Max Verstappen wins his sixth race in a row. This is a feat that has only been accomplished by Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher (2x), Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. However, Verstappen had to fight for his win. McLaren is surging. Today’s podium made them the fifth different constructor to podium behind Red Bull. The rest of the field is catching up to the Red Bulls. The question is, who will succeed?
McLaren rolled out a new aero package for their rides this week. Sporting a shiny new livery, the McLaren’s surprised the whole paddock with their consistent fast pace thru out the practice runs and qualification. In fact, there was some concern from Red Bull that Verstappen may not make it to the front row. During qualification, the Dutchman slammed into pit wall coming out of the box. The front wing broke and his right tire suffered damage. The Red Bull pit crew masterfully pieced the car back together in time for Verstappen to lock in a P1 time by the time Q3 ended.
Unfortunately for Red Bull, Sergio Perez is making a habit out of starting in the back. Once again, he failed to get thru Q1 and started the race 15th. Red Bull maintains that Perez is driving the same car as Verstappen. On race day that seems to be the case as Perez consistently finds his way into the top ten as the race unfolds.
Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz topped the grid to start the race. Ferrari knows how to qualify well. Unfortunately, they fail to finish a race well. Both Ferrari’s are heavy and wear the tires out faster than the rest of the grid. Ferrari continues to compound their problems with terrible strategy. During Lap 33, Kevin Magnusson’s Haas caught fire at the beginning of the Wellington straight. Ferrari failed to pit Carlos Sainz during the yellow safety car. Prior to the safety car, Sainz was running ninth and ended up seventh once green flag racing resumed. Three cars passed Sainz during lap 44 and he struggled to hold on to 10th place as he limped around the track on worn out tires. Had Ferrari pitted Sainz, he may have started in tenth or 11th, but he would have gained a few positions prior to the race ending and could have possibly finished as high as sixth. Once again Ferrari finds a way to miss an advantage.
The start of the race was exciting. Verstappen had a slow start and Norris took advantage of it jumping out to the lead. Verstappen’s start was so slow that Piastri had to duck in behind his teammate and he raced wheel to wheel with Verstappen heading into turn one. Verstappen gave Norris a bit of trouble heading thru the first two turns, but eventually had to settle in behind the Brit. Over the next few laps, Verstappen warmed up his tires and he was able to fly around Norris during lap five in the DRS zone. Verstappen built up a nine second lead by the time the yellow flag flew at lap 33. McLaren appeared to be destined for a double podium, however when the safety car came out Piastri was on the wrong side of the track and Hamilton had just finished his pit session. Lewis Hamilton hit the track in front of Piastri as the safety car hit the track. Piastri was unable to over take Hamilton before the race ended.
When green flag racing resumed at lap 38, the battle for Britain began. With Verstappen flying away from the field, McLaren and Mercedes were duking it out for second place. The real fight was to secure second position before DRS engaged two laps later. Norris and Hamilton raced wheel to wheel thru the corners, but Norris was able to pull away on the straights. Hamilton remarked that the McLaren was a flat out “rocket ship” on the straights. Lewis Hamilton wore out his tires fighting to get to second before DRS forcing him to settle for third. Still, the British fans were stoked. Two British drivers made it to the podium at Silverstone!
Down the grid there was a dustup between Alpine and Aston Martin. Lance Stroll apparently thought he was on a NASCAR track as he bumped Pierre Gasly around during the waning laps of the race. Battling Gasly, Stroll exceeded track limits earning him a black and white flag. During lap 47, Stroll hit Gasly so hard he forced him off the track, damaging his chassis and ending the Alpine driver’s race. Stroll was only penalized 5 seconds for his actions. Aston Martin’s pace has fallen off the past few races. Alonso is no longer a contender and Stroll’s aggressive driving signifies frustration. His actions make him look like a bully, and he will likely get a phone call from the FIA as the grid prepares for Hungary.
Max Verstappen’s accomplishments continue to pile up. First, he has enough points on his own to lead the entire field in the Constructors Championship. Second, he is the fifth driver ever to win six races in a row. Third he managed to earn Red Bull’s first win at Silverstone since 2012. Yet, as he piles up his accomplishments, he is happy for his friend’s success to. He had some kind words and pats on the back for Lando Norris’s amazing drive today. Verstappen was not the only one to recognize Norris’s effort. Lewis Hamilton also praised his first team’s efforts at Silverstone. With the upgrade window closing, it appears that McLaren is surging and could be the team to give the Red Bull’s the most trouble. Only time will tell!
