NORRIS WINS HOME GP, FIRST CAREER PODIUM FOR HULKENBERG

In a chaotic Grand Prix filled with Safety Cars, crashes, and strategic mistakes, McLaren still stood out. Norris claimed victory at the British Grand Prix, ahead of his teammate, benefiting from a penalty for excessively slowing under the Safety Car period. Nico Hulkenberg secured his first-ever podium finish in his Sauber, starting from 19th place. It was a disastrous weekend for Mercedes, with Antonelli taken out due to a collision with Hadjar, and an incorrect strategy with Russel. Ferrari had an unremarkable Leclerc, joined by a submissive Hamilton trailing behind the Sauber. Aston Martin took home double points. Pierre Gasly made a strong return, with his teammate once again crashing in qualifying and retiring on Sunday.

Giovanni’s Comment
The rain reignited some excitement, forcing teams into errors and shaking up the balance of power, making the race more engaging. We should ask ourselves whether we have to rely on weather conditions to hope for an active race. It seems the direction taken by F1 might not be the right one.

Another perfect weekend and another McLaren double. The only downside was Piastri’s mistake, allowing Norris to gain even more points. The papaya car was incredibly fast, even in the rain, and increasingly dominant. However, another driver took the spotlight: Nico Hulkenberg. Many positions gained, partly thanks to a great strategy, and his first podium achieved. The German did a fantastic job holding off Hamilton in the final laps. A pity for Bortoleto, who lacked some experience in the rain, but Binotto’s work is starting to show.

Red Bull still only has one car. The driver alongside Verstappen continues to be missing, whoever they may be. Even Verstappen is struggling with the car, a sign of a difficult and unpredictable machine. The rain didn’t help him, negating his excellent pole position from Saturday. Ferrari raised hopes on Friday but disappointed for the rest of the weekend. The prancing horse struggled from Q3 on Saturday, relying on Hamilton to salvage what could be salvaged, with Leclerc MIA.

Aston Martin is beginning to show more competitiveness both in qualifying and in the race. Stroll narrowly missed the podium and, after several races, finished ahead of his teammate. Newey’s directives seem to be working and foreshadow an important car for 2026. Another team on the rise is Williams. Albon was solid, earning more points, while Sainz still needs improvement.

Alpine saw a recovering Gasly with new points, while his teammate, Colapinto, was lost. The Argentine retired early in the Sunday race, forcing the team to fight again with just one car. At this rate, the French team will pay the price of fighting for the constructors’ championship with only one car.

Racing Bull had a weekend to forget with a double retirement. Hadjar went off after hitting Antonelli, while Lawson was taken out by Ocon after a great weekend in Austria. More points lost for the Faenza team, which could cost them dearly at the end of the season.

Finally, Mercedes. The Silver Arrows were the team that caused the most chaos. Poor qualifying, disappointing race. The team couldn’t settle on the right strategy, first ruining Russel’s race, then changing Antonelli’s tires again.

Author: Gabriele Bovio