In Summary:
- Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari showed good speed in Friday’s practice at Silverstone, making him hopeful for a strong home Grand Prix.
- Lando Norris of McLaren was fastest in practice, while championship leader Max Verstappen faced challenges with his Red Bull car.
- Rain is expected later in the weekend, and talks about Verstappen possibly moving to Mercedes continue off-track.
Lewis Hamilton is feeling positive about his chances at the British Grand Prix after a strong showing in Friday’s practice sessions with Ferrari. While McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest time, Hamilton was close behind, giving him hope for a good result at his home race, where he’s won a record nine times. However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen struggled, and there’s chatter about him possibly moving to Mercedes. The weather could also mix things up, with rain expected over the weekend.
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Ferrari’s Pace Catches Attention as Hamilton Finds Comfort
Ferrari’s performance on Friday at Silverstone notably impressed their competitors, particularly championship leaders McLaren.
While McLaren and Red Bull introduced new floor designs for this Grand Prix, Ferrari continued with an updated design first seen in Austria last weekend.
Lewis Hamilton, who has faced a challenging start to his first season with Ferrari, expressed increasing comfort with his new car.
He topped the first practice session and, despite a slight struggle in the second, believes he now understands the necessary adjustments to improve.
Hamilton, a record nine-time winner at Silverstone, acknowledged the competitive landscape: “The Red Bull and McLaren have an upgrade, so for us to be in the mix still, given they have had a step today, is really positive.”
He added, “Definitely feel we can dream of having a strong weekend, but putting it all together and extracting it is another thing.”
His teammate Charles Leclerc, who showed strong pace in race simulations during the second session, was optimistic about their race performance but noted the need to find more speed in qualifying.
McLaren Leads Practice, Red Bull Struggles, Rain Expected
Lando Norris of McLaren set the fastest lap of the day in Friday practice, with a time of 1:25.816.
He was 0.222 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and 0.301 seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri, also from McLaren, finished fourth.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had a difficult day, finishing fifth fastest and complaining over the team radio about a lack of front grip in the high-speed corners of Silverstone.
Norris, fresh off a win in Austria, remained cautious despite leading practice, noting the Ferraris’ strong pace and their tendency to improve on Saturdays.
“We have a bit of work to do. It looked maybe a bit too good today,” he commented. Verstappen described his day as “quite a bad day, just no balance in the car.”
Adding another layer of unpredictability to the weekend, Hamilton also mentioned the forecast for rain on both Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.
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Off-Track Chatter: Verstappen’s Future and FIA Presidency Race
Beyond the on-track action, the paddock at Silverstone continues to be abuzz with discussions surrounding Max Verstappen’s potential departure from Red Bull to Mercedes after the current season.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown candidly stated that the idea of “Max in Mercedes definitely is nerve-wracking” from a competitor’s standpoint, calling it a “disaster for Red Bull” if he were to leave, as he “is clearly carrying the team.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, however, indicated that while performance mechanisms exist in Verstappen’s contract, the driver’s intention is to stay with the team through 2026.
In other off-track news, the race for the FIA presidency is gaining traction, with Mayer confirming his candidacy.
These discussions highlight the broader political and contractual dynamics at play within Formula 1, adding intrigue to an already exciting British Grand Prix weekend.
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