Saturday 4th July 2025

Silverstone is widely regarded as one of the best circuits in the world. Having hosted the first official Grand Prix in 1950, the former airfield base has seen a huge amount of changes in terms of facilities and track layout in the present day. A lap around Silverstone contains the ultimate thrill of speed and direction changes through the iconic section of Becketts, Maggotts and Chapel. Heavy braking points into Vale and The Loop provide close racing and opportunities for overtaking. The event is regarded as one of the biggest sporting spectacles in Britain with a weekend attendance set to reach close to 500,000 spectators. The circuit can often throw a curveball with the weather, the micro-climate of the airfield can produce blazing sunshine one moment, then a deluge the next which means everyone has to prepare for all eventualities.

Since the turn of this decade, each British Grand Prix has provided drama and excitement in large amounts. From 2020 where Lewis Hamilton dragged a three-wheeled Mercedes to victory, 2021 with a highly controversial crash between Hamilton and Max Verstappen, 2022 with a scary barrel roll crash for Guanyu Zhou, 2023's revival of McLaren to their current position and last year's race which saw Lewis Hamilton defy changeable weather conditions to win at Silverstone for a record ninth time in highly emotional scenes.

To accompany the main action of Formula One, there would be a whole host of support series racing to fill the gaps on track. The FIA Formula Three and Formula Two championships would take place over the weekend with a sprint race and feature race providing plenty of entertainment for fans and a glimpse into the future as the young drivers compete to impress Formula One team bosses to give them a place in their lineup in the future. The British Formula Four championship would also join the bill for the first time, but this would be a non-points scoring event. With a whole host of British drivers in each category, they would want nothing more than to stand on the top step of the podium at the home of British motor racing.

Historic Formula One Parade:

A somewhat popular part of the build up for the Formula One action would be a look back to the past with the parade of vintage Formula One cars from the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's.

Since the change to V6 turbo hybrid engines in 2014, spectators have found the sound of the newer generation of cars hard to fall in love with. Despite a huge amount of power underneath the bonnet and mesmerising speed shown on track, fans still remain on the fence about the deep hum of the turbo engines. To compensate for this, a small parade of race cars from a bygone era would take to the circuit and provide an assault on the ears with V10, V12 and V8 whining engines. 

The cars on display would include:
1999 Minardi F1 MO1 - Formerly driven by Marc Gene and Luca Badoer

1993 Benetton F1 B193 - Formerly driven by Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Patrese. Winner of Portugese GP. 

1986 Williams F1 FW11 - Formerly driven by Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet. Constructor's Championship winner.

1970 Lotus F1 72 - Previously driven by Emerson Fittipaldi and Jochen Rindt. Constructors Championship winner.

1981 Lotus F1 88 - Banned from championship, but the first car with carbon fibre monocoque.

A Tribute To A Friend And Legend

A pioneer of Formula One team ownership and latterly much respected pundit Eddie Jordan sadly passed away due to prostate cancer earlier this year which left a big hole in the Formula One community. The colourful Irishman began his racing journey in lower formulae, but never made it to the higher echelons of the sport. He would then start up his own racing team, Jordan Racing Team, which grew from strength to strength from the 1980's up until their sale in 2005. 

In Formula One, the Jordan team were commonly recognised as the plucky underdogs who would occasionally challenge with the best, despite having a lower budget. Their team headquarters sat directly opposite the main entrance to the Silverstone circuit and remains there today. Eddie Jordan was also an excellent source for young talent and numerous Formula One race winners graduated through his team, including Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Giancarlo Fisichella and Johnny Herbert. Most significantly, Jordan would provide the debut for a certain Michael Schumacher in 1991, who then progressed into the seven time champion and greatest of all time. 

The late 90's would see the Jordan team go from light hearted, plucky also-rans to genuine title contenders with the partnership of the Honda-Mugen engines. At Spa-Francorchamps in 1998, in a chaotic race plagued by torrential rain, Jordan's dream came true as 1996 World Champion Damon Hill led home Ralf Schumacher for a first and second result which will forever be a momentous occasion in Formula One history. In 1999, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the seat, they came very close to winning the drivers' championship that season with three victories, but their luck would go awry on other occasions. A lack of incoming funds and sponsorship deals would see the end of the Jordan team as major shares would be sold to Spyker, before Force India took over and the team's soul still lives on under the current guise of Aston Martin.

To pay respect to a huge character, a parade of Jordan's former Formula One cars from the 1990's and early 2000's would take place around the track, giving spectators one last chance to see and hear the V10 engine screams and vivid yellow paint schemes which were synonymous to the sport. The cars featured on track would be the 1994 Jordan 194, which was driven by popular Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Irishman Eddie Irvine. The striking Silasol-sponsored livery was carried to the team's first ever pole position and podium finish, courtesy of Barrichello at the Belgian Grand Prix. The bright yellow liveries of the Honda era became an iconic sight for the Jordan team and it was back on track with 2002's Jordan EJ12. Driven by Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and Japanese Takuma Sato, the car was generally uncompetitive on track but things began to improve to improve towards the end of that season. After small points finishes for Fisichella in Austria, Monaco, Canada and Hungary, the car also took Takuma Sato to his first points finish at his home race. A memorable sight at the finish for the passionate home crowd that day.

Formula One: The Season So Far:

The 2025 season of the FIA Formula One championship has produced its usual wide array of talking points as the season rapidly approached the halfway point of the year. The two papaya-coloured cars of McLaren have been the team to beat so far and lead both the Constructors championship and have the first and second in the driver's championship with Oscar Piastri and Britain's Lando Norris. Australian Piastri has come of age this season with his calm persona and calculated driving style has carried him to five victories so far in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Miami and Spain. His teammate Lando Norris has let a few errors slip into his season, notably in qualifying. The Brit has won three times though, in a rain soaked Australia, the much coveted Monaco Grand Prix and last time out in Austria where he was the strongest throughout the weekend.
Elsewhere, this year has been one of struggle for Red Bull, who previously led the way with four time world champion Max Verstappen. The ruthless Dutchman is peerless when able to race from the front as shown by wins in Japan and San Marino, but his car has struggled to be competitive in general. The second seat in the Red Bull team has been a hot potato of late and after Liam Lawson was given just two races before getting demoted to Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to the main team, but he too has struggled for pace. 

Ferrari were once dominant during the early 2000's, but the widely recognisable outfit have been well below par of late. Monagasque driver Charles Leclerc is capable of star performances in qualifying, but the Scuderia car has been difficult to drive in the race. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton made a dream move to Ferrari at the start of the season, but despite one Sprint Race victory in China, he has been left largely frustrated this season.

Mercedes have aced the Hybrid engine era with six constructors' championships, but recent years have seen a time of transition. George Russell has stepped out of Lewis Hamilton's shadow to emerge as team leader and has constantly shown his pace with plenty of high end qualifying performances. He would become the first non McLaren or Red Bull winner of the season in Canada two rounds ago. The Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli has justified Mercedes's fast tracking into a race seat with some very impressive performances in this, his rookie season. He would step on the podium for the first time in a 1-3 result for the German team.

Alpine are another team who have been in turmoil this year. With plenty of changes in the management and backroom staff, the driver lineup has also changed since round one. Australian Jack Doohan was given the chop after six races and in stepped the Argentine Franco Colapinto. Keeping his seat in all the turbulence would be Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who has been responsible for scoring all eleven of the team's points so far this year.

The 'Green Machines' Aston Martin have the Silverstone circuit on the doorstep of their factory, so this race cannot be any more local. The legendary company struggled at the start of the season, but results have gradually improved following car updates. Dual world champion and the vastly experienced Fernando Alonso retains all of his enthusiasm and sharpness while Lance Stroll started the season strong, but has seen his form dip in recent rounds. With new regulations coming in 2026, the main focus for Aston Martin has been to focus on next year.

Williams are another local team and would be hoping for a strong result on their home ground. With a mix of speed and experience in their lineup with Thai driver Alex Albon and Spaniard Carlos Sainz, they have two drivers who know what it takes to be at the front of the grid. The team have been regular finishers in the top ten placings and sit in a healthy fifth place in the constructors' championship, much higher than usual.

Red Bull's junior team Racing Bulls are usually strong midfield teams, but have experienced their share of bad luck this year. After Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to the main team and New Zealand's Liam Lawson going the other way, it has been the French rookie Isack Hadjar who has shone in the car. The F2 championship runner up of last year has gone from strength to strength in the driver's seat and has finished in the points on five occasions, firmly entering contention for a promotion to Red Bull in the future.

The American outfit Haas have enjoyed a stronger than usual season, despite some inconsistencies with the car. The arrival of former race winner Esteban Ocon has helped to provide invaluable insights to improve the areas in which the team lacked in the past. That experience has seen the team finish in the points in five rounds, including two double points finishes. In the second seat would be the Briton Ollie Bearman, who is undertaking his first full season in F1. A best finish of eighth in China has been flanked by other races in which he finished just outside of the points. This would be the Essex-born racer's first home race in Formula One. 

The tenth and final team Sauber recently celebrated their thirtieth year in the sport and will transition into Audi for next season. Their car was way below the pace at the start of the season, but with the expertise of highly experienced German Nico Hulkenberg, their results have seen an upward trend. A season's best of fifth place in the Spanish Grand Prix was a showcase of Hulkenberg's talent behind the wheel. Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto emulated the likes of George Russell and Oscar Piastri by winning the F3 and F2 seasons in consecutive seasons as a rookie and has now made it to the big league. He has shown glimpses of promise, but has struggled to get a grip on the tricky car.

After the tense drama of the wet opening race in Australia, the season ticked through the first third of the season without much action. With the championship order starting to take shape, the fine margins for points have become fiercely contested. Boiling points in the season so far include a frustrated Max Verstappen making contact with George Russell in Spain and then in Canada, when fighting for third place, the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri got together which ended Norris's race, an incident he took the blame for. The F1 circus arrived at Austria seven days ago for the first of a triple header of races. Lando Norris would take a clear cut pole position, but an early race battle with teammate Oscar Piastri was thrilling and nervy in equal measures for the McLaren team. As Max Verstappen's race ended after three corners thanks to Kimi Antonelli's late braking mistake, it was left to Norris to come home a comfortable winner which would set him up perfectly for a tilt at a first home Grand Prix victory here. The gap in the championship between leader Piastri and Norris sat at a tantalising fifteen points, setting up an epic battle at Silverstone.

Formula One: Free Practice Three:

Following the first two practice sessions on Friday in which the drivers refresh their memories of the circuit and get a feel for the car's performance in race spec, this third practice session is a final chance for teams to make the necessary setup changes and for drivers to get their eye in ahead of the all important qualifying session later in the day. The omens looked good for McLaren after a strong showing in FP2 where Lando Norris was fastest, but Mercedes and Ferrari both looked to be a threat. Lewis Hamilton would be a surprise name at the top of FP1, but it would be big crowd pleaser.

Saturday would see much cooler temperatures than the ones recorded on Friday as the air temperature had dropped to 19 degrees celsius, compared to the 26 degrees 24 hours earlier. Light clouds would hover over the circuit with a small chance of rain as the cars fired up to go out on track. Following on where he left off in FP2, Lewis Hamilton continued to show the strong pace by topping the timesheets at the halfway stage as the drivers got their eye in for the last time before qualifying. Strong winds would also prove to be a factor and it would provide a test for the twenty drivers. Lance Stroll did well to save his Aston Martin from spinning at the slow speed corner of Luffield. As the session rolled into its final twenty minutes, the soft tyre action increased. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc stopped the clock with a time to go to the top of the table, but the hot laps kept coming through. Lando Norris gave the home crowd to plenty to cheer by going quickest before Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen both displaced him at the top. In the other Red Bull, Yuki Tsunoda put in an excellent lap to go fifth and show a glimpse of promise and Ollie Bearman was another to surprise by moving up to sixth. Lewis Hamilton was next to set a lap and things looked exciting for the fans as he produced two session best sectors. As he approached the final corners, the red flag would be thrown with just five minutes left. A shot of Gabriel Bortoleto in the gravel filled the big screens and a later replay showed that the Brazilian had a spin through Maggotts and Becketts before bouncing over the grass so hard that his suspension broke on the front left. It would bring an early end to the session and Hamilton was unable to complete his best lap. There would be further drama during the red flag as Ollie Bearman crashed on the way into the pit lane, breaking the front nose cone in the process. In a surprising incident, the replays showed that Bearman had attempted to simulate a pit entry in race conditions but with cold tyres, slid into the wall. As the crash took place while the red flag was shown, the stewards found that Bearman had gone too quickly before crashing and handed the Brit a ten place grid penalty for the upcoming qualifying session.

FP3 Result:
1st) C. Leclerc - 1:25.498 

2nd) O. Piastri - (+0.068)

3rd) M. Verstappen - (+0.087) 

4th) L. Norris - (+0.108)

5th) Y. Tsunoda - (+0.606)

6th) O. Bearman - (+0.614)

Formula One Qualifying:

Qualifying is often seen as the pinnacle of the race weekend as all cars are at their lightest and most powerful. With a maximum of three timed laps per section, the driver is the only person to make a difference in a season in which the difference between a top five place or midfield position has been a matter of milliseconds. A lap around Silverstone at full tilt of a 2025 Formula One car rewards the brave and provides a nail biting finale.

Q1 would start at the top of the hour and the day's highlight would get underway with the eighteen minute session. The Alpine and Sauber cars would be first to venture out, but the clouds had darkened slightly and drizzle began to fall. With unpredictable weather at Silverstone, most of the field emerged early to set a banker lap. Ferrari and McLaren continued to look strong in the first half of the session and took their place at the head of the field. Oscar Piastri would emerge at the head of the timing pages, but with six minutes remaining, Alpine's Franco Colapinto lost the back end around Club corner and spun towards the barriers, making light contact. He made a recovery out of the gravel, but ultimately couldn't return to the pits and the red flag was thrown. Once the session restarted, there was time for one more lap and there was plenty of change in the order. Lewis Hamilton continued to slide down the order as the chequered flag was flown. His Ferrari didn't carry enough fuel to make another lap and he suddenly looked in danger. Pierre Gasly moved up into fifteenth, but Hamilton survived narrowly to move into Q2. Making an early exit would be Franco Colapinto, the two Saubers of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabi Bortoleto, Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson, who was left frustrated once again. In a very tight session, the order from first to nineteenth would be split by 0.6 seconds.

Q2 came next for a 15 minute session which would determine the drivers who would start tomorrow's race from 11th to 15th. After the rain of Q1 dissipated, the track was back to optimal conditions for dry running. There would be a short lull in action before the pitlane breathed into life. After the first series of laps, Max Verstappen went fastest with a time of 1:25.316, before Oscar Piastri set the exact same time. Leading protagonists such as Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli and Fernando Alonso all looked in trouble in the drop zone, but they had posted times on older tyres. The second runs would commence and it produced a much more natural lineup. The two Ferraris looked quick on fresh tyres and shortly after Leclerc went quickest, Hamilton took first place away from his teammate. In an ever changing order, Yuki Tsunoda briefly looked safe in tenth, but some of his rivals squeezed past to eliminate the second Red Bull driver. Ollie Bearman and Pierre Gasly both outperformed their cars to join the top ten as the chequered flag flew again. Exiting the qualifying session would be the two Frenchmen Esteban Ocon and Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda and a pair of frustrated Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.  

Q3 is where the money is earned and glory is taken as the final ten drivers lined up for a 12 minute shootout for pole position. With the gusty wind still proving to be a nuisance, the drivers would need to be at the top of their game here. Oscar Piastri would set the benchmark in the first runs with an impressive 1:24.995, breaking into the 24's for the first time. His McLaren teammate Lando Norris was gunning for pole, but could only manage third as Lewis Hamilton sneaked into second, just 0.135 seconds slower. As Max Verstappen went fourth, it would set up a thrilling final run for pole. After a brief pause, the cars returned to the track and did their best to make space for themselves on track. The two McLarens would be the first to set their final lap and Oscar Piastri was ahead on track. The lap had looked similar to the first time he set, but approaching the final corner, the rear end wriggled on the curbs and lost vital time. He was unable to improve as Lando Norris approached the line. Home hopes were dashed as Norris failed to improve, but 0.015 seconds seperated the chrome papayas. Lewis Hamilton was given a roar from the crowd as he approached the timing beam, but a small mistake into the final braking point cost him a chance of pole. Max Verstappen had set off slightly later than his rivals and was the last to set a time. After going fastest of all in the first two sectors, the Red Bull was flying. A clean final two corners would be critical and the Dutchman was undaunted as he rounded the final bend to stop the clock at 1:24.892, snatching pole away from the McLarens in stunning style.

A pole for Max Verstappen was generally seen as being highly unlikely following the previous day's free practice sessions. In FP1, Verstappen sounded frustrated with his car as it was unable to turn as he liked, finishing a modest tenth. In FP2, the qualifying pace looked slightly better, but he finished fifth in that session with plenty to explain in the debrief. His Red Bull crew began to work their magic by reducing the downforce and giving the car more speed. Stepping out onto the circuit in FP3, there was more positive signs, but qualifying is where Max came into his own. Taking the smallest slipsteam possible from slower cars ahead, the low downforce began to help Verstappen's cause. With strong car control through the changing directions of Maggotts and Becketts, Verstappen was purple through the first half of the lap. His final sector wasn't his fastest, but it was enough to take pole by a tenth. Teams can do the work, but the drivers can make the difference and this would be a day where Verstappen would shine when it mattered the most. His shock pole position will set up a fascinating race ahead, especially with unpredictable weather to throw in the mix. 

Qualifying Result:

1st) M. Verstappen - 1:24. 892

2nd) O. Piastri - (+0.103)

3rd) L. Norris - (+0.118)
4th) G. Russell - (+0.137)

5th) L. Hamilton - (+0.203)

6th) C. Leclerc - (+0.229)

7th) F. Alonso - (+0.729)

8th) P. Gasly - (+0.893)

9th) C. Sainz - (Q2 time: 1:25.746)
10th) K. Antonelli (penalty)

11th) Y. Tsunoda - (Q2: 1:25.826)

12th) I. Hadjar - (1:25.864)

13th) A, Albon - (1: 25. 889)

14th) E. Ocon (1:25.950)

15th) L. Lawson (Q1 time: 1:26.440)

16th) G. Bortoleto (Q1 time: 1:26.446)

17th) L. Stroll (1:26.504)

18th) O. Bearman (penalty)
19th) N. Hulkenberg (1:26.574)

20th) F. Colapinto (1:27.060)