Drivers are on track and rain is falling again
The drivers are heading to the grid.
It is raining at Silverstone.
We still don’t know if we will start on dry or wet tyres.
What is the strategy for the British Grand Prix?
Let’s think about strategy.
If this were a dry race, the expectation isthat this race would be a one-stop.
If there were hot temperatures, a two-stop would have been more likely.
But with the air temperature not expected to rise over 20 degrees Celsius, tyre degradation should be manageable.
Predicted tyre strategy for a dry race. (F1)
I say “should” because the high-speed corners on this track are punishing on tyres.
If we start on either intermediate or wet tyres, then the strategy is thrown out the window.
Drivers will be trying to keep their first set of tyres alive for long enough to switch over to slicks, either hards or mediums, depending on how many laps are left, and go to the end.
What do I need to know about the Silverstone track?
Silverstone has always been about speed.
(F1)
The circuit in its current form has several fast corners, designed to challenge a driver’s willingness to keep their foot on the throttle.
The most famous of these is Maggots and Becketts, a pair of corner combinations that stretch from turns 10 to 14.
A driver needs to maintain high speed throughout the twisting sequence, or be vulnerable to attacks on the following straight.
But perfection is required, otherwise a driver will be taking a trip through the grass (at best) and risks tumbling down the order.
Turns 6 and 15, at the end of the DRS zones, provide excellent overtaking opportunities.
26m agoSun 6 Jul 2025 at 1:00pm
Compare Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri in the battle for pole position
Max Verstappen F1 future uncertain as rumours swirl he will leave Red Bull for Mercedes
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is the centre of attention as rumours intensify that he could leave Red Bull Racing at the end of the season.
If you have missed the rumours or need to refresh, you can click the link below.
Max Verstappen’s thoughts ahead of the British Grand Prix
Max Verstappen was simply sensational last night.
His flying lap to secure pole position was, in my view, one of the best in his career. And he has had so many brilliant laps.
Despite being on pole, the Dutchman knows the hard work is still ahead of him.
Here is what he said yesterday during the post-qualifying press conference.
“We’ll just go in there and try to do the best we can,” he said.
Normally in the race runs, we struggle a bit more on tyre life. I don’t know how that will be tomorrow.
“We have to wait and see a little bit also how the weather will be in general, if there is some rain or not.
“The straight-line speed is nice to have, but you still need to manage the tyres around here.
“It’s very tough with all these high-speed corners. But I’m just looking forward to it. I’m not really in a battle, so I’ll just try to have fun and try to get the best possible result.”
56m agoSun 6 Jul 2025 at 12:30pm
Could F1 delay the race start because of the weather?
Is there any danger the F1 race will be delayed by the weather?
– Travis
Great question Travis.
The answer to your question is yes.
If the race director believes a track is unsafe, the start of the race can and will be delayed.
For the second time in tonight’s blog, I am going to link out to a story I wrote three years ago.
The Monaco Grand Prix was delayed by over an hour in 2022.
It was not raining when the race was due to begin, but a pretty fierce rain cloud was on the verge of drenching Monte Carlo.
Much to the surprise of essentially everyone, the race did not begin at 3pm.
At 3:05pm the skies opened, and the race director was proven right.
1h agoSun 6 Jul 2025 at 12:20pm
It is raining on the driver’s parade
Evening Mick. Just googled the forecast for Silverstone. Looks as if rain may ease during the race but generally likely to be a wet one. Perhaps a lottery then. It’s raining in Birmingham (Edgbaston) as well as in northern France for Le Tour so Silverstone in Northants between the two has little chance of escaping it.
– Old timer
The drivers are on their parade lap, waving to the fans who are at Silverstone.
And guess what? It’s raining.
The drivers are doing interviews, and Oscar Piastri has been asked if he really wants to win in Britain, because his teammate won in Australia.
In trademark style, Piastri was nonchalant about it.
“I think we’re in a good position. I’m not putting any extra emphasis on it,” he says.
“But Silverstone is a track I have always wanted to win at, so I’ll do it for that.”
The Australian was asked about the conditions, with the championship leader believing that it is most likely the race will begin in the wet.
“At the moment, it’s pretty nasty out here. Hopefully it stops raining, otherwise it’s going to be pretty treacherous.”
Oscar Piastri expecting a ‘fun race’ tonight
Oscar Piastri missed a chance to take pole position last night.
In fairness, I think Lando Norris and both Ferrari drivers feel the same way.
(Reuters)
This race appears to be a six-way battle between Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Throw in potential rain, and this race has the potential to be a classic.
This is what Piastri said after qualifying yesterday.
“It’s going to be a fun race. You know, it’s been very evenly matched between Max, the Ferraris, I saw even George being up there at the end,’ he said.
“So I think it’s going to be a pretty evenly paced race tomorrow, and all of us have got slightly different strengths.
“Red Bull is very quick in a straight line, we’re going to be quick in the high speed.
“So yeah, it’s going to be a fun one.”
Oscar Piastri says he was ‘a bit safe’ after qualifying second for the British F1 Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri laments some cautious driving as Max Verstappen claims pole for the British Grand Prix.
Read the full qualifying report, below.
1h agoSun 6 Jul 2025 at 11:50am
Is wind an issue for an F1 car?
Apart from rain they are forecasting 45 kmh wind gusts. Is that a big deal for an F1 car?
– Phillip
G’day Phillip.
Thanks for joining me on the live blog.
The short answer is, yes.
Wind can play a significant role in motor racing.
Let’s say down the main straight the wind picks up suddenly and you have a strong breeze behind you.
In that scenario, you will be approaching the corner at a faster speed. That means you probably need to brake earlier, or risk overshooting the turn.
The opposite could be true for a headwind.
Now, a wind gust could be random and problematic, especially if it is going across the track.
If you approach a corner and the wind suddenly flies past at 45kph, it could unsettle the car, or even force it to drift off the racing line and onto the dirty side of the road.
From memory, it was a big wind gust that forced Charles Leclerc to crash while leading in France in 2022.
Starting grid ofr F1 British Grand Prix
Silverstone weather forecast
There has been a lot of rain at Silverstone so far today.
The F3 race was ended early, and the F2 started in very wet conditions.
Good news for the Formula 1 drivers, conditions are improving.
But the MET Office says there is a 20 per cent chance of rain at 1500 BST, the start time for the grand prix.
F3 race called off early after heavy rain
It’s a beautiful summer’s day in England.
Silverstone was drenched with heavy rain during the morning, local time.
The rain was so severe in the Formula 3 feature race that the track was deemed unsafe on lap 15 of 22.
Callum Voisin of Great Britain and Rodin Motorsport during the F3 feature race (Getty)
There were hopes of the drivers being able to get back out on track and finish the race, but ultimately, there was not enough time, in the view of the stewards.
A massive congratulations to Australian James Wharton who finished sixth — his best result in an F3 feature race.
Wharton won the sprint race in Austria last weekend.
When does the F1 British Grand Prix begin?
Here is when the Formula 1 British Grand Prix will begin in each of Australia’s states and territories.
AEST: Monday, July 7, 12am: NSW, Vic, Qld, Tas, ACTACST: Sunday, July 6, 11:30pm: South Australia and Northern TerritoryAWST: Sunday, July 6, 10pm: Western Australia.
Welcome to the ABC Sport Formula 1 live blog
Good evening, Australia.
Welcome back to ABC Sport’s live blog coverage of the 2025 Formula 1 championship.
F1 is at its spiritual home, Silverstone, for the British Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen is on pole position, with drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri starting second.
Lando Norris is third on the grid, while Mercedes driver George Russell and the Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton all could threaten a win today.
You can follow all the action tonight on the blog and join the conversation in the comment section.