Formula 1 enjoyed an afternoon of chaotic racing last time out in Austria, and Silverstone could be the perfect site for a repeat performance this weekend.
The British Grand Prix weekend hosts a sprint race on Saturday, so teams will have just a single practice session at the historic track in which they must dial in their setups to try and extract the best lap time possible.
This, coupled with the unpredictability of Silverstone, could make for an exciting weekend. Here are five storylines that you should watch out for over the British Grand Prix.
Finally, some home race luck for George Russell?
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Manuel Eletto / Getty Images
Nobody needed that Austrian Grand Prix win more than George Russell. The pre-season title favourite started the year strongly by winning the Melbourne opener from pole, before slipping behind his teenage Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who won the next five grands prix to establish a 50-point advantage.
Russell was bemused, and revealed his frustrations with the 2026 cars – and at the bad luck he endured across those five rounds. So, for Barcelona he managed a “reset” and bounced back, well sort of, by inheriting second to Lewis Hamilton after Antonelli’s late retirement.
But the Briton still needed that long-awaited second win of the campaign, which finally arrived in Austria. Now, it’s time to kick on as he comes to his home track, where he hasn’t fared particularly well over the years. Russell still awaits that first Silverstone podium and he’ll certainly need to achieve it at the very least this weekend to continue the momentum the 28-year-old is starting to build.
But Antonelli is rapid and will have the bit between his teeth to overcome his disappointing Austria weekend where, if it weren’t for Max Verstappen’s crash, he would have been on the front row, thus not leading to his desparate overdriving across the opening couple of laps.
It feels as though the title fight is reaching a critical point now, and Russell cannot allow for that now-40-point gap to grow much more.
– Ed Hardy
What about the other home favourites?
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Russell obviously isn’t the only Brit competing at Silverstone this weekend and there are two who have certainly enjoyed better luck at their home track: Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. In the case of the former, the reigning world champion won last year’s British Grand Prix, but the start of 2026 has not been as kind for his McLaren team, which is third in the standings and some way off Mercedes and Ferrari.
Austria last weekend was a bit of a non-event for Norris, who finished a lowly seventh and stated “we’re a long way behind” championship leader Mercedes. So, a repeat win is unlikely for the 26-year-old, but Hamilton should have every belief of victory.
The seven-time world champion has a record nine victories at Silverstone and is enjoying a resurgent 2026, which entailed winning in Barcelona. His momentum hit a halt at the Red Bull Ring finishing fifth, but the track has never been a particular favourite of his, as opposed to Silverstone.
Yet doubts still remain over how Ferrari will fare at the power-hungry British track, considering it is lagging on engine performance compared to Mercedes.
There are two more drivers competing at their home race this weekend in Oliver Bearman and rookie Arvid Lindblad, both of whom have impressed this year and should be right amongst the midfield.
– Ed Hardy
Max Verstappen called Austria a “crucial” test, but Silverstone will be just as important
Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot
Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, much of the attention centred on Red Bull’s major upgrade package. With Max Verstappen finishing second, it is fair to say Laurent Mekies’ team passed that first test, although Mercedes boss Toto Wolff offered an important caveat afterwards.
“Red Bull is one thing, but it was Max Verstappen. For me, how it feels is like Max won every single race here that he’s ever participated in, in whatever car. Spielberg is one of his strong places.”
It is true that Verstappen has traditionally gone well in Austria, but there is another reason why this weekend’s British Grand Prix promises to be an equally important test for Red Bull.
The Red Bull Ring is a relatively short track, meaning the gaps are always small – particularly in qualifying. Verstappen pointed that out himself during his Dutch media session, explaining that a deficit of two tenths around Spielberg does not necessarily mean the gap will be just as small at circuits such as Silverstone or Spa-Francorchamps.
For that reason, Red Bull will be watching the next two race weekends with great interest to gain a clearer picture of its upgrades, just as Verstappen will in light of his own future considerations.
Yes, Red Bull passed the first test with its upgrade package, but one swallow does not make a summer. Silverstone, together with Spa, should provide a better picture of how real the team’s progress is, especially with its rivals continuing to develop as well.
– Ronald Vording
Points on the board
Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
While the team-mates from Mercedes and Ferrari are fighting at the sharp end of the standings with more than 500 points between them, there are four drivers on the grid who are still yet to score.
Lance Stroll has been struggling with his Aston Martin all year, Cadillac needs a crazy race to come close, and Nico Hulkenberg has somehow still not scored this season. At Silverstone, the site of the German’s first podium in F1 just 12 months ago, could he finally put his mark in the sand?
The Audi driver has come close, two 11th-place finishes, two 12ths and a 13th in the races in which he’s reached the chequered flag puts him behind his younger team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, who scored at the season opener. Now, with Audi running an updated power unit and a handful of other tweaks in the pipeline, could Hulkenberg finally pick up his first points a point a year on from his glorious podium for Sauber at the British Grand Prix?
He’ll have a fight on his hands if he is to do so, as Haas, Racing Bulls and Alpine are all regularly scrapping for the final points. And, while Austria was something of a damp squib for Cadillac, its latest round of updates brought performance – meaning that provided Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez can finish the race, they may start creeping ever closer to a first point for the all-new team.
– Owen Bellwood
Silly season begins to gather pace as the summer break approaches
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Erik Junius
Love it or loathe it, F1’s silly season is back and the rumour mill is set to go into overdrive at Silverstone – if it hasn’t already.
It may feel a little early given how much of the season still lies ahead, but the British Grand Prix comes in the middle of a demanding run of five races in seven weeks leading into the summer break. That means not only will the cars be moving quickly, but so will the conversations around the paddock.
And while most seats at the front of the grid appear to be locked up, there is always the Max Verstappen factor. Whatever the four-time world champion decides could reshape the driver market.
Verstappen said after Austria that Red Bull “know” what it will take to keep him beyond 2026, despite being under contract until the end of 2028. The upgraded RB22 showed encouraging pace at the Red Bull Ring, and whether that proves to be the start of a trend at Silverstone could either cool or fuel the speculation surrounding his future.
Further down the grid, several teams are also expected to become part of the conversation, with some seats looking far more attractive than they did 12 months ago (hello, Alpine), while Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz have already indicated they intend to wait until the summer break before making decisions about their futures at Aston Martin and Williams, respectively.
Bring on silly season.
– Federico Faturos
