After an extremely disappointing qualifying session, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel are out for redemption at the Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in Silverstone.
Lights out
As soon as the lights go out, Valtteri Bottas comfortably leads teammate Lewis Hamilton, while Max Verstappen manages to snatch P3 on Hard tyres from Nico Hulkenberg, on Mediums. Chaos ensues for Ferrari: Charles Leclerc drops to P10 from a poor start, which forces Vettel to ride kerbs and grass to avoid him, ending last. The German later goes onto an overtaking spree, all the way back to P12.
The pit game
Silverstone's blistering heat proves a challenge for those medium tyres, prompting a series of early stops. Bottas rejoins the track ahead of his teammate, while Verstappen leads before his own stop. An outsanding strategy call proves beneficial for the Dutchman, who might be able to pull off a one-stop while Mercedes struggles already. This allows him to pit comfortably ahead of the Silver Arrows.
As Hamilton's tyres quickly degrade, a true window of opportunity opens up for Hulkenberg. However, a surprising pace by Leclerc puts the SF1000 on provisional P3 when Lewis inevitably pits. In the meantime, the midfield comprehensively struggles for pace: something particularly evident in McLaren. Up in front, Hamilton quickly catches up to Leclerc on fresher tyres, bringing the fight to Verstappen and Bottas: he only prevails on his teammate. With Charles Leclerc in P4 and Sebastian Vettel in P12, it's another difficult weekend for Ferrari.
Written by Aurora Dell'Agli
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