Formula 1, after last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, has moved to England this week. The British Grand Prix, to be held at Silverstone, includes a sprint race in its weekend schedule; therefore, teams will only have one practice session for setup work.
Russell returned home victorious, now it's time for the Silverstone podium.
28-year-old George Russell secured his second victory of the season in Austria, keeping him in the championship race. The Mercedes driver started the season with a win in Melbourne, but his teammate and young Italian Kimi Antonelli went on to win the following five races in a row, establishing a 50-point lead. Russell, who moved up to second place in Barcelona after Hamilton and Antonelli's late retirement, reduced the championship gap to 40 points with his Austrian victory. However, Russell has yet to achieve a podium finish at Silverstone; a podium finish at his home track would be crucial for this weekend.
On the other hand, Antonelli, who was forced to start from further back than the front after Max Verstappen's crash in Austria, failed to achieve his goal in the first few laps due to faulty driving under pressure. The Italian driver is preparing to respond this week at Silverstone.
Hamilton's Silverstone record and home drivers
Silverstone is hosting more than one British driver this year. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton races for Ferrari and holds the record at Silverstone with nine wins. Hamilton had a strong start to the 2026 season by winning Barcelona; however, Austria, where he finished fifth at the Red Bull Ring, was a lackluster performance for him. Although Ferrari is known to lag behind Mercedes in terms of powertrain, his home track, Silverstone, has always been a special source of motivation for Hamilton.
Last year's British GP champion, Lando Norris, is failing to deliver the performance he expected with McLaren in the 2026 season. McLaren is currently third in the constructors' championship, well behind Mercedes. Norris finished seventh in Austria and admitted at the end of the race that the team was far behind Mercedes. Oliver Bearman and Arvid Lindblad, who is in his first season in F1, will also be racing at their home circuits; both drivers have shown consistent midfield performances in the 2026 season.
Verstappen and Red Bull's test at Silverstone
Red Bull entered the Austrian Grand Prix with a significant upgrade package, and Verstappen's second-place finish yielded positive results. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff commented on this development, but also offered a cautionary note regarding Red Bull's performance. Given the high engine power demands of the British GP, it's anticipated that the balance between teams with different powertrain configurations could be shaped differently this weekend.