09/07/2023
NEWS STORY
Having ruined everything yesterday - at least as far as Lando Norris is concerned - one wonders if Max Verstappen will continue on his winning way today or whether someone might spoil the Dutchman's party.
Despite claims of the last week witnessing two of the hottest days in history, for many it has been business as usual with overcast skies, rain and unforgiving winds.
And while it was expected that the weather might play a part today it currently looks as though we're going to be in for bright sunshine.
On the other hand, as witnessed yesterday, the exuberance of the Red Bull Ring stewards appears to have carried over as far as track limits are concerned so perhaps we can expect fate to lend a hand in the department.
Not for the first time this season, Verstappen finds himself without back-up as teammate Perez failed to make it into Q3 for the fifth successive race weekend. Though, as was the case last week, the Mexican usually turns things around come race day, he would be well advised to heed Helmut Marko's warning a get a grip, for, ignoring Ricciardo, there are several potential replacements out there.
In their wildest dreams Norris and Piastri didn't expect to be lining up second and third today, and in all honesty both with be content to take home a decent points haul today - surely neither can expect to maintain their starting positions.
Ferrari is one of several teams whose fortune changes from track-to-track, weekend-to-weekend, as does Mercedes, and with Aston Martin having looked good on Friday we can probably expect a great three-way tussle between these teams.
One of the true stars of recent races, Albon will be looking to add further points to Williams tally, especially as the team celebrates its 800th start. Indeed, there is a feeling that Sargeant could open his points account today
Over the years Silverstone has produced some classic races, some epic battles, and if we take it as read that Verstappen has this one in the bag, today should be no exception if we look at the row upon row of fighting talent behind him.
The pitlane opens and Perez leads the way, followed by Stroll, Magnussen, de Vries and Sainz.
Last to leave the pits, indeed leaving it worryingly late, is Sargeant.
"It feels quite windy out there," reports Perez.
Air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 31 degrees. Though currently nice and bright there are some ominous clouds in the distance.
Following the national anthem, Race Control claims that there is a 40% chance of rain.
All are starting on mediums, bar Russell, Ocon, Tsunoda and De Vries who are on softs and Hulkenberg and Bottas on hards. New rubber all round except for Russell (soft), Alonso and Stroll.
They head off on the formation lap all getting away cleanly.
Gasly complains that Alonso is messing about in front of him.
The grid forms.
They're away! It's a slow start from Verstappen, while behind Piastri cuts across the track to get on the inside of his McLaren teammate.
Norris leads into Turn 1 as Verstappen tries to hold off Piastri on the inside, just behind Russell has got ahead of Sainz.
Perez runs wide in Turn 2 as does Hamilton at Turn 3, along with Sargeant and an Alfa, the seven-time world champion dropping to ninth in the process.
Piastri is all over Verstappen, trying to go around the outside of the Red Bull at Woodcote and causing the Dutchman to lock-up and almost run wide at Copse, while Russell, under pressure from Leclerc, keeps a watching eye.
At the end of Lap 1, it's: Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, Alonso, Hamilton, Gasly and Albon.
Out front Norris is setting a hot pace as Hamilton is all over Alonso. At the other end of the field Bottas passes Magnussen for 19th.
Lap 3 sees Piastri post fastest lap (32.499), as Verstappen attacks his McLaren teammate.
The leading three are covered by 1.190s with Leclerc a further 1.6s behind.
On Lap 5 Verstappen nails Norris in Luffield, the McLaren driver attempts to fight back but to no avail.
As Russell makes a move on Leclerc in Stowe, Sainz attacks the Mercedes driver from behind. They are lucky not to clash.
"If that's not moving under braking I don't know what is," says Russell of Leclerc.
"Oscar has been told to hold position," Norris is told, "so hold position, we go together."
On Lap 7 Hamilton passes Alonso in Brooklands, the crowd roars.
Perez passes Hulkenberg for 13th, the two touching in the process. The German subsequently pits with damage to his front wing endplate.
"Car's pulling a bit weird," reports Verstappen. "The wind is fairly variable," he is told.
"Plan A is out priority," Norris is told.
As Leclerc and Russell pull away from Sainz, Norris hangs on to the rear of Verstappen.
Ocon pits at the end of Lap 9. It is not a scheduled stop.
"We are expecting some light-ish rain in two or three minutes," Verstappen is warned, "it should last just three or four minutes."
"We're tracking the rain but it's going to miss us," Russell is told. "I'm not so sure about that," he replies.
Perez passes Tsunoda for 12th and sets about closing the gap to Stroll.
"Can we make Plan A work," Norris is asked. "Yes," he replies.
Having fallen 2.4s behind Hamilton, Alonso is now under pressure from Gasly.
"The wind is making it difficult to drive at the moment," complains Verstappen, despite which he now has a 3.2s comfort cushion.
Tsunoda pits at the end of Lap 14, the AlphaTauri driver rejoining in 18th.
Meanwhile, a few drivers have racked up track limits violations including Norris and Russell.
Hamilton is told to better manage his tyres in Turns 1, 2 and 9.
Albon complains that his left front tyres isn't feeling good. The youngster is currently eleventh, having been passes by Perez.
"We are thinking of Plan B," Sainz is told. "What was Plan B, Ricci," asks the Spaniard.
Moments later, teammate Leclerc pits, the Monegasque rejoining in 12th on hards.
As he posts a new fastest lap (32.338), Verstappen says: "I saw a Ferrari pit, are we going to stick with our strategy?"
"How many laps can you do at this pace?" Norris is asked as Verstappen posts another fastest lap (32.295). "I'm happy, it's consistent, I can maintain this for now," says Norris.
Russell asks how his teammate is getting on with the mediums.
Zhou pits at the end of Lap 24, the Alfa Romeo driver rejoining in 18th.
Since his stop Leclerc has made no progress and remains 12th. That said, he passes Stroll for eleventh.
The Canadian had been told not to worry about Leclerc and to focus on his own race.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Silverstone here.
Sainz pits at the end of Lap 26, rejoining in 12th, behind Stroll, on hards.
"How are the hard tyres looking on others," asks Norris. "Don't look amazing but that's our best option," he is told.
Russell pits at the end of Lap 28, the Briton, who switches from softs to mediums. It's a slow stop and as a result he rejoins in 9th behind Leclerc.
Piastri pits at the end of Lap 29, the Australian rejoining in 6th on hards. Sargeant also stops.
A new fastest lap from Sainz (31.945).
Russell tries a move on Leclerc around the outside in Brooklands. The Ferrari driver tries to fight back, but is unable to make it stick.
No sooner has Piastri passed Gasly than the Frenchman pits, as does Stroll.
Gasly rejoins in 11th on softs and Stroll 14th also on softs.
Magnussen starts on the Wellington Straight with smoke billowing from his car. "Engine died," he reports.
The VSC is deployed. Albon and Leclerc both pit, as do Bottas, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg and de Vries.
Albon rejoins in ninth ahead of Leclerc.
At the Safety Car is deployed Verstappen pits, as does Norris, Hamilton and Alonso.
Under the Safety Car, Hamilton has passed Piastri for 3th while Alonso is sixth.
Sainz is told to stay out. Verstappen is on softs, while Norris is on hard, as is Piastri. Hamilton is on softs, while Russell is on mediums, Alonso softs and Sainz hards.
"Argh, ****!" responds Russell when told that his teammate has pitted and is ahead of Piastri and on softs.
So, after 35 laps, all three compounds are in use by the leading ten, with 17 laps remaining.
"Wonderful," replies a sarcastic Norris when told that Verstappen (ahead) and Hamilton (behind) are on softs.
Zhou has made his second stop of the afternoon, the Chinese driver unhappy with his brakes.
"We are Status 4 until the end," Sainz is told.
Under the Safety Car, it's: Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Piastri, Russell, Alonso, Sainz, Perez, Albon and Leclerc.
The Safety Car is withdrawn at th3 end of Lap 38.
Verstappen bunches up the field on the Hangar Straight. The he lets loose.
As the Dutchman pulls away Hamilton is all over Norris. They're side by side through Brooklands and Luffield, the Mercedes driver tries again at Copse but Norris has it hand.
As Russell sizes up Piastri he has Alonso all over his rear.
Next time around Hamilton tries again, but still, somehow, Norris holds him off.
"That McLaren is so quick on hards," admits Russell.
At which point DRS is enabled.
Stroll has passed Gasly for 11th, however, the Frenchman insists that the Aston Martin driver gained the position by leaving the track. "He's got to give it back," he shouts.
Verstappen is already 2.8s down the road, but insists that his tyres don't feel good. Despite which he posts a new fastest lap (30.275).
Despite Gasly's protestations, the stewards feel Stroll did not gain an advantage. However, they do show the Canadian the black and white flag for track limits violations.
No sooner has Perez nailed Sainz (hards) than Albon and then Leclerc pass the struggling Spaniard, as Gasly and Stroll size him up.
Gasly passes the struggling Sainz but the Spaniard retakes the position.
Moments later Gasly has a problem and slows, rapidly dropping down the order. That's a double retirement for Alpine.
After 46 laps, it's Verstappen, Norris (+ 3.2s), Hamilton (+ 2s), Piastri (+ 1.7s), Russell (+ 2.1s), Perez (+ 3.6s), Alonso (+ 0.9s), Albon (+ 0.8s) and Leclerc (+ 1.8s).
Gasly and Stroll are under investigation for causing collision, as Russell is shown the black and white flag. Norris also gets a final warning for track limits violations.
Hamilton is advised that Norris has been shown the black and white.
Stroll is given a 5s time penalty for causing collision.
As the laps count down, Alboin is under intense pressure from the Ferrari of Leclerc, while swarming all over the back of Alonso.
"I've got no rears left," says Hamilton as he falls 2.4ds behind Norris.
Leclerc makes a move on Albon, but the Williams driver holds him off.
"That McLaren's a rocket ship," says Hamilton.
Verstappen takes the flag, ahead of Norris, Hamilton, Piastri, Russell, Perez, Alonso, Albon, Leclerc and Sainz.
Sargeant is eleventh, ahead of Bottas, Hulkenberg, Stroll, Zhou, Tsunoda and de Vries.
In all honesty, that was a race of two halves, livened up not by the weather Gods but the tyre strategists, some of whom must have been biting their nails down to the bone during those final laps.
While Max and Red Bull did what they do, a superb performance from McLaren who will leave their home race feeling justifiably buoyed.
Hamilton drove the sort of race we have come to expect of him, though the pace of those rocket ship McLarens are clearly going to cause him some concern over the months ahead.
Again, Perez fought back but had he started higher up the grid who knows what might have been.
Though Norris and Piastri will rightly receive the plaudits, it was another superb performance from Albon, especially the way he held off Leclerc in those final laps.
For Ferrari it was another race to forget, as was pretty much the case at Aston Martin and certainly Alpine, not forgetting Alpha Tauri and Haas.
"To start seventh and come third is a mega job," says Hamilton. "A big thank you to my team.
Looking at the crowd, he adds: "It continues to be an honour to race and represent all of you."
"I brought the fight to Max for as long as possible," says Norris. "It's a long, lonely race when you're in the middle. But it's amazing."
"We had a terrible start so we need to look into why that was," adds Verstappen. "But after that both McLarens at the beginning were super quick.
"It took a few laps to pass them and everything after that was quite alright."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Silverstone here.