Formula 1 once again demonstrated that the weekend format is not working as it should. His usefulness on the track was cut short Friday due to the fact that Friday’s first British GP practice session was held in the rain. Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo was the fastest, something that will not be repeated throughout the weekend. The second hour of rehearsals was therefore the most interesting. Carlos Sainz was also present. The man from Madrid, despite having many doubts among other drivers, created his own plan to test the new Ferrari innovations (all teams have evolutions) at Silverstone. His case included the engine cover, some tweaks to both the flat bottom of the spoiler and the front spoiler. He carried the paraffin showy in his car like his rivals. His technicians then obtained the necessary data.
With the track dry but slightly cold, Sainz set a record for the fastest time, beating Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. Given that Red Bull is absent every Friday, it is unlikely that McLaren will be in the top 10. Max Verstappen finished the day in fourth place. Sergio Perez was seventh. This would be very unusual to happen again. The championship’s top names were like the one who warms up at the edge of the dancefloor before moving through a salsa show. They focused on not breaking any new parts and proving that they worked.
He was the only one to show up at his appointment at Silverstone on Friday – the public responds to the British GP’s call every time – and he was also the greatest enemy of this year’s technicians and drivers: ‘porpoising. He did show up in the afternoon, even though he was not there in the morning. It was evident in the subjective cameras that he was doing it big-time and how it affected their bodies. Fernando Alonso was one of them. He tried to keep control of the Alpine A522 as much as possible, even if he had to stop at the end.
The Alpine is, by the way. It’s one of the most innovative cars to Silverstone. The team’s leaders had warned of it in the days before: the British GP is highlighted in red on the calendar. They have four scoring events in July, so this is an excellent opportunity to get back to the top. Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari also developed their cars. Alpine has to have done better if they want to be in the top ten.
They brought a new floor to an old ‘Royal Air Force” aerodrome, modified side pontoons with visible ‘ferrarised grooves, and a new engine cover. A front suspension was also created to meet the requirements of the circuit. Although Alonso had a positive Friday, he was unable to finish the sixth trial. Ocon was able to complete twelve laps, but was over 1.2 seconds slower than Sainz. This performance gap is partially explained by fuel loads.
Although it’s not impossible to have Alpine as a team in mists or doubts, it is rare for Mercedes. Hamilton’s second free practice session suggests that they have found something that works for them. The W13’s front suspension is new, the controversial side has been retouched and the floor has almost been completely redesigned. Also, the rear spoiler has also changed. Although it cannot be called a new car the improvements are evident and the W13 works, according to the seven-time champion. He said later that “it is obvious that we have improved.” It will be interesting to see if the presumed improvement is transferred onto the track in the classification. Hamilton and Mr. Consistency, George Russell, who has been repeatedly baptized as a result of his ’top five’ streak, was Friday’s conclusion with positive feelings. Will they join the fight against the roosters.
