Tag: British GP

Leclerc leads Albon in rain-disrupted final British GP practice

Charles Leclerc beat Alex Albon to the top spot in the third practice session at the British Grand Prix, shortly before rain doused the track and curtailed the pursuit of competitive times. FP3 started dry, but rain had been sprinkling Silverstone …

Charles Leclerc beat Alex Albon to the top spot in the third practice session at the British Grand Prix, shortly before rain doused the track and curtailed the pursuit of competitive times.

FP3 started dry, but rain had been sprinkling Silverstone for much of the day, and teams estimated they had a roughly 25-minute window before the weather closed in on the circuit once more. Most drivers therefore got their soft-tire run done early to ensure they got their eye in ahead of qualifying later today in the event of a dry session.

Leclerc, who missed all FP2 with an electronics problem that required his mechanics to break the overnight curfew to undertake repairs, was out of pit lane early and rocketed straight to the top of the time sheet with a 1m27.419s, the fastest lap of the weekend so far.

The Monegasque was unsurprisingly also the most prolific lap-getter of the session, accumulating 24 tours of the track to make up for lost time on Saturday. The only blemish on his record was taking slightly too much curb on his final lap and pirouetting in the wet weather, luckily harmlessly.

He was kept company at the top of the order by Albon, who completed a sweep of practice sessions embedded inside the top three in his ordinarily lowly Williams car. He was just 0.173s slower that Leclerc.

Fernando Alonso completed the top three for Aston Martin 0.365s off the pace.

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Red Bull Racing teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez never troubled the top of the order, with neither sampling the soft rubber before the arrival of the rain, leaving them eighth and 14th respectively.

Their absence opened the door to Pierre Gasly to take fourth for Alpine ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in fifth.

Carlos Sainz was half a second adrift of his session-leading teammate but had his quickest lap partially obstructed by Alonso as the Aston driver started his own flyer.

Logan Sargeant was seventh in the second Williams car but had his session marred by a problem in the cockpit which the American said left his arms exposed to painful hot air, forcing him to pit for repairs.

Verstappen was eighth ahead of George Russell and AlphaTauri teammates Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries.

Lando Norris was 12th but will be investigated after the session for stopping at the end of the pit lane at the beginning of the session with a device lodged in his exhaust. A team member ran to meet the stopped car to extract the piece of equipment and appeared to leave the pit lane boundary, which the stewards noted for inquiry almost immediately.

Lance Stroll was 13th ahead of Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri, Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hulkenberg.

Zhou Guanyu set only two untimed laps for the session due to a problem with his Alfa Romeo’s MGU-H problem not charging the battery, leaving him on the back foot for qualifying.

Stunning Williams pace at Silverstone as surprising to Albon as everyone else

Alex Albon admits he doesn’t know why Williams is so competitive at the British Grand Prix after finishing in the top three in both practice sessions on Friday. Williams brought a significant upgrade to Canada, where Albon finished seventh, and was …

Alex Albon admits he doesn’t know why Williams is so competitive at the British Grand Prix after finishing in the top three in both practice sessions on Friday.

Williams brought a significant upgrade to Canada, where Albon finished seventh, and was similarly competitive in Austria but missed out on points over the sprint weekend. Expecting Silverstone to be less suited to the car than the previous two venues, Williams impressed with Albon third in each practice session — 0.2s off Max Verstappen — and Logan Sargeant backing him up in fifth place in FP2.

“We don’t (know) either, so … I’d be lying to say it’s not surprising,” Albon said. “Obviously we’re not doing anything special. It’s strange, because, without sounding pessimistic, it doesn’t feel too great out there for us — but it clearly must feel worse for the others.

It might not have felt that great to him, but Albon was encouragingly close to Verstappen’s pace-setting Red Bull on Friday at Silverstone. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

“I think the wind out there today is a real pain — it really separates the balance of the car — but we seem to be coping with it much better than anyone else. We’ve also got the upgrade package; what we’ve seen has been a bit better for high-speed corners than low-speed — Austria was kind of a low-speed track. Maybe it’s partly due to that, but like I said, it’s a bit of a question mark.

“Our long-run pace was also strong on the hard tire. We’ve got to keep grounded and just focus on ourselves. A bit of a strange one to finish the lap and see yourself in the top three.”

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Albon says the challenge for Williams will be not trying too hard to chase a better setup when the current compromise appears to be the most competitive option, even if it doesn’t feel good behind the wheel.

“Truthfully if you talk about balance, every corner is different here because the wind is hitting the car in different ways, so you get what you call a very disconnected car. There’s a lot you can do, but it’s very hard. Let’s say Turn 3 is oversteer, Turn 4 is understeer — you can’t really attack those corners and do setup work because they’re the same corner speeds and you’re just getting a headwind or a tailwind.

“It’s all about compromise at this circuit. So we’re learning, but at the same time it’s all about optimizing for these kinds of conditions. Again, we’ve just got to keep grounded, as it’s a bit surprising for us. We’ll take it and see what happens tomorrow.”

Verstappen stays ahead but Ferrari closes gap in second British GP practice

Max Verstappen doubled down on his Friday practice advantage with another session-topping time in FP2 for the British Grand Prix. Verstappen lowered his FP1 benchmark by more than half a second to string together his best time of 1m28.078s. But his …

Max Verstappen doubled down on his Friday practice advantage with another session-topping time in FP2 for the British Grand Prix.

Verstappen lowered his FP1 benchmark by more than half a second to string together his best time of 1m28.078s. But his advantage over the field was much reduced compared to the earlier session, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz lapping just 0.022s slower and pinching the fastest time in the final sector.

It was a promising result for the cautiously optimistic Italian team after applying a raft of upgrades to the car in recent rounds.

The Spaniard was the lone Ferrari to take part in second practice after teammate Charles Leclerc’s SF-23 developed an electrical problem that prevented him from leaving his garage. It was a serious blow to the Monegasque, particularly given the elevated risk of rain on Saturday. He had been the fractionally faster Ferrari in FP1.

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Alex Albon’s sizzling Friday form continued with another third-fastest time just 0.218s adrift in his low-drag Williams machine. The Thai driver never slipped more than 0.09s to Verstappen in any sector, and he was within 0.05s of Verstappen in the final split, which starts at the Hangar straight.

His teammate, Logan Sargeant, was similarly impressive to put his Williams fifth, although the American rookie was more than 0.4s slower.

The Williams duo sandwiched Sergio Perez into fourth in the second Red Bull Racing machine, the Mexican 0.264s slower than his teammate.

Lance Stroll slogged his way to sixth for Aston Martin, suffering a wing mirror failure along the way before having one of his fingers painfully struck by an errant stone kicked up from one of the gravel traps.

Nico Hulkenberg was a strong seventh for Haas ahead of Pierre Gasly and an impressive Oscar Piastri. Fernando Alonso completed the top 10 after having debris cleared from his front-left brake duct early in the hour.

Zhou Guanyu made a mid-session steering wheel change on his way to 11th ahead of George Russell in the first of the wayward Mercedes cars.

Russell was 1.1s off the pace in a car he described as “sliding all over the track” regardless of the tire compound. The final part of his hour was occupied by undertaking more aerodynamic testing on the team’s new front wing.

Teammate Lewis Hamilton fared worse down in 15th, albeit only 0.045s further back, the older Briton similarly reporting a lack of grip. Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris split the Mercedes cars in 13th and 14th respectively.

Valtteri Bottas was 16th ahead of Kevin Magnussen and AlphaTauri teammates Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries, the latter having suffered a right-front puncture on his way back to pit lane at the end of the session.

Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2 in first British GP practice

Max Verstappen has started the British Grand Prix weekend in strong form, leading a foreboding Red Bull Racing one-two in the weekend’s first practice session. Verstappen hammered in two times on softs quick enough to top the session, his best being …

Max Verstappen has started the British Grand Prix weekend in strong form, leading a foreboding Red Bull Racing one-two in the weekend’s first practice  session.

Verstappen hammered in two times on softs quick enough to top the session, his best being a 1m28.600s set on used rubber. Teammate Sergio Perez’s second attempt at a flying lap got him to only within 0.448s of the leader.

Both drivers have been equipped with fresh power units for the weekend and enjoyed a clean hour of running, bar Perez running over a large piece of canvas that had found its way onto the Hangar straight. Verstappen also complained about a lack of grip on the hard tire at the start of the day, describing it as like driving on ice.

Pirelli is using a new tire construction this weekend in response to increased downforce loads generated by the cars this year, and tire pressures are also very high around the high-energy circuit, set at 26.5 psi and 23 psi for the fronts and rears respectively.

Alex Albon was an excellent third and only 0.041s slower than Perez, the Thai driver benefitting from his Williams car’s strong straight-line speed.

Alex Albon made his Williams FW45’s new livery look good with third-fastest time to start the team’s home race weekend. Andy Hone/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso was almost 0.2s slower for Aston Martin in fourth, beating Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari by 0.012s.

Esteban Ocon briefly led the session at the start of the soft-tire runs but ended a commendable sixth and 0.719s off the pace with his upgraded Alpine, beating Carlos Sainz to the spot.

Lando Norris was eighth with the second phase of his major McLaren upgrade, part of which was only finished in the lead-up to the session. He was 0.841s adrift ahead of Lance Stroll and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who ended the hour in his garage with a hydraulic problem.

Nyck de Vries emerged unscathed from a trip through the gravel at Luffield to clock the 11th-quickest time.

Lewis Hamilton was the fastest Mercedes, taking 12th ahead of teammate George Russell in 14th. The team was back-to-back trialing a new front wing by trading it between the drivers, but both had more serious problems during the hour.

Hamilton reported “pretty bad” bouncing early in the session, and Russell reported vibrations through his steering wheel and struggled to string a lap together. Neither completed a lap on the soft tire, explaining the time disparity to the front of the field.

Pierre Gasly was sandwiched between the Mercedes cars in 13th ahead of Valtteri Bottas in 15th.

Yuki Tsunoda was 16th quickest ahead of Logan Sargeant, Zhou Guanyu and Haas teamamtes Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, the last of which appeared to shed some bodywork over the curbs late in the session.

F1 technical updates – 2023 British Grand Prix

AlphaTauri has the biggest upgrade at the British Grand Prix but there are significant developments from both Mercedes and McLaren at Silverstone. The AlphaTauri update is extensive, with a new floor – highlighted by specific changes to the floor …

AlphaTauri has the biggest upgrade at the British Grand Prix but there are significant developments from both Mercedes and McLaren at Silverstone.

The AlphaTauri update is extensive, with a new floor — highlighted by specific changes to the floor body, floor fences and floor edge — as well as diffuser, engine cover bodywork, rear suspension, rear wing and beam wing developments.

Close behind in terms of number of upgrades is Alfa Romeo, with five areas — the floor body, floor fences, diffuser, rear corner and rear suspension — having been adapted in order to improve the aerodynamic flow of the car.

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Mercedes has brought a new front wing to try and close the gap to Red Bull, with the redesign intended to improve the airflow to the bodywork and the floor. There’s a similar update at McLaren after major developments in Austria, with a new front wing and nose alongside rear brake duct and rear suspension changes. Those new parts are expected to run on Lando Norris’ car, with Oscar Piastri receiving the update that Norris had in Austria last week.

Haas is another team with multiple developments at Silverstone, introducing an updated front suspension and front brake duct, while a new beam wing has also been installed.

Of the remaining minor updates, Red Bull has a circuit-specific cooling solution for its front brake ducts and Alpine has a revised front wing. Aston Martin’s front wing changes are specific to Silverstone — as is an updated rear brake duct — while Williams has a slightly modified front wing and circuit-specific rear wing setup.

Drivers concerned by prospect of more protests at Silverstone

A number of Formula 1 drivers have expressed concern about a potential track invasion from Just Stop Oil protesters at this weekend’s British Grand Prix. Last year’s race at Silverstone saw protesters storm the track on the opening lap of the race, …

A number of Formula 1 drivers have expressed concern about a potential track invasion from Just Stop Oil protesters at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

Last year’s race at Silverstone saw protesters storm the track on the opening lap of the race, but combined with Zhou Guanyu’s crash the red flag had been thrown before the field reached the activists. There have been recent interruptions in the United Kingdom at Wimbledon this week as well as The Ashes cricket test at Lords in London, and Alex Albon believes the Formula 1 race is likely to be targeted again.

“I think, obviously, there is possibly quite a high chance of something happening this weekend,” Albon said. “We just have to wait and see and obviously more than anything, with the sport that we do, it is a bit of a concern because… a pitch invasion is one thing but with cars and moving parts, all this kind of thing, it gets a bit more dangerous to some extent.

“We’re still yet to have a meeting with the FIA over what would happen in that circumstance. But we just have to be prepared for it.”

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Lewis Hamilton has also warned protesters against entering a live racetrack and says the fact F1 has been working towards a net zero target in response to the climate crisis shows the cause is one that is actively supported.

“We’ve not yet spoken with the FIA in terms of what you’d have to do but naturally, we’re really hoping that we’ve learned a lot from last year’s experience and that it won’t happen this weekend,” Hamilton said. “I believe we have 100 more marshals this weekend which are there to be supportive and make sure it doesn’t happen as well.

“At least for me, my perspective and my team’s, we are very, very focused on sustainability. We believe in what people are fighting for. We are making those changes as a sport. But safety is key — we don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way, we don’t want to put anyone else in harm’s way. If there is one (protest), we hope that it’s not going to be on track.”

George Russell echoed his Mercedes teammate’s comments, saying both the risks involved and F1’s future plans need to be taken into account when it comes to methods of protesting.

“We put our trust in F1, the FIA and Silverstone, the marshals, to stop people running onto the track,” Russell said. “I feel that we’re all open and free to cast our views [but] to do it on track is irresponsible and dangerous for the protesters but also the drivers.

“I’d also encourage these protesters to look at the good that F1 is doing from a sustainability perspective. We are going to 100 percent sustainable fuels in the future. We’ve done a huge push on the sustainability front and I think it would be fair for them to have a look at what we’re doing and even have open conversations with us before recklessly running onto a circuit when we’re driving past at 200mph.”

On top of the extra marshals, the British Grand Prix organizers have increased security at entry into the circuit for the race weekend in response to the threat.

F1 movie producer Hamilton nervous, excited and hopeful it will boost the sport

Lewis Hamilton admits he is nervous to see the new Formula 1 film begin filming at the British Grand Prix but believes it can take the sport to new heights. The film’s fictional 11th team – APXGP – has a full garage setup and pit wall at Silverstone …

Lewis Hamilton admits he is nervous to see the new Formula 1 film begin filming at the British Grand Prix but believes it can take the sport to new heights.

The film’s fictional 11th team — APXGP — has a full garage setup and pit wall at Silverstone and will be running real cars on track during the race weekend for the as-yet-untitled production. With Top Gun: Maverick’s Joe Kosinski directing, and Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman producing, Hamilton has also been working as a producer and he says he’s anxious to give the sport authenticity.

“I just saw Jerry walking in and I have’t been to see the garage yet but on the other side, I was here a week or two before Austria watching Brad [Pitt] practice and it’s massively exciting to see it all coming together,” Hamilton said.

“To know that we’re finally starting to film this weekend, there’s nerves naturally because it’s something we’ve been working on for so long and we want everyone to love it and to really feel that we encapsulate what the essence of this sport is all about. So that’s our goal and hopefully we can do you proud.”

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With F1’s owners opening the paddock up for filming during events, Hamilton says the buy-in from the sport has been a key aspect of giving the movie the best chance of being successful.

“I’ve been incredibly grateful to them for that, I don’t know if this would have been possible 10-plus years ago when the old management was in place. They perhaps wouldn’t have seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth, but we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show [Drive To Survive]and I think this will take it to new heights beyond that.

“There’s so many people around the world that are so excited about this sport and wanting to know more, and the fact that we will have all of the original characters that are already on the grid, and Brad (Pitt), is pretty cool.”

The topic of Pitt’s age has been a talking point, with the 59-year-old playing driver Sonny Hayes, but Hamilton says it will still make for a believable storyline.

“Well firstly, Brad looks like he’s aging backwards — he looks great for his age. Of course that was a big topic at the beginning when we were discussing the first story. But he’s super fit, he’s been training, and at the end of the day it’s a movie so there will be a Hollywood element to it that will make it believable. Brad’s such an iconic actor — he’s always done such an incredible job, so I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in a Formula 1 movie, it’s incredible. So I think he’s going to do a great job.

“We did do a day together at a track in LA, and for someone who hasn’t raced he’s definitely got a keen eye. He loves watching MotoGP so he’s always been a racing enthusiast. He already had a knack for the lines and he was fully on it, which was good to see.”

Fictional APXGP team at British GP for F1 movie footage

There’s a fictional 11th team in the Formula 1 paddock as “APXGP” has arrived at the British Grand Prix as part of filming for an upcoming movie. The as-yet-untitled Apple Studios film is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman and …

There’s a fictional 11th team in the Formula 1 paddock as “APXGP” has arrived at the British Grand Prix as part of filming for an upcoming movie.

The as-yet-untitled Apple Studios film is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman and directed by Joe Kosinski — who worked with Bruckheimer on Top Gun: Maverick — with Lewis Hamilton serving as a producer to ensure authenticity. Brad Pitt stars in the film alongside Damson Idris, and filming will take place at Silverstone this weekend.

The fictional team has a full garage setup in the middle of the pit lane between Ferrari and Mercedes, as well as a pit wall and hospitality unit in the paddock. Above the garages are the names of drivers Sonny Hayes (played by Pitt) and Joshua Pearce (Idris) in the same form as all of the other teams in the pit lane.

Apple Studios has released on-track imagery of the team’s car, with the black-and-gold livery carrying a number of real-life sponsors. While it looks like a current F1 car, it is a modified F2 chassis adapted with help from both Mercedes and Carlin, and will be driven by professional drivers as well as Pitt and Idris, who have been undergoing extensive training.

Fans at Silverstone will get to see the car on track during specific filming slots, as Kosinski attempts to follow the Top Gun: Maverick approach of producing as much true action footage as possible.

America’s Esterson set for FIA F3 debut at Silverstone

Max Esterson, a standout in American sim racing who went on to win the British Formula Ford Festival last October, will make his FIA Formula 3 debut at this weekend’s British Grand Prix, driving for Carlin. Esterson is in his third full year of car …

Max Esterson, a standout in American sim racing who went on to win the British Formula Ford Festival last October, will make his FIA Formula 3 debut at this weekend’s British Grand Prix, driving for Carlin.

Esterson is in his third full year of car racing and competing in the GB3 Championship in the UK, basing himself in London after moving from New York City to pursue a career in single-seaters after having previously been one of the top five iRacing drivers in the U.S. As a result, he has had backing from iRacing as he became the first American to win the Formula Ford Festival main event in 2022, and represented the Team USA Scholarship there a year earlier.

After finishing seventh in the GB3 Championship last year, the 20-year-old — who is also supported by Chip Ganassi Racing — has remained in the series this season but moved to Fortec Motorsport, and will now get the opportunity to race in F3 as he replaces his countryman Hunter Yeany at Carlin for both Silverstone and Hungary.

“After the challenging year I’ve been having so far in the British F3 / GB3 Championship, it would be an understatement to say I’m excited to be making my debut in the big leagues of FIA Formula 3, even if it’s a little earlier in the year than expected,” Esterson said.

“It’s also great to be starting at Silverstone, the Formula 1 track I know best, and great to have the deep and broad experience of a team like Rodin Carlin behind me. It will still be a steep learning curve and big challenge to step in cold to what is probably the single most competitive series in the world.

“Although I’m hoping to be competitive, the regular runners are some of the best in the world and have thousands of miles in the FIA F3 car. For me, the first time I drive Carlin’s car will be on Friday morning in the sole 45-minute free practice session.

“Of course in the back of my head I’m dreaming of challenging at the front, but given the circumstances, those with more experience tell me it will be a great accomplishment to make it into the top half. Either way, I’ll be pushing my hardest and learning as much as I can over the weekend.”

Williams to mark 800 races with Silverstone livery

Williams has become the third team to announce a special livery at the British Grand Prix, with the team starting its 800th race celebrations at its home event. Silverstone was originally due to be Williams’ 800th race based on its interpretation of …

Williams has become the third team to announce a special livery at the British Grand Prix, with the team starting its 800th race celebrations at its home event.

Silverstone was originally due to be Williams’ 800th race based on its interpretation of the numbers, but the cancellation of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix has pushed that milestone back to the following race in Hungary. Williams will mark the occasion at both events but has a special livery for Silverstone given its proximity to its Grove headquarters, that features the British flag on the rear of the car.

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There is also the original Frank Williams Racing Cars logo on the inside of the flag, and ‘Est. 1977’ to mark the year of its first race. The special design will only be used at Silverstone, with other activations planned for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

As well as Williams, McLaren has already unveiled a chrome livery in collaboration with Google, and Aston Martin has a new partnership with Valvoline that will see red and blue additions to the edge of the engine cover as well as Valvoline logos on the front wing and barge boards.