Lewis Hamilton Reveals What Cost Him British GP Front Row Start
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has opened up on his British Grand Prix qualifying session at Silverstone, pointing out the factors that prevented him from starting on the front row.
The British GP marks Hamilton's first home race after his move from Mercedes to Ferrari early this year. The Briton admitted his wish to secure a podium finish in the race. However, that goal might have become a little bit more difficult to achieve, given his P5 race start.
Hamilton's journey in adapting to Ferrari's SF25 F1 car hasn't been easy, and his recent performances suggest a longer learning curve. Despite many doubting his abilities, the 40-year-old pushed hard to arrive at a point where he could say he was comfortable with the car's setup.
Related: Lewis Hamilton Reveals Advice he Would Give Max Verstappen for Mercedes
Hamilton admitted that he was impressed with his car's setup in qualifying, suggesting that it should help him battle Max Verstappen and both McLarens. He told Sky Sports F1 after qualifying:
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari speaks in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari speaks in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria."Pretty decent qualifying. It's generally been a decent weekend so far.
"I'm definitely feeling more comfortable with the set-up of the car and the balance of the car.
"Right up until the last corner I think I was close to second on the grid, but had a bit of understeer and ended up losing a tenth-and-a-bit.
"In Q3 run two [Red Bull] always come out of nowhere and they are always quick. It's not a surprise.
"In Q1 the timing was off and we only had one lap of fuel and there was still time on the table. It was a big, big risk and definitely was not well executed and we executed better in the next two.
"I think it will be very, very hard to beat the McLarens or the Red Bulls but when there is a will there is a way.
"I'll give it absolutely everything tomorrow. We are a little bit far behind where I want to be but with the weather and this amazing crowd..."
Hamilton also stressed that he was witnessing progress within the team and in the car. He said:
"We are making progress. There's still more to make, but we obviously had the upgrade in the last race. We are improving our process, the way we go about our weekends definitely feels like we're punching, punching out better results, so keep pushing."
Related: Alex Albon Frustrated with Williams' 'Compromise' in British GP Qualifying
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Lego built F1 trophies for the British Grand Prix. Here's how they did it
SILVERSTONE, UK — When Formula One brought 10 full-size, drivable Lego cars to the Miami Grand Prix for the pre-race drivers' parade, few could have predicted the move's success. 'The fact the cars were moving was a huge surprise, but then what the drivers started to do when they got into the cars, that was even more surprising,' Julia Goldin, Lego's chief product and marketing officer, told The Athletic in an interview. 'Because we told them, 'Don't race!'' Advertisement F1 drivers being F1 drivers, they of course ended up racing and crashing into one another, despite being limited to a maximum speed of 12mph. The footage went viral. F1 and Lego announced a partnership in Las Vegas last year, which included launching an extensive product range. A car from the Speed Champions range, which includes all 10 F1 teams, apparently sells every two seconds. But Miami drivers' parade action proved such a huge hit, it left fans to wonder what might be next. So after Lego cars, now come Lego trophies. At Sunday's British GP, as F1 celebrates 75 years since the world championship started at Silverstone in 1950, the top three finishers of the race, plus the winning team, will be presented with full-size trophies made entirely out of Lego. The actual winner's trophy for the British Grand Prix is the iconic, solid-gold Royal Automobile Club Trophy. This will still be presented on the podium to the race winner along with the Lego trophy. It was the key source of inspiration to the designer of the Lego version, Samuel Liltorp Johnson. Johnson is a Lego creative lead, who normally designs model sets so large that families can build together, and has worked on projects such as Lego's 'Doctor Who' editions. He was approached back in April — before the Miami drivers' parade — with the task of making a trophy for the British GP. His initial thought was to make the trophy a big, gold Lego brick, only to quickly change plans to tap into the race's history instead. 'It's the 75th birthday, so I thought, what if we tell a heritage story?' Liltorp Johnson said. 'And the one constant in all of British motorsport is that RAC Trophy. And that was just like, 'What if we make a trophy inspired by that?' And this is the result of that inspiration.' The Lego winners' trophy isn't made out of gold, but all of the bricks have been colored with a golden chrome effect. The trophies for second and third places are white, while the constructors' trophy is black. Liltorp Johnson designed and rendered the trophy digitally, with his file comprising 20,000 Lego pieces as he made full use of Lego's brick inventory and tried different ways to get the shapes and curves he required for a trophy. Advertisement Liltorp Johnson was particularly struck by the floral patterns on the real RAC Trophy, so made use of Lego's brick flower designs. The handles were made out of curved pieces that are normally elements for palm trees or dinosaur tails. But he also wanted to add some Lego 'playfulness' to the model. This became the Lego F1 cars on each side and, of course, the classic Lego brick on the very top. The final design comprises 2,717 bricks, weighs over 2kg and is 23 inches tall. To keep it strong, Lego Technic pieces are used in the middle to serve as its 'skeleton'. The rest of the bricks are glued together. A team of eight people worked on the models and put in 200 man hours, with each trophy taking approximately one week to build. As part of his design research, Liltorp Johnson watched numerous F1 podium ceremonies to see what the drivers might do with his trophies after they were presented. 'Lewis Hamilton holds it like a baby and George Russell punches it to the sky,' he said, explaining that he'd pick the trophy up and wave it above his head to ensure it stayed together. One incident that caught his eye was Lando Norris's champagne bottle smash in Hungary two years ago, which inadvertently knocked Max Verstappen's porcelain winner's trophy off the top step and caused expensive damage. 'It's glued to ensure it doesn't fall apart,' Liltorp Johnson added. The trophies are the next big moment for F1 and Lego, but Liltorp Johnson knew the spotlight would grow after the Miami drivers' parade 'race'. 'I was in the middle of making this, and that was a 'no pressure' moment,' he said. 'Now they've made this global moment and maybe I have to compete with that. These cars are massive. It was so cool. 'That made me really excited, because you could see how happy the drivers were. It's Lego directly impacting their enjoyment of those moments.' The Lego trophies were only revealed one hour before the start of the Silverstone race by design. In Miami, it was only when the drivers' parade began that people knew the cars could actually be driven. Goldin said that F1 and Lego would be 'selective' in their major marketing projects, as they 'need to be unique and surprising.' She also talked up F1 'Easter eggs' they could work on together, such as designing the braking marker boards that have been at points of the tracks in Austria and Silverstone to imitate Lego bricks. Advertisement 'I think if we did something every week, it would not feel as special,' added Emily Prazer, F1's chief commercial officer. 'It's about making sure the ideas that we come up with collectively do feel like part of the race weekend and don't feel like we've done it for the sake of it.' Prazer said the reaction to the Miami drivers' parade had surpassed F1's expectations. 'It was wild,' she said. According to Goldin, the Lego cars parade generated a collective 24 billion views. But to keep the element of surprise, Goldin said that if the drivers' parade was repeated in the future, it would be 'not in exactly that form. It has to be something special and different.' The next major F1/Lego event is planned to take place in Las Vegas, according to Prazer, to mark one year since the partnership announcement. 'We'll do something fun,' she said. Silverstone's podium may be just the next step for Lego's F1 involvement, but for Liltorp Johnson, it will be a career high. 'What am I supposed to do now?' he joked. 'Everything's going to be boring after this, right? I feel like I can really feel when something's once in a lifetime. If I don't invest my whole self into this, when am I ever going to get that chance again? 'So that's what I've done. I've really just tried to give myself to this and just give it what it deserves.' (Top image: via Lego)
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
How to Watch British Grand Prix: Live Stream Formula 1, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After a dramatic final lap in Saturday's qualifying session, Max Verstappen secured pole position for Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. But holding onto the lead won't be easy, McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are right behind him on the starting grid and hungry for a home-soil win. Can Verstappen hold off the McLaren charge, or will one of the young stars steal the spotlight? Tune in to ESPN2 on Sunday morning to catch all the high-speed action. Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen takes part in the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England, on July 5, 2025.... Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen takes part in the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England, on July 5, 2025. More Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images How to Watch the British Grand Prix Date: Sunday, July 6, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM ET Channel: ESPN2 Stream: Fubo (Try for free) Last year, Lewis Hamilton earned the victory, his first win in his home race since 2021. Hamilton, who raced for Mercedes then but has since moved to Ferrari, will start fifth on the grid on Sunday. Verstappen won this race in 2023, while Carlos Sainz Jr. won in 2022. The other previous winner in the field is Fernando Alonso, who won this race in 2006 and 2011. Entering this race, Piastri is the points leader with 216 points, while Norris is in second with 201 points. Verstappen is third with 155 points and needs a strong result on Sunday if he wants to stay in the title hunt. Piastri starts second on Sunday, while Norris and George Russell will share the second row. Hamilton starts fifth beside his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Fernando Alonso, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10 in qualifying, though Bearman will drop down the grid because of a penalty. You can livestream the entire Formula 1 season on Fubo, with races airing on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. Don't miss the best racers in the world competing across the globe all season long. Start your Fubo free trial now to watch. Live stream the British Grand Prix on Fubo: Start your free trial now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
What the data tells us about Max Verstappen, Ferrari and McLaren's chances in the British GP
Just a day after Max Verstappen complained about an "unbelievable" amount of understeer in the Red Bull RB21, he suddenly secured pole position for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, the new floor has improved the car's performance, though the Austrian mainly credited what he called "the Max factor". While the McLaren drivers left some time on the table at the end of Q3, Lewis Hamilton admitted to a mistake in Vale, and Charles Leclerc cursed himself seven times in a row over the team radio, Verstappen delivered when it mattered most. Advertisement Comparing Verstappen and Piastri's qualifying benchmarks Another key element is undoubtedly the car's set-up, which Red Bull overhauled after a difficult Friday, opting for very low downforce. That brings potential downsides – difficulties in the lower-speed corners and possibly some more instability in high-speed curves – but Verstappen handled it impressively well in qualifying. The upside? Higher top speed, as clearly shown in the GPS data. In the below comparison, Verstappen's fastest Q3 lap is compared with Piastri's quickest run in Q3 – his first one. The track map on the left shows all the straights highlighted in blue – Red Bull territory. Verstappen hit 313km/h at the end of the main straight, 4km/h faster than Piastri. This helped him carry more speed into the sweeping Turns 1 and 2, though McLaren's higher-downforce set-up showed its strength in medium- and low-speed corners. Piastri had better speed through The Loop, for instance. After Verstappen extended the gap again on the Wellington Straight, the pattern repeated in Brooklands and Luffield. Piastri maintained higher minimum speeds and stronger traction out of these corners, thanks to the McLaren's set-up choice. Approaching Copse, Verstappen again topped out at 320km/h versus Piastri's 316km/h. That advantage grew in the high-speed section from Copse through Maggotts and Becketts, where Verstappen consistently had an 8km/h edge – significant enough to extend his lead to almost three tenths by that point. Advertisement In the final sector, however, Verstappen lost time, particularly in Vale and Club and on the exits of those turns. These are traction zones where McLaren is stronger, but not enough to claim pole. With the low-downforce set-up and above all a very well-executed lap, Verstappen held on by 0.103s to claim another impressive pole position, his fourth of the season. Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, kwalificatiedata Grand Prix van Groot-Brittannië Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, kwalificatiedata Grand Prix van Groot-Brittannië Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, kwalificatiedata Grand Prix van Groot-Brittannië Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, kwalificatiedata Grand Prix van Groot-Brittannië Long-run approach: McLaren vs Verstappen and Ferrari Even more important for Sunday's race is a look at the long runs, which shows an interesting picture. Advertisement Verstappen was far from happy with the RB21's balance on Friday, complaining about understeer. Yet Helmut Marko concluded the long runs looked 'surprisingly good' for Red Bull, a statement that is backed by data. According to PACETEQ's analysis, Verstappen showed the fastest average over the long runs on Friday. However, there's a key caveat, visible in the second graphic below, relating to tyre wear. Both McLaren drivers showed significantly less degradation than Verstappen and Ferrari, suggesting two different approaches to the long runs. Examining lap-by-lap data, it becomes clear that Verstappen and Ferrari started aggressively, while McLaren opted for a different approach: slower early on, seemingly led by a delta time, but more consistent over the entire run. These are two long-run strategies teams can use. The Verstappen/Ferrari approach helps gather tyre wear data by pushing hard early on, to get a clear picture of the maximum wear and use those findings on Sunday. McLaren's approach was more consistent and more representative for a longer stint. Importantly, all of Friday's long runs were shorter than actual race stints, meaning McLaren's lower degradation is not fully reflected in the numbers below. Advertisement Over a full stint, McLaren may therefore well have the edge over Verstappen based on the lower degradation per lap, but Red Bull and Ferrari probably wouldn't start stints as aggressively on Sunday. Plus, Verstappen's set-up and car balance are very different now compared to Friday. With this in mind, one thing is clear: Red Bull absolutely does not want rain in Silverstone, given its minimal downforce levels. The Ferrari drivers, on the other hand, run much more downforce and could benefit from changing weather conditions. The same degradation pattern plays out in the midfield. Lance Stroll looks competitive in the graphics below, but deeper analysis shows he had the highest tyre degradation per lap of anyone in the field. The Canadian started strong but fell off a cliff later on, suggesting he might be less competitive on Sunday than the long-run table implies. Fernando Alonso's more stable long-run pace and better starting position (P7) paint a more realistic picture for Aston Martin. Finally, Oliver Bearman displayed encouraging long-run performance on Friday, but the Haas driver will start from P18 due to his red-flag infringement, when he crashed while entering the pitlane. Advertisement The young British driver's 10-place grid penalty (plus four penalty points on his superlicence) is a significant setback, as both his qualifying performance and race pace were very promising. He now has a mountain to climb on Sunday. Photos from British GP - Race Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images Alex Albon, Williams Alex Albon, Williams Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images Oscar Piastri, McLaren Oscar Piastri, McLaren Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari with his dog Roscoe Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari with his dog Roscoe Jakub Porzycki - NurPhoto - Getty Images Advertisement Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber and Isabella Bernardini Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber and Isabella Bernardini Andy Hone / LAT Images via Getty Images Alexandra Saint Mleux and Leo Alexandra Saint Mleux and Leo Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images George Russell, Mercedes George Russell, Mercedes Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images David Richards, Ron Meadows, Sporting Director of Mercedes F1 Team David Richards, Ron Meadows, Sporting Director of Mercedes F1 Team Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images Advertisement Haas F1 fans Haas F1 fans Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images Oscar Piastri, McLaren Oscar Piastri, McLaren Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Jakub Porzycki - NurPhoto - Getty Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images Rain over the paddock Rain over the paddock Erwin Jaeggi To read more articles visit our website.
