Welcome to round 10 and we are back at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport! The former RAF station has been conquered by some of the greats and seen some of the fiercest battles in F1.
In 2022, there is a slight change at the top of the leader board. With Mercedes’ difficult start to the season, it is Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc who are heading into this race at the top of the Championship. The points difference between the two is slightly larger than last year, and Verstappen will be hoping to make it to the chequered flag to win his first British Grand Prix (and the first Red Bull win at their home circuit since 2012). The Red Bulls have been looking dominant in recent races; however, it was a tight battle between Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in the final laps at Montreal, and there are still questions around reliability after Sergio Perez’s Canadian DNF… Safe to say, predicting this race is proving difficult!
It was thought that the build-up would be dominated by replays of last year’s lap one collision, but this has been eclipsed by the use of racist language. Both used by Nelson Piquet in reference to Lewis Hamilton and the racial slur used during a live stream by F2 driver, Juri Vips, (who has since lost his seat as Red Bull’s reserve driver). The world of motorsport has come out in support of Hamilton and against racial discrimination, however the debate is now about whether there has been enough action by the sport to back up these statements of solidarity.
Several teams are rumoured or confirmed to be bringing upgrades this weekend, including Alpine, Aston Martin, Williams, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. However, the one that everyone is waiting to see is Mercedes. A few races ago, there were serious doubts that they would be dominant at their home race, but the noises coming out of Brackley over the last week has turned quite a few heads, with trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, describing the upgrades as ‘a bigger and more visible package’. The smooth track should hopefully minimise the porpoising that has plagued them in previous races. With ample overtaking opportunities, perhaps Hamilton could clinch his 9th Silverstone win?
The weather is looking varied for the weekend, with the possibility of light rain during Qualifying and a dry track on Sunday. Pirelli have selected the hardest three tyre compounds for this race, a good choice for a track with high tyre degradation (especially with the heavier 2022 cars). Safety cars have been a frequent feature this year and it would be no surprise to see one (or more) out this weekend, which will make for interesting team strategies.
Record crowds are expected again, with much hope in seeing one of the home boys on the podium. Silverstone is always a hub of activities, and no doubt the weekend will see entertainment on and off the track!
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