Formula 1 wrapped up its 2024 summer triple-header with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, coming just days after the controversial clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. Norris, George Russell, and Lewis Hamilton would all be racing in front of their home crowd, each with a chance of reaching the podium and possibly even taking the top step.
Race Guide
Race weekend: 5 July 2024 – 7 July 2024
Race date: Sunday, 7 July, 2024
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 52
Circuit length: 5.891km
2023 winner: Max Verstappen
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | George Russell | Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:25.819 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | |
| Time | 1:28.293 on lap 52 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | |
| Second | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | |
| Third | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
As if the season weren’t thrilling enough with the uncertainty of each weekend’s winner, controversy involving the top two championship contenders added even more excitement in Austria. With that incident still fresh and a fourth team securing a victory last time out, there was a lot to look forward to at Silverstone.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 July 2024 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time |
| 5 July 2024 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time |
| 6 July 2024 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm local time |
| 6 July 2024 | Qualifying | 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm local time |
| 7 July 2024 | Race | 3:00 pm local time |
In Saturday afternoon qualifying, George Russell edged out Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris to secure pole position for Sunday’s race. The three home drivers waged an intense battle to lead the grid amid intermittent rain. This marked the first all-British one-two-three on the grid since the 1968 South African Grand Prix, where Jim Clark took pole in his final F1 race ahead of Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart. It was also the first-ever all-British one-two-three at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
On Sunday, Lewis Hamilton claimed a long-awaited and record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory in a thrilling race at Silverstone, with the Mercedes driver fending off a challenge from Lando Norris to take the win. Initially, pole-sitter George Russell led the race, pulling ahead of Hamilton as the race began. However, amid changing weather conditions, an exciting battle soon unfolded between the two Mercedes cars and the McLaren duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri. The lead changed hands when the field switched to intermediate tyres after the opening phase of the race. Later, as the skies cleared, Hamilton capitalised on pitting for slick tyres one lap before Norris – who also faced a slow pit stop – to become the new race leader. While Russell retired due to a water system issue and Max Verstappen snatched P2 from Norris in the latter stages, Hamilton held his position to clinch an emotional victory. This marked a record ninth win in a single Grand Prix and his first P1 finish since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Championship background
After a series of races where Lando Norris consistently challenged Max Verstappen for victory, tensions finally erupted as the two made contact while fighting for the win in Austria.
The stewards found Verstappen predominantly at fault, issuing him a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points, consistent with other collisions at the same corner.
Norris was displeased, feeling that Verstappen reacted to his overtaking attempts, while the championship leader maintained he was not moving under braking. Both team principals defended their drivers, but McLaren’s Andrea Stella called for the FIA to tighten the application of its rules, citing incidents involving Verstappen during his 2021 title fight with Lewis Hamilton.
With only a three-day gap between Sunday and media day at Silverstone, Stella’s comments were expected to continue sparking debate among team members and drivers. Whether Verstappen and Norris had discussed the incident would also be a focal point, given their previously good relationship off the track.
While the controversy between the two drivers vying for recent victories had captured much attention, it didn’t overshadow George Russell’s win in Austria.
Mercedes had made remarkable progress in the recent rounds of 2024 and were strong contenders for a win in Canada, where Russell finished third and teammate Lewis Hamilton fourth. Russell was on track for another third-place finish in Austria before the clash between the two leaders, showcasing his strong performance as he kept Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz at bay. Mercedes’s multiple upgrades helped them to close the gap between Red Bull and McLaren, moving them slightly ahead of Ferrari in the last two rounds.
The performance in Barcelona, where Hamilton finished third, indicated that Mercedes could be a podium threat once again at their home race. And with further upgrades at Silverstone, it wasn’t not out of the question that they could replicate their form from Canada and contend for another win.
Regardless, Mercedes would arrive at the 2024 British Grand Prix with positivity, buoyed by their first win since Brazil in 2022 and evident progress.
Race entries
British fans not only had the chance to cheer for the full-time drivers but also for Ollie Bearman, who drove for Haas once again. Bearman, who was also announced for a full-time race seat at Haas in 2025 during the build-up to the weekend, made his latest FP1 appearance for the team on Friday. Another of his six outings in 2024, which was to prepare the 18-year-old for a full-time F1 seat and perform in front of his home crowd.
Franco Colapinto, another rookie garnering significant support, was set for his first-ever FP1 appearance for Williams. Although he wasn’t in the conversation for a 2025 race seat, Colapinto had moved up to fifth place in the F2 drivers’ standings, and a strong FP1 performance would enhance his growing reputation.
Meanwhile, Jack Doohan had another run-out for Alpine after a damp FP1 session in Montreal, where he managed only a few installation laps. He was hoping for a better opportunity at Silverstone as he aimed for the second Alpine seat alongside Pierre Gasly in 2025.
The final non-F1 driver was F2 star Isack Hadjar, who also took part in FP1 for Red Bull Racing in place of Sergio Perez.
Aside from FP1, which featured reserve and test drivers, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP2, FP3, Qualifying and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
As always at this iconic circuit, F1’s official tyre supplier, Pirelli, selected the three hardest dry tyre compounds for the 18-corner track, known for its high demands on the car-tyre package: C1 as hard, C2 as medium, and C3 as soft.
Drivers had access to two sets of hard tyres (marked white), three sets of medium tyres (marked yellow), and eight sets of soft tyres (marked red). The green intermediate tyres and blue full wets were available if needed.
Pirelli’s weekend preview emphasised the challenge at Silverstone: “5.861 kilometres long, the track is the fifth longest on the calendar after Spa-Francorchamps (7.004 km), Jeddah (6.175 km), Las Vegas (6.120 km) and Baku (6.003 km).
Pirelli also highlighted the impact of the conditions at this event, noting: “The weather in England in the summer can always be very changeable, a further factor to be taken into consideration, especially as conditions can change very rapidly.
“Last year the entire race was run in the dry, with the soft a somewhat surprising protagonist, with only two teams not using it. However, the most used compound was the medium, which was used to complete half the overall mileage. The great majority of drivers went for a one-stop strategy, even if in the past, a two-stop had been a popular choice.”
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Free Practice
In FP1, Lando Norris kicked off his home Grand Prix weekend with P1 in first practice. Lando Norris set the fastest time of 1:27.420 on his second push lap with soft tyres, edging out Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll by a tenth of a second. Oscar Piastri secured third place in the second McLaren despite a late stoppage, while Max Verstappen took fourth for Red Bull. Verstappen’s competitive time was just 0.3 seconds behind Norris, impressive considering he only used medium tyres. George Russell in the leading Mercedes placed fifth, also on mediums, trailing closely behind Verstappen.
During FP2, Lando Norris continued a stellar start to his home British Grand Prix, finishing at the top of the timesheet in Practice Two and leading a McLaren one-two. The Practice One pacesetter extended his advantage in the second session, clocking a lap of Silverstone 0.3 seconds faster than his competitors, with teammate Oscar Piastri securing second place.
On Saturday, during a wet FP3, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured a Mercedes one-two, leading the pack ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had been the fastest on Friday.
Full Free Practice Reports
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 5 July 2024, at 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 5 July 2024, at 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 6 July 2024, at 11:30 am – 12:30 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:37.529 | 23 | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:37.564 | +0.035s | 28 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:37.714 | +0.185s | 20 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:38.139 | +0.610s | 23 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:38.393 | +0.864s | 20 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:38.454 | +0.925s | 26 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:38.654 | +1.125s | 27 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:38.940 | +1.411s | 21 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:39.284 | +1.755s | 18 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:39.340 | +1.811s | 16 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:39.603 | +2.074s | 24 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:39.700 | +2.171s | 23 |
| 13 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:39.702 | +2.173s | 22 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:39.820 | +2.291s | 26 |
| 15 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:40.242 | +2.713s | 22 |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:40.430 | +2.901s | 25 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:40.539 | +3.010s | 21 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:40.823 | +3.294s | 28 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:41.785 | +4.256s | 23 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 2 |
Qualifying
George Russell clinched an impressive pole position for the British Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes front row with Lewis Hamilton in second place. Russell set the pace during the first runs of Q3 and further improved with a final time of 1m 25.819s, finishing 0.171s ahead of Hamilton. Lando Norris secured third place for McLaren, completing an all-British top three.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 6 July 2024, at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm local time.
What happened in the 2024 British Grand Prix?
After an exciting qualifying session in mixed conditions on Saturday, where Russell led a trio of Brits to secure pole position, attention turned to Sunday’s 52-lap race at Silverstone.
Before the event, it was confirmed that Perez would start from the pit lane due to his Red Bull being fitted with a new engine. The Mexican originally qualified in P19 after beaching his RB20 in the gravel during Q1, leaving Gasly alone on the final row. Gasly had to start from the back due to taking on new power unit elements for the weekend.
As the cars assembled on the grid and the tyre blankets came off, it was confirmed that everyone would start on fresh mediums except Zhou and Ocon, who opted for new softs, and Perez, who chose new hards. With a 60% chance of rain predicted, the possibility of switching to intermediates later in the race loomed large.
Gasly encountered early trouble, diving into the pits at the end of the formation lap after reporting an issue with his Alpine. The remaining 18 cars had a smooth start as the lights went out, with Russell enjoying a strong launch to maintain the lead from Hamilton.
Norris had to go slightly off track, allowing Verstappen to take P3. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg dropped from sixth to ninth, while Leclerc climbed to eighth after starting from P11.
As Russell and Hamilton began building a gap to Verstappen, the latter was warned over the radio about potential rain in 25 minutes. Elsewhere, Sargeant informed his engineer that teammate Albon seemed to have lost some bodywork, with Albon running ahead of him in 12th and 13th, respectively.
Gasly became the first retiree due to a gearbox issue. It was announced that Hulkenberg had been noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, but this was not investigated. Replays showed that the Haas car’s return to the circuit on Lap 1 ahead of Alonso caused the Aston Martin to make contact with Albon’s Williams.
Seven laps in, Russell led by 1.7 seconds from Hamilton, with Verstappen in third ahead of Norris, Piastri, and Sainz. Stroll faced pressure in seventh from a chasing Leclerc, eager to make up for his disappointing qualifying.
Further back, Ricciardo snatched 14th from Zhou, who was struggling on the soft tyres, while Perez gained a place by overtaking Ocon for 16th.
“Rain expected in seven laps, lasting for 10 minutes,” Leclerc was informed as grey clouds gathered over the circuit. Norris’s engineer told him they would “keep it simple” with strategy calls once the rain arrived.
On Lap 13, Zhou was the first to pit for medium tyres, while Leclerc finally passed Stroll for P7 at Stowe, beginning his chase of teammate Sainz.
Up ahead, Norris closed in on Verstappen, reducing the gap to half a second. Within a couple of laps, the Briton slipped into the Red Bull’s slipstream at Stowe and made the pass.
Fans in the grandstands donned ponchos, but conditions had not yet warranted intermediates on track. Piastri lunged past Verstappen to take P4, though the weather made things tricky for many drivers.
“Try to survive this pocket of rain,” Verstappen was urged by his engineer, just as Hamilton took the lead on Lap 18 after sweeping past Russell, who was struggling in the damp conditions.
Things went from bad to worse for Russell as both Mercedes cars had a slight off at Abbey, allowing Norris to steal P2. Norris then set his sights on Hamilton, overtaking him down the pit straight to take the lead. Piastri soon joined the fray, leapfrogging Russell for P3 into Turn 4 during a thrilling sequence of events.
By Lap 20, McLaren held a one-two position after Piastri passed Hamilton for second. Hamilton was informed that it might be time for intermediates, a suggestion the seven-time world champion disagreed with, though Leclerc, Perez, Ocon, and Zhou had already decided to make the switch.
Not everyone was happy with this decision. Perez radioed in, saying the track was still too dry, and Ocon returned to the pits to switch back to medium tyres. Leclerc, who had been battling in the top 10, now found himself in P16 after the switch.
On Lap 25, Leclerc went off track and was soon lapped by teammate Sainz, who was chasing Verstappen for P5. Meanwhile, Piastri was hunting down Norris for the lead, with only half a second between them.
With an increasing amount of spray on track, Verstappen and Sainz pitted for intermediates, followed by Norris and the two Mercedes cars a lap later. Piastri was left out as the new leader but was brought in on Lap 29, rejoining the track in sixth as Norris took the lead. Hamilton, running three seconds behind in P2, received encouragement from his race engineer, while Verstappen followed in third after pitting earlier than Russell.
With the field now on intermediates, Perez pitted for a fresh set, a problem seemingly affecting Verstappen as well, who reported tyre degradation with 21 laps remaining.
Uncertainty about the weather persisted. Hamilton was informed that the rain would last at least six more laps, but he responded that it was no longer raining. He later added that his front tyres were “falling apart,” but the track still had enough spray to prevent a switch back to slicks.
Disappointment hit the Mercedes garage when Russell was called into the pits on Lap 34 to retire the car due to a suspected water system issue. This ended a day that had started with him on pole and in contention for the win.
The challenging conditions continued, with replays showing Magnussen narrowly avoiding a spin at Stowe, allowing him to continue running in P11.
“The sun is coming out,” reported Hamilton on Lap 37 as he chased Norris for the lead. The gap was around two seconds, with Verstappen five seconds behind Hamilton in P3.
As the weather changed, several drivers switched to slick tyres. Hamilton pitted for softs, Verstappen for hards, and Piastri for mediums. Norris stayed out an extra lap before switching to softs. After a slightly slower 4.5-second stop, Norris returned to the track in P2 as Hamilton took the lead.
With Hamilton now two seconds ahead, Verstappen began closing in on Norris, benefiting from his hard tyres. He set the fastest lap on Lap 44 as he continued to cut the gap. Piastri was running in fourth, ahead of Sainz in fifth.
In the final laps, Norris struggled with his tyres, allowing Verstappen to close the gap further. Verstappen overtook Norris through Stowe for P2, but with only three laps remaining and a three-second gap to Hamilton, he ran out of time to challenge for the lead.
Sainz made a late pit stop to attempt the fastest lap, but it was Hamilton who crossed the line first, claiming a record ninth victory at the British Grand Prix and his first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
An emotional Hamilton said over the radio, “It means a lot to get this one.” The crowd celebrated as Verstappen took second and Norris completed the podium in third.
Piastri finished fourth, Sainz fifth, and Hulkenberg delivered a strong performance for Haas by finishing sixth. Stroll and Alonso secured solid points for Aston Martin in seventh and eighth, while Albon had a good day for Williams in ninth.
Tsunoda claimed the final point in P10 for RB, with Sargeant missing out in P11. Magnussen finished P12 for Haas, ahead of Ricciardo’s RB.
Leclerc had a challenging day, ending in 14th, followed by Bottas in 15th and Ocon in 16th. Perez, like Leclerc, lost out from the early switch to intermediates and finished 17th. Zhou was the final classified runner in 18th.
Two drivers retired from the race. Gasly was the first, returning to the pits at the end of the formation lap with a gearbox problem. Just one week after his victory in Austria, Russell was the other retiree due to the suspected water system issue.
2024 British Grand Prix race results
The 2024 British Grand Prix Race was held on 7 July 2024, at 3:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 52 | 1:22:27.059 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 52 | +1.465s | 18 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 52 | +7.547s | 15 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 52 | +12.429s | 12 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 52 | +47.318s | 11 |
| 6 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 52 | +55.722s | 8 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 52 | +56.569s | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 52 | +63.577s | 4 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 52 | +68.387s | 2 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 52 | +79.303s | 1 |
| 11 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 52 | +88.960s | 0 |
| 12 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 52 | +90.153s | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 51 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 51 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 51 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 50 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 17 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 50 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 18 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 50 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 33 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 0 | DNS | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 British Grand Prix.
2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 255 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren | 171 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 150 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Ferrari | 146 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren | 124 |
| 6 | Sergio Pérez | MEX | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 118 |
| 7 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 111 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes | 110 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 45 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 23 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Haas Ferrari | 22 |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | RB-Honda RBPT | 20 |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | RB-Honda RBPT | 11 |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Ferrari | 6 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renault | 6 |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas Ferrari | 5 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Alpine Renault | 3 |
| 18 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 2 |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 373 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 302 |
| 3 | McLaren Mercedes | 295 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 221 |
| 5 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 68 |
| 6 | RB-Honda RBPT | 31 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 27 |
| 8 | Alpine Renault | 9 |
| 9 | Williams Mercedes | 4 |
| 10 | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
Source: formula1.com
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