmut Marko, clearly annoyed by all the talk about Max Verstappen’s future, clarifies:
"Max hasn’t signed and he can’t even do it".
As he has often emphasized in recent weeks, Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull Racing until 2028, and the termination clause is not currently active (the Dutchman is third in the World Championship).
"It’s becoming nerve-wracking. The same questions keep coming, and we keep giving the same answers since nothing has changed".
The Austrian manager also dismisses the idea that Yuki Tsunoda could be fired during this season:
"The plan is for him to finish the season; nothing has changed. We don't have any alternatives. We've spoken with him and his engineers. In Spielberg, he was completely out of shape".
During the 2022 season, the new regulatory cycle began, after the freezing of power units had been agreed upon. The results led Red Bull Racing to win five World Championships, and in 2023, they claimed a remarkable 21 wins out of 22 races. After this peak in performance, the Milton Keynes team seems to have entered a downturn, and next season, it risks a sharp decline. For the first time in its history, Red Bull Racing will race with a self-built power unit. Red Bull Racing will officially be a manufacturer, and this presents a significant risk, at least at the start of the new regulatory cycle. Some believe this may have influenced a shift in Max Verstappen's mindset, but for now, these remain mere speculations. Judging by the words of Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing will not take any risks regarding the battery's use, but will focus on the efficiency of Exxon’s fuel to compensate for any performance deficits.
"Mercedes has declared themselves favorites, but there’s nothing to prove that. Only the development of the combustion engine is incredible, and it’s smaller than my lawnmower. Apart from the combustion engine, the important performance factors for the 2026 cars will be the battery and the fuel. As for the battery, we will start with a conventional solution, while the development of the fuel with our partner Exxon-Mobil 1 is progressing very well".
Returning to the topic of Max Verstappen’s future, the thoughts of George Russell are understandably among the most anticipated during the media day ahead of the British Grand Prix. The British driver, who has already won in Canada this year and is undoubtedly having the best season of his career, is at the center of market rumors. The much-discussed possibility of Max Verstappen moving from Red Bull Racing to the Brackley team could force him to change teams. Both his contract and that of his young teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, are set to expire at the end of the year, and until at least one of them is renewed, rumors of possible changes will be impossible to stop. However, Russell clears up his position in response to the very first question:
"Contract renewal? No. I don’t have any updates yet, I’m focused on driving. Silverstone is my favorite race, and the temperatures seem a bit more favorable for us than in Austria".
When pressed further on the topic, Russell responds by saying he has complete trust in Wolff and clarifies quite explicitly his preferences for the future:
"There are a lot of behind-the-scenes conversations that aren’t public. But that doesn’t change anything for me, I’m driving better than ever. Have I spoken to other teams? No. It’s normal for a team to explore options for the future, I don’t take it personally. I want to stay with Mercedes. Toto has never let me down, he’s always kept his word and does what’s best for the team. I don’t think I’m going anywhere".
The big day is approaching: Sunday, July 6, 2025, will be Lewis Hamilton’s first race at Silverstone as a Ferrari driver. On his home track, the British driver has always done wonders, winning last year and securing 9 wins and 15 podiums in 19 appearances. Legendary numbers that the World Champion would love to add to by securing his first podium as a Ferrari driver. So far, the adventure has been far from expectations, but the race in Austria showed encouraging signs.
"A streak of 13 races without a podium? I never look at those statistics, so it’s not something I care about or think about. Sure, we’re at Silverstone, which would be the best possible place to change things. That’s why we’re working hard".
But Hamilton also admits to relying a bit on the magic that has always accompanied him in front of the home crowd.
"I hope and pray, here at Silverstone there’s always a certain magic, so I don’t have to hope for that, meaning the crowd here is always incredible. This is a very special place, and it always gives a special race, one way or another. Rather, I hope for anything that could help us, starting with the weather, because obviously, we’re not as fast as McLaren, and if the track stays dry, they’ll have the race".
Finally, Hamilton is asked what he would say to Verstappen if, hypothetically, the Dutch driver asked him for advice on a possible move to Mercedes:
"Would I recommend it? Certainly. I mean, he’s coming from a great team. Many years ago, I was asked something about Red Bull: back then, I was with Mercedes, and I was a die-hard fan of the team, and I remember saying something about Red Bull being just a drinks company. I’ve always regretted that: what I meant to say was that Mercedes was amazing at the time. I was just trying to hype up my team, but the truth is that Red Bull is an incredible team. There are a lot of amazing people, and they’ve dominated for years. So I can say that if anyone asked me about Mercedes, I’d say it’s an incredible team as well. With its passion, its staff, its factory, and working environment, it’s fantastic. So I’d say it’ll be interesting to see what happens".
The British Grand Prix represents the midpoint of the 2025 Formula 1 season. What better occasion, then, to take stock of the results on the track so far? For Scuderia Ferrari, despite being in second place in the Constructors' Championship, there’s little to smile about. The Maranello team started with high expectations after hiring Lewis Hamilton, and after closing the previous season just a few points behind McLaren in the team standings. However, currently, Ferrari is the only one of the top four teams yet to win a Grand Prix, and the dream of ending the drought for a World Championship has already faded:
"It’s been a much tougher first part of the season than expected. When you finish the year, like we did last year, fighting for wins and for the Constructors' title, we started this year hoping to at least begin in the same position. That didn’t happen, we’ve struggled a bit more. But now, we’re finding our way back, with developments that have certainly helped us make progress".
The race at Silverstone is a special one for Ferrari: Leclerc has never won here, but he has secured podiums even in rather unlucky seasons like 2020. Lewis Hamilton is the king of this track, and there couldn’t be a better opportunity for him to try and get his first podium with Ferrari:
"We’re improving step by step, but we’re not fully satisfied yet because, obviously, the final goal is to try and win races. Here, in the past, we’ve been quite competitive: Lewis has always driven exceptionally well on this track, so I hope we can have a good weekend and maybe have a chance to win".
Finally, Leclerc shares his thoughts on the dominance McLaren is having in the current World Championship, admitting he’s surprised by the extent of the team’s superiority from Woking:
"Updates in the works? We’re doing our best to close the gap. But I don’t think we’ll completely close it. The others have too big of an advantage. But if we put pressure on them, we can make them make mistakes. I don’t think anyone expected McLaren’s dominance. It doesn’t come down to just one factor, but many. Where they’ve improved a lot is in the heat. That’s something we still need to figure out".
On Friday, July 4, 2025, two new names join the action for FP1 at Silverstone; 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad steps in to Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull for his F1 weekend debut, while Alpine Reserve Driver Paul Aron is at the wheel of Nico Hulkenberg’s Kick Sauber, with the rival teams having come to an agreement to share the 21-year-old’s driving services. Haas’ Esteban Ocon leads the pack out in a busy start to the session, with the majority of the field running the medium tyres, while the Aston Martin and Williams cars have bolted on the hard compound. Liam Lawson, meanwhile, makes an early complaint about traffic, the Racing Bulls man - whose car runs a special livery this weekend - saying, after encountering Lindblad on track:
"Guy needs to check his mirrors".
The opening segment of FP1 sees several home favourites top the timesheets, with Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris each going fastest before George Russell sets the quickest time to head the timesheets. Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, completes a 360-degree spin at Copse corner. The Alpine driver manages to continue running, albeit with some significant flat spots on his tyres. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar sets the pace from Charles Leclerc as the session reaches its halfway point, just as others start to switch to the soft tyres for some flying laps. Elsewhere, there is trouble for Carlos Sainz Jr., with the Williams up on the stands in the garage as the team seemingly checks the floor. The order quickly starts to evolve as most of the pack embark on their soft-shod runs, with the times rapidly tumbling, while traffic increasingly becomes an issue. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto becomes the next driver to spin around at Copse, the Kick Sauber briefly triggering the yellow flags before continuing on. As the session enters into its final 20 minutes, Norris returns to the top of the order - only for Hamilton to surge through to displace his fellow Briton by two-hundredths, the Ferrari driver setting the pace on a 1'26"892. While more laps go on the board - and Sainz Jr. rejoins the pack slightly out of sequence on the hard tyres before later switching to the soft rubber - Hamilton’s benchmark ultimately remains unbeaten on a track where the 40-year-old has won a record nine times.
Norris remains in second, with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri going third quickest while Leclerc places in fourth. Russell follows in fifth for Mercedes ahead of Hadjar, Williams’ Alex Albon, Lawson, and the other Silver Arrows car of Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen rounds out the top 10 on a weekend in which the Red Bull driver continues to face speculation over his future. Meanwhile, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, Aron, Haas’ Ollie Bearman, Gasly, and Bortoleto complete the order from 16th to 20th, respectively. With the first hour of running now complete, the drivers and teams examine their data and prepare for Friday’s second practice session, which is set to get underway at 4:00 p.m. local time. On FP2, with wind speed high and impacting aerodynamic performance through the high-speed turns at Silverstone, teams battle to find the optimum set-up in the changeable conditions. Hamilton immediately continues his impressive Friday form, moving to the top of the times with his first flying lap on Pirelli's medium tyre with a 1'27"280, as traffic becomes an issue for Norris and Liam Lawson. Drivers' Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who earlier has a radio message about the gusty conditions, moves to the top of the leaderboard after the opening 10 minutes, only to be immediately usurped by Hamilton and Isack Hadjar. While Ollie Bearman complains of oversteer in his Haas, reigning World Champion Max Verstappen is also left frustrated, proclaiming over the radio:
"Have you seen my front tyres in the high speed? They just don't respond".
Carlos Sainz Jr. soon suffers a harmless spin coming out of Luffield, with Williams Team Principal James Vowles stating the gusts are definitely catching them out during the session. The second Ferrari of Leclerc takes over from his team mate at the top of the times briefly but Hamilton, who has a record nine F1 wins at Silverstone, stamps his authority to go 0.295s clear on a 1'26"592 after 20 minutes. George Russell becomes the first driver to use a set of Pirelli's soft tyre, the red-walled compound launching him up to first before Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli goes 0.140s faster.
It leaves the benchmark at a 1'26"383, half a second faster than Hamilton's best from FP1, approaching the halfway point of the one-hour session. Times begin to tumble as drivers perform Qualifying simulations, with Leclerc and then Norris going fastest, the former complaining of something wrong with the front-left tyre, stating there is so much lap time in it. Hamilton abandons his first flying lap on the softs, before moving up to P2 with his second effort, while Verstappen can only manage eighth, eight-tenths in arrears on Norris' 1'25"816, improving to fifth on his next run. The McLaren driver's time stands as the benchmark for the remainder of the session, making him the only driver to dip below the 1'26"0 barrier as focus switches to long runs for teams. As Leclerc and Hamilton complete the top three, Piastri sits in fourth, almost half a second behind his team mate but ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli. The Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, Mercedes of Russell and the Racing Bulls of Isack Hadjar and Lawson complete the top 10. The first two Free Practice sessions were marked by a McLaren-Ferrari duel, fueling the hopes of the Maranello team’s fans. The two historic teams swapped places at the top of the timing sheets, with Lewis Hamilton's SF-25 in P1 during FP1, ahead of the two McLarens and his teammate Charles Leclerc. In the afternoon, Woking’s team responded with Lando Norris, who outpaced the Ferrari drivers and Oscar Piastri. Both in qualifying and race configurations, the Maranello car showed good signs, despite some suboptimal laps by Hamilton, who pushed too hard on the tires at the start of his simulation, causing some graining. Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur was positive about today's results but doesn’t want to settle for second place.
"Everything went well, and in the afternoon, even in the race simulation, we had a consistent pace. We pushed a little too much at the start of the simulation, but it’s fine to be aggressive. It's encouraging for tomorrow, even though we’ll need to start from scratch because we are very close. There will probably be a good battle, the best one since the start of the season. We need to find a balance. Maybe at the start of the race, you should be a little more conservative, but on the other hand, that’s realistic because you might find yourself behind. Today we pushed a bit too much. I think it's fine because it's the best way to find the limit, but you shouldn't go overboard. I hope the new floor helped us, but honestly, I think it’s more about putting everything together, having a good setup and balance. It clearly helps us because it puts us in a better position, and it makes us pay more attention to the details, creating a sort of spiral effect. I think everything went very well today, but we shouldn't overhype the expectations; let's focus on ourselves, because we are not fully satisfied".
But can Ferrari really dream of victory at Silverstone? It’s difficult to make such a bold claim, but the positive signs from Free Practice sessions suggest that, perhaps for once, the SF-25s could challenge the unstoppable British cars, right on their home track. Frederic Vasseur clearly states that a battle is expected, and Charles Leclerc shares that sentiment. The Monegasque driver, who posted the second-best time in FP2, commented positively on this first day of track activity.
"Today went pretty well because I felt good in the car, although there’s still some work to be done on the car. In qualifying setup, we don’t seem to be fully there yet, but I’d say we’re more comfortable in race pace. Overall, I had a lot of fun driving today, and I’m looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow".
If the men and women of the Maranello team manage to further improve the SF-25's speed overnight, perhaps they could really challenge McLaren in a direct showdown that has already set Silverstone ablaze throughout history. Confirming the surprising speed of the SF-25s and Lewis Hamilton's form at Silverstone is the result of FP2, where the British driver finished in third. It was an overall positive day for both the Maranello team and the former Mercedes driver, who is eager to end a difficult start to the season with a potential win at Silverstone. A victory would mark his first win after more than ten Grands Prix, halting the wait and helping him close the gap to McLaren.
"It’s been an exciting day: it was great to be on track at Silverstone in a Ferrari for the first time. I also felt comfortable in the car during both sessions, although I found some traffic on my fastest lap in FP2, so there’s definitely room for improvement. Coming back here is always special: this is the most beautiful circuit in the world, and definitely my favorite. It was great to see so many people already on a Friday. The atmosphere is just incredible".
Even the World Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, says he is surprised by Ferrari's performance improvements. The Australian driver is looking forward to challenging the SF-25s in qualifying and the race.
"It’s been a good day, although Ferrari looked very competitive. I think we did well in FP2, although I made a bit of a mess with the soft tires. The potential is there, and our race pace seemed quite solid, so the first day was interesting. I think we will have strong competition. Ferrari was a bit of a surprise, they seem very strong both in qualifying and race simulations: they’ll be in the fight this weekend. I’ll definitely be in the fight too. The pace is there, if we can put everything together, we’ll be very competitive. I didn’t do a great lap today, with these tires you only get one shot. My second time attack was decent, considering the worn tires, so I’m pretty confident".
One factor that could change the racing outcomes, both on Saturday and Sunday, is the strong wind.
"It’s been tough, and I think the situation will worsen over the weekend. But that adds a bit of spice to the weekend, especially with the fast corners, the wind is very noticeable and complicates things".
After dominating the Austrian Grand Prix, Lando Norris started well at Silverstone, in front of his home crowd. The McLaren driver set the fastest time at the end of FP2, distancing his teammate and title rival, Oscar Piastri, by 0.5s. But even Lando Norris noticed the performance growth of the SF-25s, considering them real contenders for race victory.
"I think Ferrari was very fast today, and I believe they’ll be quick tomorrow too. We have a bit of work to do. Today’s result might seem better than it actually is, because Ferrari always finds something in FP3, we saw that last weekend. So, there’s nothing to be too proud of, for now".
An important unknown for everyone is the weather and the possible rain expected on Sunday:
"Clearly, we’ll have to adapt, as we do every weekend: it’s part of our job. You need to be strong in every condition. With the wind, lower temperatures, humidity, and the rain, we’ll see. But [this situation] is more common here. There are still some tricky things for us. Things didn’t go as smoothly as we would have liked in FP2, but I did a good lap even though it’s still not enough, in my opinion. Now, I’m working to bring out the real Lando in every lap. I try to make every lap count".
Looking at the timing sheets, one might think that Max Verstappen didn’t have such a bad day at the British Grand Prix opening. The Dutch driver finished FP2 in fifth position, behind only the McLarens and the surprising Ferraris. However, talking to the media, Verstappen wasn’t shy about expressing his displeasure with his RB21. His comments seem to be messages to the team, in light of the never-ending market rumors linking him to a potential move to Mercedes. Clearly, this car is not winning his favor.
"Personally, it was quite a negative day for me. We didn’t have balance, it was difficult from corner to corner. It was a pretty bad day for us in general. Was the wind a factor? Yes, a lot. But it’s not an excuse because the wind is there for everyone. Everyone has to manage it. Balance problems? I wouldn’t know exactly because every week is a different scenario. Now we have the wind, and our car seems to be swinging a bit too much, but in general, it wasn’t a good day. Maybe there’s something to review tonight, but in general, we’re lacking performance".
George Russell finished FP2 in eighth position. The British driver was 0.7s behind Lando Norris, and was even preceded by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who set the sixth fastest time. Additionally, the strong competitiveness shown by Ferrari on this track seems to leave Russell with few hopes of securing a spot on the podium. Analyzing the day's performance, the Mercedes driver says the W16's issues are temperature-dependent:
"It was a hot day here at Silverstone, with track temperatures exceeding 40 °C. It's frustrating that the weather conditions affect us so much, but we're all focused on improving this aspect, especially with the summer months ahead, when these conditions will likely be the norm".
A drop in temperature might play in favor of the Anglo-German cars:
"If the cooler conditions expected for the rest of the weekend materialize, that will probably help us. But we won't just sit around hoping for that. We'll work hard overnight to make improvements and have the best car possible for Saturday and Sunday".
The British Grand Prix hasn't started without some difficulties for the Mercedes team, and even more so for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian driver finished both the first free practice sessions outside the top-5, with P9 in FP1 and only slightly improving in the afternoon, finishing in P6. As George Russell mentioned, the Mercedes cars are struggling with higher-than-expected temperatures:
"Today wasn’t the easiest Friday we've had so far this year. The temperature was higher, which made tire management a bit more challenging. That said, I felt good in the car, and I was satisfied with the overall balance. Silverstone is a great track, and I really enjoyed driving, exploring the limits, and pushing the car".
After the practice sessions, Antonelli and Mercedes will work through the evening to make improvements:
"There are clear areas to work on tonight and improve my driving, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can improve overnight. There should also be some cloud cover that might help keep the track temperature lower. If we improve tonight, our goal will still be to fight with those who looked strong today, like McLaren and Ferrari. Let’s see what we can do".
A hope to perfect the car, which is combined with hope for better weather conditions:
"Hopefully, the temperature will drop, for sure. Tomorrow is expected to be cloudy, and the track temperature should be cooler, I don’t know by how much, but we hope to fight with Ferrari and McLaren".
If ten days ago, the talk was all about Frederic Vasseur possibly leaving Ferrari at the end of the year, now the focus in the Formula 1 paddock has shifted to the potential partnership between Max Verstappen and Mercedes for 2026. Raymond Vermeulen, Max Verstappen’s manager, tries to clarify the Dutch driver’s position regarding the many rumors that have emerged in recent hours, including talks with Mercedes, the exit clause, and the actual desire of the driver to leave Red Bull Racing.
"Some of the things I read are really far from reality. Our goal is to improve the performance of Red Bull. We have a contract with them, and we want to see the RB21 improve quickly, even though we realize that we are out of the fight for the World Championship".
Regarding Mercedes’ interest, Vermeulen confirms but also downplays the situation:
"It’s not shocking that there have been talks with Wolff. In F1, everyone talks to each other. And it makes sense that we also talk to Toto, just as we’ve talked with A, B, C, or D. Sometimes we have a coffee, I don’t find it that shocking. But now, it’s becoming a media circus. This is F1; now the focus is on Max and his potential exit clauses tied to performance".
Vermeulen plays his and his client's game, keeping all doors open:
"Most performance clauses usually can be activated during the summer period. The question is if and what will happen - maybe nothing will happen. And that wouldn’t be strange. In any case, we can’t give any absolute certainty about 2026".
On the first day of the British Grand Prix, Max Verstappen didn’t provide clear answers, but later, while assuring that he holds no grudge against George Russell, he made it clear that he wants to stay with Red Bull Racing with very definitive words. Because, although the Dutch driver speaks of a scenario of leaving the team as something that doesn’t exist in his mind, this stance must be noted, especially since talks with Toto Wolff have been confirmed from all parties involved (including Max’s manager).
"In 2021, I said I wanted to stay at Red Bull for my entire career, and that’s still my goal. I’m fully committed to the team. I can’t do anything about the stories that are written. I don’t even pay attention to them. But I’ve never thought about taking a sabbatical year. Going elsewhere or being on a team with anyone else is not in my mind. This scenario doesn’t exist in my mind. Russell and I get along. We’ve had tense moments on track, but everything is fine, and we talk. We’ve left everything behind, at least from my side. I’m not the type of person to hold grudges".
The interview then moves on to more general topics.
"I’ve already achieved everything I wanted to achieve in racing and in F1. Of course, I want to win more, but I’m not happy with how this season is going. People form an opinion of me, whether it’s positive or negative, honestly, I don’t care. I came into F1 wanting to race for myself and for the people around me, not to win 7 or 8 World Championships. I don’t care how I’ll be remembered. I have many passions outside of F1. If I said ‘I’m stopping,’ I’d have plenty to do outside of F1".
And if two signs might be a coincidence, the third might prove to be evidence. Christian Horner, on the sidelines of the FIA press conference in which he was a protagonist, speaks with words that are anything but trivial and are worth noting because they might suggest proof of a season to then leave the decision to the driver on what to do the following year.
"Max is probably the most sought-after driver; he is unequivocally the best in the world. Thinking objectively, if in 2026 he remains where he is, he will have far more options than just one team. In fact, he will have a choice among almost all the teams for 2027. It will then be up to us to prove to him that we are on the right path. If he sees potential in us, he could realize his dream of finishing his career at Red Bull. But he’s also hungry for victories. So, I think we’re talking more about 2027 than 2026. The challenge next year, as power unit manufacturers, will be huge. It would be embarrassing for Mercedes if we were ahead of them or any other engine manufacturer. I think we’ll be in a competitive position".
In short, some rivalries - such as the one with Toto Wolff - don’t seem to be cooling off. At the same time, Toto Wolff continues to defend his colleague and friend Frederic Vasseur, and besides reiterating that the French manager still needs time, he says:
"If it were up to me, I’d let him work and move forward, setting clear goals for the team and then supporting him to the best of my ability. This is my external view; I’ve known Fred for 25 years and know what he’s capable of achieving. I’m sure he can do it with that team if he’s given the authority. He should develop a thicker skin. It’s not football, where sometimes you just change the coach. Building a winning team takes at least three to four years, but lately, it seems that F1 teams have revolving doors. Horner and I are the only dinosaurs left".
Recently, Christian Horner had admitted to receiving offers from John Elkann to manage the Maranello team in the past. Toto Wolff explains that, for him, there’s an incompatibility issue at the core of any potential future negotiations regarding his position at Ferrari:
"For me, the discussion is different. I’ve never been an employee, and at Ferrari, the team principal is an employee. I’m an entrepreneur; I own a third of the Mercedes team and represent this fantastic brand".
Wolff, in fact, shares the team’s equity with the Daimler and Ineos groups. Recently, the Austrian manager just received a dividend of over $50 million thanks to the excellent performance of the 2024 budget. After a bright and warm first day at Silverstone, topped by home favourite Lando Norris, cloudy, cooler conditions greet the drivers for FP3, which gives them one more chance to tweak their cars ahead of the mid-afternoon Qualifying hour. When the session gets under way at a slightly delayed time of 11:35 a.m., drivers gradually trickle out on track to begin their programmes and assess the conditions - Pirelli’s soft, medium, and hard compound tyres all being used in the opening minutes. Lewis Hamilton is one of the early movers when the action gets under way, bolting on a set of soft tyres and clocking a 1'26"529 to hold the provisional P1 spot, which prompts plenty of cheers from the packed grandstand and grass banks around the track. As per Friday’s running, there are some significant gusts of wind for Hamilton and the rest of the drivers to deal with - seemingly highlighted when Lance Stroll drifts his way out of the Luffield hairpin and just about prevents his Aston Martin from spinning. Kimi Antonelli also reports a massive moment through the Maggotts and Becketts complex when he begins to push, while there is drama for Alex Albon when he faces a slow-moving Aston Martin at the entry to Copse and swears over the radio to express his frustration. As for lap times, Leclerc uses the soft tyres to get down to a 1'25"922 and takes over from teammate Hamilton in P1, a couple of tenths clear of a more competitive-looking Max Verstappen, who nonetheless complains of brake bias difficulties.
"A little bit of rain".
Leclerc then comments over the radio with around 20 minutes to go, but it is nowhere near enough to stop drivers from pumping in laps on slicks and making improvements - George Russell proves this when he slots into second position. With some 15 minutes remaining, Norris sends the home crowd wild again by going quickest on a 1'25"606, followed closely by Verstappen and teammate Piastri via similarly significant gains, before Leclerc fires in a 1'25"498 to reclaim P1. Hamilton is also on a rapid lap at this point, hitting the Sector 2 beam 0.074s clear of Leclerc, only for the red flag to be thrown for debris on track - meaning he has to abandon the effort.
"We think the bodywork might be yours".
This is the subsequent message to Haas driver Bearman. The session resumes with a few minutes to go but is soon halted again when Gabriel Bortoleto loses control of his Kick Sauber through the aforementioned Maggotts/Becketts sweeps, bounces over the grass, and ends in the gravel with suspension damage.
It means Leclerc ends up fastest over Piastri, Verstappen, and Norris, with Yuki Tsunoda an encouraging fifth for Red Bull, Bearman taking sixth despite another moment late on when he misjudges his entry to the pit lane and damages his front wing, and Albon puts Williams back into the top 10 positions. After three busy practice sessions - each featuring a different driver at the top of the timesheets - it is time for Saturday’s highly-anticipated Qualifying session. Bortoleto is the first to hit the track as the green light signals the start of Q1, with the Kick Sauber team having repaired the car in time after the Brazilian spins into the gravel during FP3. Conditions look to be dry, but Gasly hints at a change as he radios in to report some drizzle. As the rest of the pack starts to emerge - all sporting the C4 soft tyres - Piastri goes fastest during the early runs, his lap of 1'26"002 putting him 0.039s clear of Verstappen in second and Alonso in third. There is drama with just over eight minutes remaining as Colapinto has a moment at the final corner and spins into the barriers, bringing out the yellow flags. The Alpine driver initially gets going again before pulling off the track again near the pit exit, resulting in a red flag being thrown to allow for the Argentine’s car to be recovered. When the session resumes with six minutes and 49 seconds remaining, the drivers at risk are Bortoleto, Ocon, Hulkenberg, the stricken Colapinto, and Gasly, with Tsunoda on the bubble in 15th place - while leader Piastri states that the drops of rain seem worse than before. Albon improves to climb up to third, while Verstappen and Piastri swap fastest laps at the top of the timesheets.
Elsewhere, Hamilton and Leclerc look to potentially be at risk in P11 and P13, with Hamilton being told that he does not have enough fuel remaining for another lap. Leclerc moves up to ninth, while Hamilton is pushed to 14th but stays out of the elimination zone, and Sainz climbs to eighth. Others are not so lucky, however; Lawson exits in 16th, a contrast from his sixth place on the grid last time out in Austria. The Kick Saubers of Bortoleto and Hulkenberg exit in P17 and P19 respectively, with Stroll sandwiched between them in P18, while the aforementioned Colapinto ends the segment in P20 following his accident. Colapinto aside, the entire field is covered by just six-tenths in an incredibly close Q1. After an initially quiet start, Verstappen leads the field out as Q2 gets underway at Silverstone. The Dutchman soon goes fastest on a 1'25"316 - before Piastri incredibly sets the exact same time, going into P2 as he sets his time after Verstappen. More is to come from Norris, who beats both drivers by 0.085s to go to the top, a welcome sight to the fans watching on in his grandstand. Further back, Hamilton, Antonelli, Leclerc, Gasly, and Tsunoda are the names at risk in the bottom five, all of whom sported used tyres on their first runs. Alonso, meanwhile, is left unimpressed after encountering a slow-moving Antonelli, with the two-time World Champion calling the incident crazy before suggesting that the Italian - who already has a three-place grid drop from his Lap 1 crash in Austria - will receive a penalty. As the segment enters its final minutes, everybody is back out on track in an effort to improve and get themselves into the top 10 shootout. The Scuderia cars bolt on fresh rubber for this run, enabling Leclerc to initially go fastest, but Hamilton storms to the head of the timesheets on a 1'25"084, just under five-hundredths clear of his teammate. Despite moving up to 10th, Tsunoda finds himself pushed down the order as others better their times, dropping the Red Bull driver down to 12th. Williams also faces disappointment as Sainz and Albon exit in 11th and 14th respectively, with a downbeat Albon reporting:
"We made it difficult for ourselves".
Also out are Hadjar in P13 and Ocon in P15. After an action-packed build-up, attentions turn to the top 10 shootout at Silverstone, with the Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes duos joined by Verstappen, Alonso, Gasly, and Bearman, though the latter will drop down the order thanks to a 10-place grid penalty from a red flag infringement in FP3. As the first laps go on the board, Piastri secures provisional pole position by pumping in a 1'24"995, while Hamilton proves to be his nearest challenger on a lap 0.135s adrift of the Australian. The other McLaren of Norris is third, with Verstappen and Leclerc following behind. With the clock ticking down, the time arrives for the decisive final runs. Piastri looks to be improving, but a mistake on his lap means that the Australian cannot better his previous lap.
The likes of Norris, Hamilton, and Leclerc are also unable to make improvements - but Verstappen puts together a sublime lap to grab pole position, with the Red Bull man going quickest thanks to his effort of 1'24"892. This puts him 0.103s clear of Piastri, while Norris has to settle for third. Russell moves up the order to take fourth, pushing Hamilton and Leclerc down to fifth and sixth respectively, while Antonelli claims seventh, though the Italian will drop down three places after receiving a penalty last time out in Austria. Bearman slots into eighth but, like Antonelli, will not keep his original position owing to a grid drop, with the Haas driver moving down 10 places. Alonso and Gasly, meanwhile, round out the top 10. Max Verstappen takes his fourth Pole Position of the season. The Dutch driver, along with the Red Bull Racing technicians, has fine-tuned his RB21 aerodynamically and is now curious to see how it performs in the race:
"I had some understeering that was sending me to the moon, so we had to try to solve this issue somehow. I certainly didn't expect to find the four tenths we were missing. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow in the race. We have the top speed, Ferrari is very fast in corners, and McLaren is somewhere in between. This year, we haven’t been great at tire management, so we’ll see how that plays out. I’ll try to have fun".
Verstappen thanks Andrea Kimi Antonelli for providing him with a slipstream during the decisive lap, which earned him the pole position:
"I thanked him. It wasn’t a decisive factor, but I’ll take whatever help I can get. We’ll go grab some pasta together soon".
Just when no one expected it, Max Verstappen claimed a pole position that seems to be another one of his incredible magic moments. On the other hand, McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are not satisfied, as they were expecting another tight start in the front row after Ferrari struggled to put together their final lap. However, neither driver is discouraged and both are confident they can win. Oscar Piastri says:
"I’m not necessarily surprised by Verstappen’s pole because he was fast all day. Obviously, they found something compared to yesterday, but in the end, what we did wasn’t enough. The final lap in qualifying was a bit messy, which is a shame, but the first one was really good. So, while there’s always talk of I could have, I should have, I honestly think I did a good job. Max and Red Bull did too, and now it’s about figuring out how we can win tomorrow. Ferrari? They had a good day yesterday and seemed competitive this morning. At the start of qualifying, they seemed to have some difficulties, but Max was still there. So, for me, it wasn’t a huge surprise".
The focus is, of course, on potential chances to beat Verstappen in the race:
"There are some opportunities, I believe. Obviously, the start is probably the main one, but we also need to consider the aerodynamic load we’re using, which is quite different from Max’s. So there are opportunities in both directions, especially considering tire wear. I think there will be some chances throughout the race, and of course, we can’t forget we’re in England, so weather will always be a factor to keep an eye on".
Like Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris is also moderately disappointed:
"This is my home race, so I’m still happy. Where do I think I lost pole? There’s not one specific point because we simply weren’t fast enough as a team. Would the perfect lap have put us in pole position? Yes. But maybe there was still something more in Max’s lap? Yes. So, I don’t think there’s anything to complain about. I just think Max did a great job. The Red Bull was very, very fast today. Hopefully, everything goes back to normal tomorrow, so there’s nothing to be too disappointed about. Of course, I’d rather be second, and I’d prefer to be first rather than third. But it is what it is, and we’ll try to make the race even more exciting".
Finally, Norris talks about the weather conditions and the different aerodynamic load, which could lead Verstappen to wear out his tires faster:
"It could rain a lot tomorrow, and Max has quite a low aerodynamic load. There are obviously pros and cons because, on one hand, he’ll be incredibly fast on the straights, making it very hard to overtake. But on the other hand, they’ll pay the price by being a bit slower in some high-speed corners… It’s hard to predict, it’s just that the cars are fast and slow in different places, Ferrari included. We’ll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow".
Frederic Vasseur is back in the pits after briefly stepping away for personal reasons. Returning to his role as Ferrari’s team principal, Vasseur must now comment on a result that cannot be seen as anything but disappointing: the SF-25, which seemed to have the potential to bring much better results than a fifth and sixth place on the grid for the British Grand Prix. The fact that the gap to Max Verstappen’s pole position is about 0.2s for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc likely exacerbates the overall sense of frustration in the Ferrari garage.
"Overall, since the start of the weekend, we’ve shown a good pace, probably the best of the season after Monaco. We’ve been there from the beginning, and there’s a bit of frustration because we couldn’t put it all together in qualifying, at least in the final lap, and ended up fifth and sixth. But the race pace was good; we’re always a little bit better on Sunday than Saturday, and we’ve been showing strength from the start, so we can be optimistic for tomorrow".
According to the French manager, the mistake this time was on the part of the drivers:
"Lewis was ahead by a tenth over Piastri until the last corner, so everything was still possible. But the game isn’t about being ahead until the last corner, it’s about being ahead at the finish line. This means the others were better than us today, while we didn’t manage to put everything together. A few races ago, it was more of a structural issue, but today it was a matter of mistakes because the car was good and the potential was there. The two drivers didn’t put it together on the decisive lap. Charles lost a tenth in turn 1 and another tenth in the final turn, turn 17, and we need to work on that. But overall, we’ve made progress in terms of raw performance, and that’s important for tomorrow. So far, the forecasts are more focused on dry conditions. There is a chance of rain, but it’s decreasing. Given the pace we’ve shown since the start of the weekend, I think it would be better if it stays dry. What can happen? I think anything because we’ve been first or second in all three practice sessions, and we were the fastest in the race pace simulation. We need to focus on ourselves and do our best, and then we’ll see what happens. The race is long, and even though it’s not very hot, tire degradation is significant, and that’s important for us".
The final comment was about the mysterious car problems that Charles Leclerc reported after the end of Q3:
"I think I know what he’s referring to, but for now, we’ll keep it between us. I don’t want to go into details, but today we had a bad feeling. We’re a bit disappointed because we knew a good result was possible. At the end of qualifying, with the conditions changing, with the wind, we just didn’t have the feeling to get the best possible result".
After his fury over the radio, where Charles Leclerc appeared extremely frustrated, especially with himself, the Monegasque driver quickly tried to digest what happened and face the media to give his version of the facts. Looking quite downcast, Leclerc confirmed his self-criticism but also made cryptic references to a mysterious problem - unspecified and never discussed before - that the SF-25 may have during qualifying.
"Did I lose pole? I don’t think it was the pole position. I’m 0.2s off the best time, and there was a bit to gain in the last corner, but the mistake definitely cost me the front row, without a doubt. But I’m getting a bit tired of coming here and saying every time that something went wrong. In the end, I’m not finding the feeling I had maybe a year ago with the car in qualifying".
Later, Leclerc talks about these specific technical problems:
"We have very specific problems, and they make qualifying much more difficult because there are some things that are a bit strange, but we know where they come from, and I think we have the solution. It’s more of a balance issue, but in the end, I have to do the job, and I’m not doing it in qualifying. For some time now, I’ve been doing a great job in the race, but in qualifying, I’m not doing what I expect. I need to work on this because it’s always been one of my strengths, but right now, I’m really struggling".
When questioned about these specific problems, Leclerc remains vague, further deepening the mystery:
"Solution through updates? No, there’s something else in the car we’ve never talked about, and it’s better that way. But we are struggling with this issue. Now, we hope that the solution will come soon. Fighting for the win tomorrow? Unfortunately, this qualifying result makes it very difficult, but the race pace is there. We just need to find clear air, and starting from sixth is never easy".
Just eight days earlier, a fifth-place grid position would have been an excellent result for Lewis Hamilton. With the improvements finally made to the SF-25, a top-5 finish is now considered a lower target. For this reason, the British driver leaves the circuit with some regret. Understeering in the final sector and a mistake in the last corner prevented him from achieving his full potential, and from a potential second place, Hamilton finds himself in the third row.
"I had understeer in turn 16, and that’s probably where I lost a lot. I’m happy with the progress and the direction we’re heading in. My engineer and I have found a better setup for the car, and I felt much happier behind the wheel. The lap was really good until the last corner, I was down by a tenth. I’m not sure if the curb made me run wide, but then I lost control. We are making progress. There’s still a lot to do, but we had the update in the last race. We are improving our processes and how we approach weekends. I feel like we’re getting better results, and I’ll keep pushing. I believe, in the end, we probably have low-speed understeer, which is an intrinsic characteristic of this car. And I think we have a tendency to go into overdrive to gain that little bit of time. Will tomorrow go in the right direction? I don’t know. I won’t think about it. Tomorrow will be what it is, I’ll rest tonight, and in the race, I’ll try to attack as much as possible".
Finally, Hamilton contradicts Charles Leclerc, who claims the SF-25 always loses competitiveness in Q3:
"Not today. The second run in Q3 has always been a bit more difficult for us, but today I was improving, and I believe I made a step forward".
With another solid Saturday performance, George Russell secured the fourth-best time in the British Grand Prix qualifying. After a challenging Friday, the Mercedes team managed to make several technical adjustments overnight, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. The British driver only had one attempt in Q3 on a new set of Soft tires and made the most of it, ending just 0.019s behind Lando Norris: an excellent performance that needs to be confirmed in the race.
"I’m really happy with P4 today, considering that throughout the weekend we weren’t up to the pace of the front runners. If it had been offered to me at the start of the day, I would have definitely accepted it. For Q3, we only had one new set of Softs, so we had to make the most of the final lap. I think I did a good job, and even though it’s a bit frustrating to be just over a tenth away from pole and a few hundredths from the front row, we’ve given ourselves a good chance to fight for the podium on Sunday. The forecast for tomorrow is mixed, and it could present some opportunities. We know how changeable the weather can be here. It’s likely to be cooler and cloudier compared to Friday, so we hope our long-run pace will be stronger than what we showed in FP2. Whatever the situation, I’m ready to give my all in my home race".
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start in tenth position, a result achieved after securing P7 in Q3, which is then followed by a three-place grid penalty due to the incident with Max Verstappen in Austria. It was Verstappen himself who mentioned that Antonelli made amends by giving him a bit of a slipstream in the early part of the decisive lap, which helped him secure a fantastic and unexpected pole position. The two drivers embraced and even joked together, but Antonelli downplays the situation:
"I knew he was close, but as soon as I exited Copse, I tried to move over as much as possible to not give him too much of an advantage. I definitely gave him a little help before Copse, but right after, I moved away. In any case, I didn’t pay too much attention to it".
Speaking with other journalists present at Silverstone, Antonelli reveals some details of his conversation with Verstappen:
"We were just talking about how windy it was out there and the gusts. It was pretty tough, especially in Q3, the conditions were quite unpredictable. So, yes, it’s hard to imagine the balance in a corner because the wind was so unpredictable today".
If the wind was an unwelcome companion in qualifying, Antonelli suggests he wouldn’t mind a little rain for the race:
"Starting from P10 doesn’t help, but if it rains tomorrow, that wouldn’t be bad. In any case, I’ll try my best, have a good pace, and try to gain as many positions as possible".
One day on from a thrilling Qualifying session - in which Verstappen storms through to claim pole position ahead of the McLaren pair of Norris and Piastri - the paddock's attention switches to the 52-lap British Grand Prix. Two changes occur to the starting order following that session, with Antonelli dropping from seventh to 10th due to a grid penalty for his Lap 1 collision with Verstappen in Austria, while Bearman takes a 10-place penalty for a red flag infringement in third practice, meaning he lines up in 18th. Colapinto, meanwhile, is set to start from the pit lane, as Alpine makes changes to his car under parc ferme conditions after his spin into the barriers during Q1 of Saturday’s Qualifying. Rain falls on and off at Silverstone in the hours prior to the race, raising plenty of question marks over the Grand Prix forecast. While intermittent showers appear to ease as start time nears, conditions remain damp and gusty when the cars begin to line up on the grid. Given the weather, it's confirmed that the formation lap will begin behind the Safety Car. When the tyre blankets come off, all 20 cars are revealed to be starting on fresh intermediate tyres. However, several cars - Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Hadjar, and Bearman - dive into the pits to switch to slick tyres just before the start, leaving gaps on the grid. Verstappen makes a strong launch from pole, holding the lead ahead of Piastri and Norris, before Norris faces an early challenge from a racy Hamilton. The Ferrari has to back out, allowing Gasly to close in on the seven-time World Champion. Further back, drama unfolds for Lawson, who falls out of contention following a collision with Ocon. With the Racing Bulls car pulled off the track, the Virtual Safety Car is deployed. Elsewhere, Colapinto also retires early after stalling in the pit lane. Just as the VSC period ends, Bortoleto becomes the next to spin off into the gravel, though the Kick Sauber manages to rejoin. A piece of his front wing remains near the track, triggering a yellow flag. Bortoleto then stops completely, prompting another VSC on Lap 6, which pauses an increasingly tense battle at the front between Verstappen and Piastri - the Australian steadily closing the gap to the World Champion.
Behind them, Norris runs third ahead of Hamilton, Gasly, Alonso, Sainz, Albon, Tsunoda, and Hulkenberg. By Lap 7, the VSC ends, allowing Piastri to resume his pursuit of Verstappen, bringing the margin down to less than half a second. After a few attempts, Piastri overtakes Verstappen one lap later to take the lead, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. Further back, Antonelli tussles with Leclerc down the order, having pitted under the first VSC for another set of hard tyres. Though Antonelli initially gets ahead, Leclerc retakes the position before Antonelli pits again on Lap 10 to switch to intermediate tyres, with the sky darkening and rain approaching. Soon, rain arrives, triggering a flurry of pit stops as Verstappen tries to hold off Norris. Going side by side, Verstappen runs off-track, allowing Norris through before both dive into the pits. McLaren double-stacks its drivers, resulting in a slightly slow stop for Norris, which allows Verstappen to rejoin ahead. By Lap 12, Piastri still leads, with Albon among the front runners, having not yet pitted. The Williams soon pits, promoting Verstappen back to second and Norris to third amid heavy spray. In the worsening conditions, the Safety Car is deployed on Lap 14, neutralizing Piastri’s substantial lead. Replays show Leclerc going off, reporting water in his visor. As the Safety Car leads the pack, Piastri holds first from Verstappen and Norris, with Stroll - strong in wet conditions - in an eye-catching fourth. Alonso, in the other Aston Martin, is less comfortable down in P10. As racing resumes, Piastri maintains his lead, but another Safety Car appears on Lap 18 after Hadjar crashes into the rear of Antonelli. Fortunately, Hadjar radios that he is okay but admits he couldn’t see the Mercedes. Antonelli continues in P15, and the incident is set for post-race investigation. Only 16 cars remain in the race. Antonelli makes his third stop on Lap 21, just as the Safety Car period ends. Piastri is noted for a possible infringement for slowing too much during the restart - briefly allowing Verstappen to pass - but Verstappen dramatically spins as racing resumes, dropping him to P10. By Lap 24, Piastri leads by three seconds from Norris, with Stroll in third ahead of Hulkenberg, Gasly, Hamilton, Russell, Alonso, Sainz, and Verstappen. That order soon changes when Hamilton runs wide through Copse, allowing Russell to pass. Despite leading, Piastri receives a 10-second penalty for his earlier restart behavior. Stewards also investigate Tsunoda and Bearman for a restart collision that sends Bearman spinning, while Antonelli becomes the latest retirement. Piastri’s race engineer informs him:
"You have a 17-second gap to Stroll - head down".
Tsunoda receives a 10-second penalty for the Bearman incident. Meanwhile, Hamilton overtakes Gasly for P5 and begins chasing Hulkenberg, who is closing on Stroll for third. By Lap 34, Hamilton cuts the gap to 1.7s, while Hulkenberg is within 0.5s of Stroll - and sweeps through to take third. Hamilton soon follows into fourth. Further back, Verstappen takes P9 from Sainz, with Alonso three seconds ahead in P8. At the front, Piastri leads Norris by two seconds.
"The track is pretty decent - it’s starting to dry up a bit".
Hamilton reports, hinting at an imminent crossover. On Lap 38, Alonso becomes the first to switch to mediums, followed by Russell, who opts for hards. The gamble doesn’t pay off initially - Alonso struggles for grip, and Russell spins through the gravel before recovering. After failing to pass Hulkenberg, Hamilton pits on Lap 42 for soft tyres. A wave of pit stops follows, with Stroll also switching to softs, and Verstappen, Gasly, Sainz, Bearman, and Tsunoda going for mediums. Hulkenberg pits next and re-emerges in third after Hamilton runs wide. Piastri pits on Lap 44, serving his penalty and returning in second. Meanwhile, intra-team drama hits Haas when Ocon and Bearman collide, spinning simultaneously. Norris pits for mediums and rejoins ahead of his teammate, but a charging Piastri gives chase, briefly running wide. Piastri radios in, suggesting the team could swap positions if his penalty is deemed unfair - an idea Norris is unlikely to embrace. McLaren, however, confirms there will be no team orders as the race nears its conclusion. As the chequered flag falls, Norris crosses the line to take his first home victory and the eighth win of his F1 career, greeted by roaring fans. Piastri finishes 6.812s behind, with Hulkenberg securing a long-awaited first podium. Hamilton finishes fourth after failing to catch the Kick Sauber, and Verstappen takes fifth following his earlier spin.
Gasly overtakes Stroll on the final lap for sixth, in an impressive showing for Alpine. Stroll settles for seventh, Albon comes eighth - ending his streak of DNFs - while Alonso and Russell complete the top ten. The most controversial episode of the British Grand Prix was certainly the 10-second penalty imposed on Oscar Piastri, which handed the victory to Lando Norris. The Australian driver was penalized for his behavior under the Safety Car, just before the restart. Initially, it was speculated that Piastri had left a gap greater than ten car lengths between himself and the Safety Car, but this hypothesis was ruled out because the Safety Car had already turned off its lights by the time Piastri committed what was deemed an infraction, meaning it was his responsibility to control the pace of the group. To clarify the situation, the traditional statement from the Federation was released, explaining the reason behind the stewards' decision: Piastri was penalized for his sudden and abrupt braking, which, according to the stewards, forced the car behind him - Max Verstappen's - to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
"The Stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence. When the clerk of the course had declared that the safety car was coming in that lap and the lights were extinguished, Car 81 suddenly braked hard (59.2 psi of brake pressure) and reduced speed in the middle of the straight between T14 and T15, from 218 kph to 52 kph, resulting in Car 1 having to take evasive action to avoid a collision. This momentarily resulted in Car 1 unavoidably overtaking Car 81, a position which he gave back immediately. Article 55.15 of the FIA Sporting Regulations required Car 81 to proceed at a pace which involved no erratic braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers from the point at which the lights on the safety car are turned off. What Car 81 did was clearly a breach of that article. In accordance with the penalty guidelines, we imposed a 10 second time penalty to Car 81. Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits. The Stewards Decisions of the Stewards are taken independently of the FIA and are based solely on the relevant regulations, guidelines and evidence presented".
Piastri did not take this decision well, and after the race, he expressed all his frustration in a caustic team radio exchange with his engineer:
"I think I would get a one-year ban if I said anything right now".
Just before that, Piastri had also tried to ask his team for help, suggesting they swap positions.
"I don’t think the previous penalty was very fair. I know it’s a delicate issue, but if even you don’t think it was correct, I think we should swap positions and race".
This suggestion was rejected:
"Oscar, we’re not giving any team orders".
Oscar Piastri then tries to calm himself, analyzing the incident and reaffirming his point of view.
"Yes, I thought the penalty was pretty harsh, but in any case, today we had a fast car, which showed what I needed to demonstrate. It’s disappointing when the result you deserve is taken away from you, but that’s how things go sometimes. What happened? I braked, I saw the Safety Car lights go out, so I didn’t accelerate again, and Max passed me, which was a bit strange. Then I received a penalty for that. It’s all very simple".
And Verstappen? The Dutch driver, who had been in a similar situation in Canada with George Russell, seemed to want to avoid fueling any further controversy or discussion, but still hinted that he thought the penalty was excessive:
"It’s happened to me a couple of times now, where people did this in front of me, and I saw that after the race, he got a 10-second penalty. That’s very extreme, giving 10 seconds… but it’s not up to me to make the rules".
At 37 years old, after 239 Grand Prix of waiting, and when it seemed like the dream would never come true, Nico Hulkenberg did it: the German driver finally made it to the podium in Silverstone. The curse that labeled him as the driver who had raced the most Grand Prix without ever making it into the top-3 was broken. Hulkenberg achieved this feat on a movie-like day, where he started from P19 and had to endure ever-changing and challenging weather conditions. All this, with the pressure of Lewis Hamilton in the final laps.
"Today, until the last pit stop, I didn’t feel sure, then we pulled away from Lewis a good bit after doing that extra lap and I thought: Okay, this is good, it gives us a bit of breathing room. But he was recovering quickly. The pressure was there, it was an intense race. We didn’t give up. We didn’t make any mistakes, and obviously, we’re very satisfied. I knew he’d give it his all in front of the home crowd, and I thought: Sorry guys, but today is also my day. I had to step up. I’m really happy".
After 238 Grands Prix, Nico Hülkenberg broke his own taboo, becoming the oldest driver to finish a Grand Prix in the top 3. As in Australia, today the world was upside down: in Melbourne, the German driver’s Sauber had finished ahead of the Ferraris, and today Hülkenberg denied Lewis Hamilton the joy of a podium finish in front of the home crowd, an unexpected result after qualifying. It was precisely the disastrous performance of the Sauber that had convinced Mattia Binotto to reassess his plans:
"I had to go back to the factory last night, but since we were struggling, I preferred to stay with the team. Then this morning, I said: if we make the podium, I’ll leave tomorrow at this point. And here we are, ready to celebrate. There was a bit of luck involved, but the result is absolutely deserved. Hülkenberg didn’t make any mistakes, and he was quick. He made the right decisions, not taking the slicks at the start of the race. The pit wall did its part, providing the right instructions; for example, at the end, we were unsure whether to go for the mediums or the hard compound, but together with the driver, we made the right decision".
Lando Norris had said it during the press conference, on the eve of the Grand Prix:
"A win at Silverstone would be worth more than all the victories I’ve had so far in my career. It would be something even bigger than winning in Monaco".
Now the British driver - whom some had already written off in the title race after the disastrous crash in Canada - has done it. He won the British Grand Prix, celebrating in front of a sea of British fans dressed in fluorescent yellow, with caps and shirts dedicated to him. Lando Norris’s victory was helped by the penalty handed out to Oscar Piastri by the stewards, but it certainly wasn’t undeserved.
"It’s a win to celebrate because it’s a huge achievement for me. In some ways, it’s probably the biggest win I could get outside of a title. It’s part of the journey I’m on this year. It was number 2 on my list. Number 3 was probably Monaco. We’ve ticked off number 3 and number 2. Tonight I’ll have fun with my friends. It’s going to be a big party because this is a dream for me. It’s a memory I’ll carry with me forever. Something I’ll look back on with pride. This is a special day for us".
Charles Leclerc’s race at Silverstone was a complete disaster. There’s no other way to describe a race that ended in P14, where everything went wrong: strategy errors, driving mistakes, and a race pace that was never competitive, unlike the pace shown by the car driven by Lewis Hamilton, who finished just off the podium. Leclerc, analyzing his performance, admitted his responsibility but also explained that they would need to carefully analyze the data from this race:
"Strategy? I’m not happy with my decision, and it was my decision. I thought the first and second sectors were suited to the slicks. The third sector was wet, but I expected the track to dry much faster. It didn’t. This is part of the reason why we had a bad race, but I’d say the most important factor was the lack of pace. And I can’t answer that until I go back home. I’ll work hard to try to understand what was happening".
The only positive aspect, according to Charles Leclerc, was his teammate Lewis Hamilton’s race:
"I haven’t yet seen Lewis’s pace, but it was definitely much better than mine. So the only positive thing I can say is that when Lewis is in the same car and was much faster than me today, there are definitely things I can learn from a day like this. Because when you’re struggling as a team, and both drivers are struggling, it’s much harder to know what’s going on".
Leclerc deflected a question trying to investigate the potential impact of the new rear suspension:
"I can’t answer that".
He was also quite pessimistic about the mysterious issue in qualifying, which he had mentioned yesterday and that had caused a lot of discussion in the paddock:
"Fixing it in the short term? I don’t think so".
After twelve consecutive podiums in the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton failed to continue this streak in his first race with Scuderia Ferrari. The British driver was held back by an SF-25 that became unstable and nervous: Hamilton finished fourth, even behind Nico Hülkenberg, who took his first-ever podium. The German driver resisted the pressure from Hamilton, who made two mistakes at the start of the final stint on soft tires, compromising his recovery.
"I don’t think I made all the right calls at the right time. After the first pit stop, I was overtaken by several drivers and dropped from fourth to eighth without understanding why. The timing of the switch to softs was nearly right, but the re-entry was very tricky, and I lost a lot of time: I lost it in Turn 3, Turn 9, and Turn 11".
Talking about the technical side, Lewis Hamilton explained the difficulties he faced:
"We don’t have stability, there’s always a slide in every corner, the car never stays steady, and we want it to be more stable. In low-speed corners, it becomes very difficult to turn the car, and it’s hard to find balance. We earned some good points, now we focus on the next race, hoping for a better result. There were positive aspects this weekend, like the free practice sessions where I was much happier with the car balance on dry conditions; even in qualifying, we were much stronger, I felt much more comfortable with the setup direction we chose. It may not be the best for these conditions, but even from a race like this, even though it didn’t go great, you can draw a lot of conclusions because I think I know how to explain to the team what I don’t want in the next car".
The good news is that, despite the chaos and disappointment, the advantage in the Constructors' Championship standings increased by a few more points. The bad news is everything else, with Scuderia Ferrari, under the eyes of CEO Benedetto Vigna, getting lost in the rain, once again showing how they struggle in race conditions. On this matter, Frederic Vasseur said he was disappointed with a result below expectations:
"It was a tough race from the first lap when Charles took the gamble of switching to slicks before the formation lap. It’s easy to say in hindsight that it wasn’t the right decision, but at that moment, he had a strong feeling, and that was his choice. After that, the race was tough because there were Safety Cars every ten laps, and we were always on the edge between intermediate and slick tires. The pace wasn’t bad, actually, I’d say it was good, except for the McLarens, but overtaking was difficult, and we struggled in dirty air. But we weren’t the only ones; even Verstappen was stuck behind Gasly for ten laps. But let’s focus on the positives of the weekend: we made progress in pure performance. In yesterday’s qualifying conditions, we were first and second in Q2, but now we need to make sure we’re first and second in Q3. For the championship, we’re increasing the gap on Mercedes and Red Bull, and that’s positive, but it’s also true that our goal is to win, not just increase the gap to Mercedes".
Regarding Charles Leclerc’s morale, who had been very hard on himself all weekend:
"I can understand how he feels after yesterday because even though sixth place wasn’t a disaster in itself, you certainly feel bad when you were at the front in Q2, in FP3, and, if I’m not mistaken, even in FP1 or something like that. The qualifying result was surprising, we talked about it after dinner, and he was still very angry. I tried to keep him focused and motivated. I know Charles very well; he’s the first to admit when he makes a mistake, but in sports, everyone makes mistakes, we do it too, and so do others. But we have to work as a team. During the race, he took the gamble, but after the first lap, he saw he was already 5 seconds behind the car in front, and he realized it wasn’t going to be a good start. I don’t want to say it doesn’t matter, but we still showed an improvement in pure performance, and we need to prepare for Spa based on that. There are still eleven races left, and there will be just as many opportunities to do better than today. However, it’s true that the balance Charles had in the car in these conditions made it very difficult to manage. He was also a bit unlucky because we should have only done a couple of laps on the intermediates and then had a dry race, but ten minutes before the start, it started raining. It wasn’t easy to find a balance solution".
From the glory of Saturday to the extreme difficulties of Sunday: Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen played the card of a low-downforce setup in Qualifying, hoping for a normal race. However, the British Grand Prix was marked by rain, which complicated Verstappen's race. The Dutch driver even found himself in tenth place after spinning during one of the restarts following a race neutralization via the Safety Car. During the race, Verstappen complained over the radio that with intermediate tires, he couldn’t even keep up with cars like the Williams, Aston Martins, and the Alpine.
"Fuck, I’m so slow, I can’t even keep up with the others".
In post-race interviews, Verstappen pointed out that, all things considered, finishing in fifth place was still a positive result:
"I had no grip, and then I made a mistake. I’m not angry, I’m not thinking about the championship. In the end, it wasn’t bad to climb back to fifth. I’ll take it one race at a time; sometimes it’ll go better, sometimes worse".
As mentioned, Oscar Piastri was penalized with a 10-second penalty for braking before the restart under the Safety Car. Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner, commented on the matter:
"The penalty for Piastri is not surprising, what’s strange is that Russell wasn’t penalized in Canada. What happened during the restart was decisive for our race, because after that Verstappen made a mistake while trying to chase Piastri, as the tires didn’t have the right temperature due to what had happened. At that point, we were stuck in the middle of the pack in dirty air, and we couldn’t do anything. However, towards the end, when the track dried, we were back to having good pace. I don’t think that under normal conditions we could have troubled the McLarens, but we certainly had the potential to aim for the podium".
The British Grand Prix turned into a real sporting disaster for Mercedes, as they left Silverstone with only a single point earned by George Russell in a race marked by total chaos due to the weather. In his home Grand Prix, the British driver took the gamble of switching to slick tires at the end of the formation lap, a strategy (the same one used by Charles Leclerc) that did not play in his favor. A mistake that essentially ruined his race, during which Russell also lost control of the car but managed to fight back to finish in 10th place, the minimum required to score points:
"It’s always difficult to make the right choices in conditions like today’s, but unfortunately, we didn’t manage it. We opted for hard tires after the formation lap, and we had a 25-minute dry window, which should have allowed us to use them to our advantage. Unfortunately, we had 15 minutes of Virtual Safety Car. Once we were back on track, we were a few seconds faster than the others, but we had too much ground to recover. Then we did a few extra laps and pitted for slicks after the track dried again. We switched to the hard tire, and we had heating issues. I spun and lost ground. Fortunately, we managed to recover to 10th place, but overall, it was a disappointing day, and I didn’t want my home Grand Prix to go like this. We’ll try to learn from this situation and come back stronger before the summer break".
While Russell managed to bring Mercedes to the finish line, Andrea Kimi Antonelli did not. Struggling with strategic errors of his own, the Italian driver was forced to retire shortly after the return of the Safety Car, when, in poor visibility conditions, Hadjar couldn’t avoid contact with the Mercedes rookie, ending Antonelli’s race due to the damage sustained:
"It was a tough day. I wasn’t sure about stopping for hard tires in the early laps, but we decided to go for it. Unfortunately, shortly after, the Virtual Safety Car came out, and I couldn’t get the tire temperature up. Once I went back on track, I struggled to generate the necessary heat, and that stopped me from taking any advantage once the track dried. When the rain came, the conditions became tricky. Even once the Safety Car came back in, visibility was still very poor, and there was a lot of standing water. That’s what put Hadjar out of the race, and it was unfortunate for both of us. I tried to keep going, but the damage to the diffuser was too severe, and we had to retire the car. A weekend to forget, but we’ll try to come back stronger at Spa".