► Verstappen P2, Sainz P1
► Race start at 15:00 GMT
► Can Hamilton win again?
Formula One has returned to Silverstone after last year’s thriller, though it looks a bit different in 2022. There’s a new pecking order, new rules – and dramatic updates mean most of the cars are pretty different to the last round in Canada too: the Mercedes, Alpine and Williams of Albon all look very different to the cars raced in Montreal. So, new upgraded cars and changeable weather – but qhat can we expect from the 2022 British Grand Prix? Here’s five things to look for.
1. First pole, first win for Carlos Sainz?
If anyone needed a clean weekend, it was Carlos Sainz. After playing second-fiddle to his team mate most of the season, Sainz had a relatively strong weekend in Montreal – and he’s followed it with his first pole position in Britain. If we’re honest, today’s session has all the ingredients for an unforced Carlos Sainz error – but this time it was his Leclerc that blinked first. Let’s see what how he deals with Max Verstappen in the first few laps. We’re already aware of Charles LeClerc’s fair but strong wheel-to-wheel treatment of Max – let’s see how his teammate fares. He may even win his first race.
2. Mercedes are back (again)?
Like several teams down the grid, Mercedes brought a significant number of updates to the car on Friday – and it seems they’ve worked. A promising start on Friday saw some solid FP3 times, and no bouncing – with the car looking just as composed as it did on the smooth tarmac of Barcelona.
Although traffic for Hamilton and a minor off for George mean the Silver Arrows start a less impressive P5 and P8, there’s reason to be optimistic: Friday’s running showed both cars look strong on long run pace – and the Mercedes tends to run better on Sundays anyway.
3. A mixed-up grid means lots of fighting
Wet qualifying sessions always throw up a strange order – and Saturday’s session was no different. Both Mercedes look to have stronger pace than their positions suggests, while the Red Bull of Perez, Leclerc’s Ferrari are also somewhat out of position. And that’s before we get into the midfield and Ocon’s Alpine. Expect a race in which slower cars try to hold onto positions, while others come up the field. Always a thriller.
If it stays dry tomorrow – which it should – expect a one-stop race with fights throughout the field. And if it rains – which is always a possibility in Silverstone – expect more chaos. One of the best things about this year’s race? No sprint race means we get to see a mixed-up grid starting on Sunday,
4. Nicholas Latifi goes to Q3
Nicholas Latifi somehow dragged his Williams in P10, despite not having the raft of upgrades enjoyed by his teammate Alex Albon. The new upgrades, apparently worth a good chunk of time, make Albon’s Williams look more like a Red Bull – only it was the Canadian that progressed to Q3. Albon instead finished in 16th.
It’s unlikely Latifi will keep his tenth place tomorrow, but it’ll be interesting to see how he compares to his teammate. Either way, this is finally some good form for him: he desperately needs it after an error-strewn 2022.
5. Porpoising still a topic
Earlier this month the FIA announced plans to monitor and police the amount of porpoising or bouncing in the cars. The idea was simple; if a limit of vertical Gs is exceeded, the car will be disqualified or forced to change, thus keeping the drivers safer and healthier.
The solution for teams? Trade performance for safety by increasing the ride height to a limit the suspension and drivers’ spine can handle.
The situation is being monitored now, with the rules planned to kick in soon. However, it’s worth taking a look at how much each car is bouncing today; that’ll give us a good reading on which teams could be most affected by the rule when it does hit.
However according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, the rule may not cause a huge difference. He revealed no cars would’ve been affected by the rule in Baku, with just one affected in Montreal.