Max Verstappen has taken a different route on set-up to his rivals and captured pole position.
The McLarens are lined up behind him but there are two quick Ferraris in the mix as well as George Russell’s Mercedes plus a threat of rain. Here’s your strategy dashboard for the British Grand Prix.
Weather
The risk of rain on Sunday has been rising consistently since the race weekend began and is now at its highest level. But there’s a significant caveat.
Most models agree the greatest threat of rain will pass well before the race start time of 3pm. At that point the risk of further rain in any one-hour period is currently estimated at 20% and falling.
The morning’s Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2 support race action is likely to be rain-affected as a heavy band of rain passes through, most of which will be situated north of the track. There could even be some thunderstorms.
But the support races are scheduled to conclude by 12:10pm, and with the risk of rain receding after it, there’s a good chance it will be gone before the race, potentially leaving just a damp track behind. However there is always an element of unpredictability in these forecasts and the strategists will have team members glued to their radars and stationed around the circuit to spot whether any unexpected showers pop up.
Start
Silverstone has the second-longest flat-out run to the first braking zone of any track on the calendar. But unlike the other longest runs it isn’t straight, curving through Abbey and Farm. That should play into the pole-winner’s hands.
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Distance from pole position to first braking zone. Source: Mercedes
The two Mercedes drivers flew in formation at the start last year
Strategy
Last year drivers chose the following compounds to start the race on:
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Pirelli has allocated tyres which are one step softer than last year. Teams have largely ensured they have two fresh sets of the hard rubber available in case they need them for a two-stop strategy.
There appears to be a wider range of set-ups between the front runners than usual. Verstappen has gone for a conspicuously low downforce set-up on his Red Bull which may increase tyre degradation. The Ferrari drivers have higher downforce levels and the SF-25 has tended to be kinder to its rubber, so if any team is going to try to eke out a one-stop strategy it will surely be them.
A full list of each driver’s available tyres will be added here once supplied by Pirelli.
Overtaking
There have been no changes to the DRS zones for this year’s British Grand Prix. Drivers can use DRS at the exit of Aintree (turn five) and Chapel (turn 14).
Two drivers are close to an automatic ban and may have to take extra caution when fighting their rivals. Since the last race, Verstappen has dropped two penalty points and is now on nine. However Oliver Bearman picked up four penalty points today and is now on a total of eight.
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Speed trap
Verstappen’s lower drag rear wing helped him to the quickest top speed on the straight.
Safety Cars
There were no Safety Cars or Virtual Safety Cars during last year’s race. However the risk of a Safety Car is fairly high as there are several quick corners where drivers have had heavy crashes in the past, and gravel traps which cars can become stuck in.
Grid
The grid for this year’s race is as follows. Any changes between now and the start of the race will be added here:
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Championship implications
If the drivers finish where they start Oscar Piastri will extend his championship lead to 18 points over Lando Norris, while Verstappen will cut his deficit to 54.
Over to you
Who do you think will win the British Grand Prix – and how? Share your views on the race in the comments.
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