Formula 1 lessons from Silverstone
Verstappen is poison for any tension
The winner of the Formula 1 race at Silverstone? Max Verstappen, of course. The Dutch double world champion wins again comfortably, now for the sixth time in a row. That’s not exciting, because the motorsport premier class must hope that the youngsters from McLaren continue to inspire as they did at the Grand Prix in Great Britain.
Verstappen collects records seemingly effortlessly
Yes, Max. They could actually hand him his third world title right now and let him compete in the remaining twelve races so that someone else might win. The two McLaren boys Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri did a great job at Silverstone, but somehow there is always the feeling that Verstappen can at least step up a gear at any time. Incidentally, the man is only 25 and can pulverize all, really all Formula 1 records in the coming years. If he keeps the desire.
It was the sixth consecutive Grand Prix win for the 25-year-old Dutchman. Only four drivers before him have managed that in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship since 1950. At the top is Sebastian Vettel, who won nine times in a row in 2013 – also in the Red Bull. Behind the native of Heppenheim follow record world champion Michael Schumacher (2004 – Ferrari ), Nico Rosberg (2015/ 2016 – Mercedes) and the Italian Alberto Ascari (1952/1953 – Ferrari) with seven successes in a row. In addition, Red Bull matched McLaren’s previous record from the 1988 season with their eleventh win in a row at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
Two youngsters can give the racing series a new look
That was not bad. What’s more, it was refreshing, exciting, enjoyable and really good what these two young drivers conjured up on the tarmac at Silverstone. Lando Norris spectacularly held record world champion Lewis Hamilton in the final stages of the race and rookie Oscar Piastri made no secret of how disappointed he was with fourth place and that he would have liked to have grabbed Hamilton. Drivers like Norris, 23 years old, and Piastri, who is a year younger, can give Formula 1 a whole new face in the future.
In any case, Norris couldn’t stop grinning. “It’s so unbelievable,” he said, almost as if he had to surreptitiously wipe a few tears from his face. In qualifying, Norris and Piastri had only had to give way to Verstappen in second and third place, and they also kept the established teams in check for a long time in the race.
Mercedes has to do more to be successful
It’s always enough for the front, but still not for the very front. Lewis Hamilton, with seven world championship titles and 103 Grand Prix victories a constant in the history of Formula 1, may – well maybe – no longer drive in tight situations as on edge as he did a few years ago. Wouldn’t the Lewis Hamilton of 2019 have pushed past Lando Norris when it mattered? All pure hypothesis, the fact remains that Mercedes has to do more to get back to the top.
In any case, he said almost humbly about his third place at his home race: “I didn’t make the podium, it was the fans. We have the greatest audience here and I felt the energy and the support.”
Ferrari in permanent chaos
“Can we switch to plan B?” the box asked, and Carlos Sainz replied, “What was that again?” You really don’t need to know more about the current state of Ferrari, but this short exchange of words says it all. With a chill in his sea-green eyes and a dangerously low voice, Charles Leclerc implied that he thought the tire choices during the race were semi-great at best and had seen many mistakes. It just doesn’t get any better, the Scuderia won’t get out of the status of a garage band in 2023.
