At Silverstone you don't race: you survive. The weather changes face every minute and every curve. Twenty minutes before the start it seemed like heavy rain, but when the green flag comes the track appears semi-dry. Not enough for slicks, too much for intermediates and it's immediately tense in the pits. Max Verstappen starts from pole, but he's never really alone: the McLarens of Piastri and Norris are glued together, hungry, ready to exploit every mistake. The papaya is here. McLaren is in the Silverstone GP, and it seems Hulkenberg is there too, in addition to that fluorescent green stand all for Lando Norris.
Ferrari and Mercedes immediately in the pit
Ferrari and Mercedes enter the strategic fray with aggressive choices. Leclerc changes from intermediates to yellow tyres, while Russell opts for the white tyre: a decision that will prove disastrous. The track in fact denies them and the positions are reshuffled. At the green flag it is immediately body to body: Hamilton sticks to Norris, looking for space where there is none. Further back, contact between Ocon and Lawson: the latter out, damage for both. Colapinto stops immediately after, the images do not clarify, but the paddocks were already talking: maybe it is his last race. This time for real.
The Virtual Safety Car enters, the first key moment. Antonelli tries the wild card: pit stop and white tire. But the risk turns out to be premature. Only two corners are suitable for slicks, the asphalt temperature is still low. — 24° the track. Ocon himself shakes his head: “This way you can’t even keep a kart on the track.” Shortly after, Bortoleto makes a mistake and ends up in the gravel. It seemed over, but he manages to restart. Then no: his yellow tire is not enough, the track gets worse and his retirement becomes definitive. Alarm bell especially for Leclerc, already on a black weekend.
Piastri vs Verstappen: Watch Out for Penalties
When the green flag comes out again, Piastri sets out to the rescue. He is mean, precise, fast. Verstappen tries to resist but McLaren is hungry today. Wheel to wheel on the straight, total immersion, the rain starts to fall and the overtaking arrives: Piastri takes the position. Russell, meanwhile, jokes on the radio: “Good choice the hard…”, as he desperately tries to keep a car on track that slides around every corner. For the Monegasque it is torture: the car doesn't stay on the road, the traction is zero. We are at the round 11 of 52, the tyre chaos is confirmed to be total. Verstappen himself admits via radio that his intermediates are now worn out, but while he thinks about it too much, Piastri returns to the pits for the change. Then it's his turn, after a long one that costs him the position on Norris.
Then the domino effect: everyone in the pits. At the exit a new order: the two McLarens always in front, Verstappen chasing, followed by the Ferrari 44 and, amazingly, Gasly. The only one in Alpine who seems to resist. The real twist? Stroll, the only one to have fitted the right strategy in the midst of the delirium. In the next five minutes, the rain increases to unmanageable levels. The cameras begin to struggle to show the images, let alone them to see the track (editor's note: from full wet). The only ones who didn't make mistakes? Hulkenberg and Lando Norris who do not move from there, leaving new stories to be told at Silverstone.
The race management makes its choice: safety car. The rain is too much and we wait. Al giro 18, the green flag gives the go-ahead again, but the respite is very short: the rain starts falling again and the situation immediately becomes critical again. Hadjar ends up in the wall at Copse, apparently did not see Antonelli, who was forced to return shortly after. A problem also for Tsunoda and Bearman who touched, causing a 10-second penalty for the Japanese.
Chaos and new positions at Silverstone
Al giro 21, we start again. And once again it is Verstappen who makes a mistake: he spins, but manages to control and stay on the track, joining up behind the Williams. Immediately after, however, the stewards are looking at a possible episode with Piastri: it is not clear, but something is not convincing. Is it Piastri who made an irregularity? We will find out later. In the meantime, Verstappen loses the rear again and is surpassed by Albon. A few seconds later, in a surreal moment, it is Leclerc to surpass both Max and Albon. And Stroll, he again, finds himself third. But what is going on?
Lap after lap, until about ten laps from the end, Hamilton then goes to fit red tyres, together with Stroll e gasly. Further back, Verstappen and Sainz they are cautious: they climb intermediate. Leclerc with his reds instead ends up in the gravel. From third position, conquered with difficulty, to 14th. Very little margin of support which however holds Hulkenberg, despite a very long pit stop, firm in his third position. After the 10 second discount, Piastri maintains his P2, although he has been overtaken by Norris and there is silence from the pit wall which decides not to give any more instructions. We are at the giro 43, the only one who still believes in it is Lewis. He waits for the moment, but fails. In a race frozen until the last corner, Norris wins at home here at Silverstone, followed by a very angry Piastri and a surprising Hulkenberg there, on the third step for his first time in his career.
Here is the final ranking:
THE TOP 10 AT SILVERSTONE 👏#F1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/FKv8RznzUm
- Formula 1 (@ F1) July 6, 2025
