Heavy rain drenched Silverstone on Sunday morning ahead of the British Grand Prix, setting the stage for a potentially unpredictable race as reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen prepares to start from pole position.
The Red Bull driver, who had shown little form in the three dry practice sessions, rediscovered pace during Saturday’s qualifying session to edge out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for the top spot.
Both McLaren drivers had looked strong but made small errors in their final laps, allowing Verstappen to capitalise.
Sunday’s wet conditions contrast sharply with the rest of the weekend, where teams gathered data under consistent dry weather. If the rain persists into the afternoon, tyre choices and in-race strategy could prove decisive, as teams are forced to adapt without any wet-weather data from earlier sessions.
The fight for a win is expected to be tightly faught, with Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all demonstrating very impressive speed in qualifying.
The top six cars were separated by just 0.229 seconds, suggesting a closely-matched field. Each of the front-running teams has opted for different car setups, bringing a variety of strengths and weaknesses to the race — particularly between high-speed straight-line advantage and grip in the corners.
Verstappen’s setup has prioritised straight-line speed, which could give him the edge on Silverstone’s long stretches, although he may find himself under pressure in the corners.
Piastri and Norris, meanwhile, are both hoping to continue their strong form, with the Australian currently leading the championship by 15 points over his team-mate.
Norris, winner of last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, starts third on the grid. Verstappen is currently 61 points off the championship lead and will need a strong performance to revive his title hopes.
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