British GP preview: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen battle for home win | F1 News

After giving fans a dream qualifying result at Silverstone, Sunday's British Grand Prix is ​​expected to be even more dramatic.

George Russell took pole position ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, while McLaren's Lando Norris was third, ensuring a British trio took the grid at Silverstone for the first time in Formula 1 and the first time it has happened at any track since 1968.

As if the prospect of the whole of Britain vying for victory wasn't enough to create enough tension, there's also the lurking threat of world championship leader Max Verstappen, who starts in fourth place.

With the weather conditions continuing to vary throughout the weekend, with some extreme July conditions even in the UK, it was difficult to predict who would be the fastest.

Norris and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who started fifth, were strongest on Friday in the dry conditions, while Russell and Hamilton took pole position on the cool, dry circuit after excelling in the wet conditions on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Verstappen has not had the best results so far for the upgraded Red Bull, suffering a setback late in qualifying after damaging his car when sliding on the gravel early in the session.

With a mix of rain and sunshine forecast for Sunday, it will be next to impossible to tell who will be first on the podium that day, which will make for an incredible spectacle for F1 fans.

Who has the fastest car?

It's a nearly impossible question to answer, but I'll try.

The consensus from the insiders is that in dry conditions, as has been the case in recent weeks, Verstappen and Norris are likely to finish slightly ahead of Mercedes.

The pair were set to finish in the top two for the third race in a row in Austria last weekend, but a controversial crash saw Russell take the win.

“Realistically, we're probably a tenth or a half a length behind Lando and Max, but I think we can put up a good fight,” Russell said.

“But the weather will play a big role. As you know, it's been rainy and dry for the past few days. It's supposed to rain tomorrow.”

Norris is not usually overly optimistic about his chances of winning, but he seemed to remain positive after a mistake early in the final flying lap of qualifying blew his chances of pole position.

“We've been running very fast in the last two months,” Norris said. “That's probably been one of our strengths.

“The race pace was actually faster than the qualifying pace. But it's a very different type of circuit. The layout is very different. But it's still a strength. And hopefully tomorrow it will come back to us a little bit more.”

Until his collision with Norris last week, Verstappen had been good enough to outpace a seemingly fast McLaren and take the win, but there were hints that the RB20 could deliver even more.

“It hurts to let the team down like that,” he said after the first-quarter blunder. “It really hurts because I thought we had a strong weekend so far. We just didn't show our pace.”

Will Russell and Hamilton team up?

First of all, it should be said that this question is primarily Hamilton's problem.

As the seven-time world champion looks to claim his first win since December 2021, it's safe to say he'll be doing everything he can to take the lead over Russell at the finish line.

If the starting order remains intact after the first corner, Hamilton will likely be under pressure from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to take a sensible approach in his race with his team-mate.

Given Hamilton's move to Ferrari next season, he may not care too much about what Wolff wants, but theoretically Mercedes would gain a huge advantage if they could keep two cars up front.

While Wolf confirmed that the drivers would try to implement some kind of plan to get them to cooperate, he seemed to somewhat accept the reality that there might be moments when the Silver Arrows fight each other.

“I think we talk about it every Sunday,” he said. Sky Sports F1. “And we're not trying to repeat the same thing, but tomorrow is an opportunity. It's definitely an opportunity to get on the podium.

“But if we can start first and second and hold that position for a while, that would be good and give us a better position.”

He offered some subtle words of encouragement to Hamilton fans who are hoping to see the 39-year-old finish his historic run with Mercedes with at least one more win.

“I think I was careful with my setup, more about getting a good balance in the race than doing everything for one lap,” Hamilton said. “So I think the car will be good tomorrow.”

Added tension in the second row

Verstappen and Norris have become quite accustomed to battling for the lead off the start line in recent times, but this time their battle resumes behind Mercedes.

The clash between the two in Austria dominated headlines throughout the weekend, but Norris eased things up somewhat by walking away from his post-match statement demanding an apology from Verstappen.

As Britain's stance softened, some suggested Verstappen, who finished fifth in Austria while Norris was out with an injury from his accident, had gained a psychological advantage over his nearest title challenger.

Norris once again appeared to downplay the significance of his fight with Verstappen.

“I know Max is going to race us tomorrow, but I have two more people to worry about, so Red Bull is fine with me,” he said.

“I think our strategy has been very good over the last two months. So I'm happy. I'm sure we can have a good race because the team is doing a good job. We need a good pace. We need to be able to race well. If possible, we need to pass two people.”

The idea of ​​looking ahead rather than back wasn't just suggested by Norris, with McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also quietly expressing his confidence.

“We could have done a little better,” he said. “But we're there, and we'll definitely play our cards tomorrow.”

Who is the best weather forecaster?

Despite all the talk of potential performance, the most important factors on Sunday are likely not speed and skill (at least for the drivers).

Changing weather conditions during a race means strategy can be crucial, and switching to the right tyres at the right time can have huge benefits.

Drivers receive instructions from engineers, but the process extends beyond each team's pit wall and garage.

Zak Brown, McLaren's chief executive, said: Sky Sports F1 Answering questions from reporters at the team's pit wall this weekend, he explained that during qualifying, a walking squad had spotters stationed in various parts of the track and in the air to closely monitor the situation.

While Mercedes clearly has the advantage in the rain and it is always easier to drive at the front when it rains as you don't get splashed by the car in front, Russell is wary of the risks as the showers get heavier.

“We're going to need a good weatherman! Literally one little mistake and everything can go wrong,” he said. “Everyone's in the same boat.”

Like Russell, Norris is looking to win his first home race and is confident he can compete with his compatriots no matter what.

“I'm excited because it's going to rain tomorrow,” he said. “It's going to be a good race. We're fast. I'm excited to be able to give George a fight, to give Lewis a fight, to put on a good show tomorrow.”

Live British GP schedule on Sky Sports F1 (all F1 sessions are available on Sky Showcase)

Sunday July 7th
8:15am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50 a.m.: Porsche Supercup
1.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP Preparation
3pm: British Grand Prix
5pm: Checked Flag: British GP Reaction
6pm: Ted's Laptop

F1's summer trifecta concludes with the big event, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race starting at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership – no contract, cancel anytime