Given the place the System 1 grid is that this week, the three automobiles on the entrance of the grid merely really feel proper.
The British trio of George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris will begin up entrance in Sunday’s British Grand Prix, with Russell on pole place as Mercedes locked out the entrance row throughout Saturday’s qualifying session. Norris, trying to rebound after a bitter consequence final week on the Austrian Grand Prix, will begin third alongside Max Verstappen, who certified fourth.
In accordance with F1TV, it marks the primary time the highest three drivers on the grid on the historic Silverstone circuit are British drivers.
However the story is Mercedes.
This Silver Arrows bought off to a gradual begin this season, however a collection of upgrades the group started rolling out on the Miami Grand Prix have definitely delivered the improved efficiency they have been in search of. Mercedes has been the most popular group during the last three race weekends — having scored 100 factors over that stretch — and since Miami solely McLaren has scored extra factors, 144 to the 132 posted by Mercedes.
That scorching streak appears to proceed this weekend.
“Good one group,” exclaimed Russell as he crossed the road having put his W15 on pole place, figuring out he and Hamilton had locked out the entrance row. “Race to win tomorrow.”
Whether or not the Silver Arrows can ship a win tomorrow stays to be seen, and the struggle on the entrance appears fascinating between the McLarens, the Mercedes duo, and an ever-lurking Verstappen beginning fourth.
However make no mistake, Mercedes are again, and in the event that they maintain their streak of outcomes alive on tomorrow, it may set issues up for an enchanting second half of the season.
Listed here are the total outcomes, in addition to extra winners and losers from an exciting qualifying session on the British Grand Prix
Winners: McLaren
When it comes to the large image, Saturday was one other sturdy day for McLaren.
Norris is ready to begin the British Grand Prix on the third row, proper behind pole-sitter Russell in P3. When the lights exit tomorrow he can have a pleasant face proper behind him, as teammate Oscar Piastri certified fifth and will probably be in Norris’ rear-view mirror in the beginning tomorrow.
These beginning positions give McLaren an amazing likelihood to carry dwelling one other large haul of factors within the British Grand Prix.
Once I spoke with Oscar Piastri following his podium end within the Monaco Grand Prix, the second-year driver advised me in no unsure phrases that the F1 Constructors’ Championship is way from over, and that McLaren is within the struggle.
“The Constructors’ [Championship] I’d say remains to be open. We’re nonetheless a 3rd of the best way by means of the yr. So it’s undoubtedly nonetheless all to play for,” mentioned Piastri to me again on the finish of Could.
“I believe within the place I’m in within the driver’s standings, [I’m] most likely not gonna win the Championship except I actually take it up a notch once more. However I believe within the Constructors’, we’re not out of competition for successful that,” added Piastri.
“So, that’s undoubtedly the intention of the group.”
A lot has been mentioned and written about how Norris would reply following the late-stage incident with Verstappen on the Austrian Grand Prix. Whereas their wheel contact ended Norris’ probabilities at a win at Pink Bull Ring, Piastri’s capability to complete on the rostrum — mixed with outcomes from the F1 Dash Race the day earlier than — noticed McLaren pull a number of factors nearer to Pink Bull in that potential title struggle.
And with each Norris and Piastri beginning inside the highest 5 — whereas Verstappen will probably be alone on the entrance of the grid when the lights exit Sunday — McLaren is primed to do this once more tomorrow.
Loser: Sergio Pérez
With simply over seven minutes to go in Q1, the purple flag flew.
Sergio Pérez was within the gravel.
The Pink Bull driver was the primary sufferer of the difficult circumstances, as groups and drivers alike carried out the cost-benefit evaluation of slick tires versus the intermediates. Whereas the monitor was drying out and there was a dry racing line taking form, Pérez was one of many first drivers to make the change to slicks.
As he was winding his approach round Silverstone on that set of slicks, he ran huge at Copse and located the gravel.
Regardless of his protests and pleas for a push, the crane finally got here out, and the driving force reluctantly climbed out of his RB20, as a chagrined Christian Horner appeared on from the pit wall.
On F1TV Jolyon Palmer summed it up as “nightmare” stuff for Pérez and Pink Bull. “Oh no for Sergio Pérez,” mentioned Palmer. “That’s nightmare stuff for group and driver … that is off the again of what Christian Horner was saying yesterday they want a second driver within the struggle … that is robust occasions for Sergio Përez.”
Complicating issues for the group relating to the Constructors’ Championship is that Verstappen may solely qualify fourth, and can begin alongside Norris and behind the Mercedes duo. That might imply Pink Bull sees their rivals inch even nearer within the Constructors’ standings by the point the checkered flag flies on Sunday.
However that could be a group subject, returning to Pérez, the early finish to his day comes at a essential time for the driving force.
As Palmer and Ben Edwards famous, the incident comes as Pérez is below renewed strain relating to his seat with the group. Not solely has his mid-season swoon come as groups corresponding to McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have pulled nearer to Pink Bull within the standings, however this week introduced renewed hypothesis a few potential driver change at Pink Bull, regardless of Pérez’s new contract.
To the purpose in regards to the standings, as we outlined earlier within the week Pérez has secured simply 15 factors because the Miami Grand Prix, miles off the 101 factors added by Max Verstappen throughout that stretch. Pérez is lifeless final among the many eight drivers from the top-four groups within the standings throughout that interval of the calendar:
Driver Factors Since Miami Grand Prix
| Driver | Factors since Miami |
|---|---|
| Driver | Factors since Miami |
| Max Verstappen | 101 |
| George Russell | 74 |
| Lando Norris | 73 |
| Oscar Piastri | 71 |
| Charles Leclerc | 62 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 58 |
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | 52 |
| Sergio Pérez | 15 |
Pérez is ready to begin P19 in Sunday’s Grand Prix, thanks to an enormous grid penalty handed right down to Pierre Gasly for altering elements.
However at this level, he may need larger issues than a begin in the back of the grid.
Winners: Williams
This was per week that Williams really wanted, and their finest qualifying session of the 2024 marketing campaign.
Alexander Albon superior into Q3, posting the ninth-fastest time within the second phase of qualifying. He ended his third phase of qualifying in that place as properly, and he’ll begin inside the highest ten on Sunday. Placing the group on monitor to carry dwelling some much-needed factors in Sunday’s major occasion.
“Sure very completely satisfied,” mentioned Albon after qualifying.
As for Albon’s teammate Logan Sargeant, the lone American driver on the grid took to the monitor over the Fourth of July weekend sporting a Union Jack on his FW46 and going through continued hypothesis about his F1 future. However Sargeant superior into Q2 for simply the second time this season, and whereas he was eradicated in Q2 and is ready to begin P12, it was one other constructive signal for the younger driver.
And maybe of be aware, it marked the third time previously 5 grands prix that he out-qualified Sergio Pérez.
It may not be sufficient to save lots of his seat for subsequent season, and curiously sufficient Williams Staff Principal James Vowles even opened the door to changing Sargeant in some unspecified time in the future this season earlier within the week. “We’re frequently evaluating it,” mentioned Vowles on Friday when requested a few potential mid-season change. “What we’ve mentioned to Logan is it’s a meritocracy. You must be sure to earn your house within the sport constantly. That’s been the identical message that has been for 18 months actually for him. And we’re open-minded to issues.”
Sargeant’s efficiency on Saturday may not save his seat for 2025, however it may maintain him within the FW46 for a short time longer.
However for Williams, who’re in search of their first factors since Albon’s P9 on the Monaco Grand Prix, Saturday was a large step in that course.
Losers: Alpine
This was going to be a nasty weekend a minimum of for Pierre Gasly.
However issues bought worse for Alpine on Saturday.
Gasly’s British Grand Prix bought off on the improper foot because the group modified elements on his A524. The group added the fifth Inside Combustion Engine, the fifth Turbo Charger, the fifth Motor Generator Unit – Warmth, the fifth Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic, and the third Management Electronics.
As all 5 elements have been greater than the allowed quantity per season below the Sporting Laws, Gasly was hit with a ten-place grid drop, for a complete penalty of fifty locations on the grid.
In consequence, he was locked into beginning in the back of the grid on Sunday it doesn’t matter what occurred at the moment.
Which means if the group was to salvage one thing this weekend, their hopes possible rested with Esteban Ocon.
Who was eradicated in Q1.
Ocon maybe fell sufferer to circumstances, as he famous after the checkered flag flew on the finish of Q1 that his one push lap got here simply because the rain fell close to the top of the phase, which threw the session into chaos. However he couldn’t discover the time he wanted and is ready to begin in the back of the grid close to his teammate.
Alpine has made substantial progress all through this season, given the place they started the 2024 F1 marketing campaign. Latest outcomes have pulled the group out of the basement, and into P8 within the Constructors’ Championship standings. They entered the British Grand Prix having scored factors in 4 straight races, and 5 of the final six.
However given how their Sunday is shaping up, that streak is prone to finish tomorrow.
Winner: Nico Hulkenberg
“[Nico] Hülkenberg is driving a blinder this weekend.”
That was the outline from Jolyon Palmer from the F1TV commentary field, because the Haas driver stormed into Q3 and put his VF-24 onto the third row, as Hülkenberg certified sixth for the British Grand Prix.
It’s his finest qualifying results of the 2024 season, in addition to the most effective consequence for Haas this yr.
Hülkenberg beginning sixth provides the group a authentic likelihood at carving into the benefit Visa Money App RB F1 Staff at the moment holds over them within the Constructors’ Championship standings. VCARB sits sixth within the Constructors’ standings coming into the British Grand Prix, with 30 factors on the season. Haas, in the meantime, is in seventh, 11 factors adrift of VCARB within the Constructors’ desk.
However, hypothetically, ought to Hülkenberg handle to complete the place he begins tomorrow, a P6 would see Haas add eight factors to their account, bringing their season complete to 27. With each Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda beginning outdoors the highest ten, that will pull Haas to inside three factors of VCARB for sixth.
Which might be a large consequence for the group.
After all, there’s a lengthy option to go earlier than factors are handed out at Silverstone, however this was an amazing day for Hülkenberg, and Haas.
Loser: Charles Leclerc
Ferrari has been on the again foot all week, and that continued on Saturday.
Charles Leclerc bore the brunt of issues, as he didn’t advance into Q3 and is slated to begin the principle occasion alongside Logan Sargeant in P11.
Ferrari has struggled within the wake of Leclerc’s breakthrough victory on the Monaco Grand Prix, which noticed the driving force lastly attain the highest of the rostrum at his dwelling race. Leclerc has scored simply 12 factors since that win at dwelling, and the upgrades the group launched following the Monaco Grand Prix have but to ship the improved efficiency Ferrari was in search of. Whereas Carlos Sainz Jr. superior to Q3 at Silverstone and scored a podium final week in Austria, Ferrari has slipped away from Pink Bull within the Constructors’ Championship standings since Monaco.
Ranging from eleventh Leclerc can definitely work his approach into the factors, however that could be a small-picture subject. The larger-picture query going through Leclerc — and Ferrari — is whether or not they can discover the solutions they should the upgrades to the SF-24 launched following Monaco.
Talking with the media on Friday Leclerc indicated that the upgrades are doing what they anticipated, however it’s a matter of getting the SF-24 into the proper working window to maximise the bundle. “We’re nonetheless making an attempt to work out the place we have to arrange the automobile to be able to maximise the potential of these upgrades,” Leclerc advised media on Friday. “As a result of, as I’ve mentioned many occasions, the [performance] numbers that we have been anticipating from this improve is there.
“The improve is working the best way it needs to be, however it’s extra about the place you run the automobile to optimise these numbers that we see that for now, we haven’t fairly managed to do this. So we’re nonetheless engaged on that.”
That work continues …
