• 70th Anniversary GP Classification and times

For once, unprecedented, the Mercedes team was dumbfounded at Silverstone. It was after the second consecutive race at the famous British airfield that Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas had to give way to Max Verstappen , at the wheel of a Red Bull that was much better adapted to tire degradation. In this way, the long-awaited full of the Silver Arrows in the 2020 World Cup disappears.

The thrill of F1, almost always linked to sheer speed, can also be interpreted that way, fortunately for Pirelli. A week after the Silverstone puncture festival, the sole supplier provided compounds that did not burst, but did fuel the show. You had to know how to manage them. Not only take care of them, to avoid blisters or graning . Also squeeze them to drive very fast. Red Bull knew how to do it. Mercedes, no.

With just six laps came the first alarm in the Silver Arrows. "The left front wheel is in a critical condition," Bottas was warned about the temperature of the tire, which was immediately traversed by a strip that augured the worst. A few minutes later than the author of the pole, Hamilton confirmed the omens: "The rear wheels are finished," he lamented, with Verstappen at his tail, already sniffing the overtaking options.

Unleashing panic

The degradation, pointed out since Friday, multiplied the strategic variety. Reaching the checkered flag with a single stop was a gigantic challenge. Even for Verstappen, who had started with the harder compound, adapted like a glove to the potential of his RB16. The Dutchman took the lead on lap 13, with Bottas passing through the boxes, followed immediately by Hamilton, who was also riding the white compound.

The key to victory lay in the performance of that hard rubber. Red Bull knew how to connect it to the furious rhythm of his car, with which he accumulated fast laps. On lap 23, the Verstappen radio triggered a panic in Mercedes: "These tires are going well. Everything under control, friends," exclaimed the Dutchman. Hamilton's reply ranged from disbelief to jealousy: "They must have inflated their wheels less."

The halfway point of the test had already passed when Christian Horner called his leader to change shoes. 32 laps at full capacity, no less. They didn't even think about getting in and out right in front of Bottas, in order to avoid any strategic plug. For the first time since 2013, the absence of a safety car at Silverstone left Verstappen even more on the plate. Hamilton's second change, 11 laps to go, only served to consolidate his second place, with the bonus of the fastest lap.

For this he had to overcome Charles Leclerc , the only one on the grid, along with Esteban Ocon , who was able to stretch his options with the riskier strategy. With a single stop, the Monegasque, eighth on the grid, managed to contain the disappointing Nico Hulkenberg and Lance Stroll .

Double mistake at McLaren

For the second consecutive week, everything went the other way for Carlos Sainz from almost the start. In the second corner he had to dodge the erratic Sebastian Vettel , author of a spin that relegated him to last position. His climb, the fruit of the pit stops by Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly , was frustrated too soon, because his MCL-35 still did not adapt to the abrasive asphalt.

His fourth place on lap 23, when he still dreamed of getting closer to Racing Points and Renault, was a mere mirage, because the nightmare was repeated with a double error from the mechanics. They missed with the pistol and letting him rejoin with busy pit lane. McLaren's slowness could only be alleviated by Lando Norris , with a ninth place that knows very little.

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  • Sebastian Vettel
  • Formula 1
  • sports
  • Mercedes GP
  • Carlos Sainz Jr

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