A Sensational Celebration
This year’s British Grand Prix felt like no other. Rain causing chaos, reckless rookies and a daring fight to be on the podium.
There were reputable celebrities and adoring fans, but I think the Silverstone track highlights the pinnacle of motorsport.
A disastrous start for Bearman at his first home grand prix in Formula 1 as he crashes in the entrance of the pit lane under a red flag. A harsh penalty from stewards as they give Bearman a 10-place grid penalty for the race.
It’s not looking good for the rookies as penalties seem to be piling up. Antonelli receives a 3-place grid penalty for causing a crash in Austria a week prior.
Sauber slips in FP3 too, as Bortoletto is unable to keep his car on track and causes a red flag. Let’s hope they can keep up the momentum they gained from a double points finish last week.
The rumours swirling around Alpine, as Colapinto’s time is running out, and Doohan only lasted a few races, might suggest it’s time up for Colapinto.
The British fans had their pulses racing as they saw Lewis Hamilton soar into first in two of the practice sessions, igniting hope for all.
Rapid roaring laps
A moment for crazy Colapinto as he spins out in Q1, hitting the barriers and ending his qualifying in last place. Let’s hope for his sake that he can get back on track; otherwise, it might be a swift exit for this driver.
It’s a double elimination for Sauber, an opposite reaction to last week’s celebrations in Austria after scoring double points. A swift ending for Stroll, being outqualified again by his teammate and an unfortunate end for Lawson, who misses out as Gasly goes through.
A sad qualifying for Williams as both drivers go out in Q2 alongside short kings Tsunoda and Hadjar.
A Max masterclass is the result of the British Grand Prix. Verstappen swoops in above all the Brits and takes pole. The McLaren duo are in 2nd and 3rd position, confirming their consistency on track.
Hamilton and Russell put in a good showing for the British fans, finishing 5th and 6th, with rookie drivers Antonelli in 7th and Bearman in 8th. Unfortunately, he will be starting on the 18th due to his previous penalty.
The weather forecast for this weekend is a furious mix of rain and sun. We will see what the rain brings on race day and how this will affect the order.
A Bonkers Beginning
The chaos began as the rain’s madness obstructed the driver’s view. Several drivers had already decided to switch to inter tyres before the race began, so they started from the pit lane. Whether or not that is the right call, it’s too hard to tell.
Verstappen was quick off the line with both McLarens hot on his tail, and it was obvious that there was a lack of grip on the track. The spray makes it super hard for the drivers to see the cars around them.
This is evident, and we inevitably endure many yellow flags and safety cars in this race.
The first one out is Colapinto, who unfortunately, didn’t even manage to start the race, stalling from the pit lane leads to an unsuccessful race. The rumours swirling around him may lead to a new driver being added, possibly ex-Mercedes and Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas.
After a few corners, a collision between Tsunoda, Ocon, and Lawson saw the Racing Bull spin out and cause the first yellow flag of the race. A few laps later, we see Bortoleto spin out due to the wet weather.
After 8 laps, Piastri swoops in and takes the lead from Verstappen, and the race is well on the way. That is, until a few laps later when the rain thundered down even harder, and many cars pitted desperately to find some traction.
On lap 11, Verstappen and Norris are fighting hard, and just as they come around a corner, Verstappen slides off the track, driving through the grass and losing the position to Norris. It’s now a 1-2 for McLaren, but not for long, as Norris has a slow pit stop, leading Verstappen to gain his position back.
Many cars are going off the track due to the violent rain, impeding their vision, and a safety car takes the lead for a few laps, as the spray is unavoidable. Once the safety car is released, Hamilton makes some risky moves which pay off as he overtakes several cars.
Then, another safety car comes out as Hadjar crashes, bringing a devastating end to both Racing Bulls’ weekends. Unfortunately, Antonelli later retires the vehicle due to the damage he sustained in Hadjar’s crash, a sad ending for the rookie drivers, with only one left in the race.
Penalty Pain
A controversial moment next as the safety car ends and Piastri harshly on the brakes catches Verstappen out, quite a dangerous moment considering the weather circumstances.
Piastri is awarded a 10-second penalty for dangerous driving, which ultimately ruins his run at winning.
This leaves the door open for Norris.
Just as Piastri blasts off, Verstappen spins, dropping down many spaces, but he does well not to crash or veer off track.
Nearly halfway through the British Grand Prix, the drivers are all mixed, with Lance Stroll running in 3rd, Hulkenberg in 4th, and Gasly in 5th. The underdogs of the season are here to fight for a podium.
20 laps to go and Hulkenburg swiftly overtakes Stroll into 3rd position, and with his 239th appearance in Formula 1, could this be the day to get his first podium? Hamilton also passes Stroll, sending the British crowd wild as he’s in 4th place and hunting down that podium finish at his home grand prix.
Less than 10 laps to go and Piastri proceeds with his penalty, leaving him sulking in 2nd place as Norris flies by leading his home grand prix. The actions are not over as both Haas cars clash and spin in a synchronised way, luckily, both are unscathed and able to continue.
Lando Norris takes home the top spot and wins the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, his (and his team’s) home race. Smiles all around from Zak Brown for a 1-2 finish, Piastri less so.
Shout out to an amazing drive from Nico Hulkenberg, securing his first-ever podium finish after nearly 250 races; he deserves the 3rd place finish. Also, gaining tremendous points for Sauber, who are now in 6th place for the constructors’ championship.
A brilliant effort from Hamilton as he finished just short of a podium, and Gasly securing 5th for Alpine, the only points scorer on the team.
A wacky but wonderful race, Silverstone always impresses and the fact that only 15 cars (only one rookie) finished the race is a testament to how difficult it was to stay on track.
In 2 weeks, we will arrive in Spa to continue the fight.
See you in Belgium!
Incredible race. Great review. Let’s see what happens at Red Bull now without Horner at the helm.