The race began behind the safety car due to wet conditions, setting the stage for a chaotic and unpredictable Grand Prix. A number of drivers, including Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, and Oliver Bearman, came back into the pitlane to change their tyres and started from the pit lane. Leclerc switched to yellow medium tyres, while Russell chose the white hard compound.
Lap 2 saw the first major incident: a contact between Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon brought out the first Virtual Safety Car (VSC). Notably, Max Verstappen, both McLarens, and Lewis Hamilton remained out on track in the first laps, avoiding the early pit stops. Kimi Antonelli dove into the pits during the second lap for hard tyres.
The race resumed briefly before Bortoleto ran into trouble at Turn 4, sliding into the gravel right after the VSC ended. Although he managed to rejoin the track, he eventually retired, prompting another VSC period.
On track, the opening lap featured a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle between Hamilton and Norris, while lap 9 saw a similarly intense scrap between Antonelli and Leclerc. Antonelli soon pitted for intermediate tyres, sensing worsening conditions.
By lap 11, light rain intensified to a “class 2” level in Turn 6. Verstappen lost control and went off track due to a poor tyre choice, rejoining behind both McLarens and also trailing Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso. The rain grew heavier by lap 14, bringing out the full safety car.
Aston Martin’s decision to fit the right tyres on Stroll proved timely and effective.
As of lap 17, Ocon was the only driver yet to make a pit stop.
Drama peaked again on lap 18 when Hadjar slammed into the wall after rear-ending Antonelli in extremely poor visibility, triggering another safety car. Antonelli’s car sustained severe diffuser damage, forcing his retirement a few laps later.
The restart proved treacherous: after almost making contact with Piastri, Verstappen lost the rear end and spun, dropping behind both Williams cars. Bearman also spun, while Antonelli’s earlier contact with Hadjar sealed his retirement.
This was the moment when the race completely changed its face: when the safety car regime ended, Oscar Piastri, still in first position, braked hard and Verstappen had to overtake him slightly to avoid crashing into him. This manoeuvre cost the Australian driver a 10-second penalty.
Although chaos was characteristic from the start, from this moment on the weather conditions gradually stabilised and it was possible to draw conclusions from the strategies adopted so far: in particular, Mercedes interpreted the conditions and the course of the race completely wrong. In fact, Russell finished the race in tenth position despite starting fifth.
The same can be said of Charles Leclerc who also made several mistakes that led him to lose important positions. It was also a difficult race for Verstappen: starting from pole, he finished fifth, overtaking Gasly with two laps to go.
A few stats stood out amid the chaos: for the first time in his 14-year long career, Nico Hülkenberg, starting 19°, reached a staggering third place. His first podium after 239 race starts.
On the other end, Lewis Hamilton didn’t take a podium in Silverstone for the first time in 11 years.
This rain-drenched Grand Prix delivered a mix of strategy masterstrokes and costly gambles, with visibility issues and tyre calls playing the defining roles in an unforgettable race.
Written and edited by Jessica
Featured Image Credit: bbc.com
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