Ferrari enjoyed an encouraging start to the British Grand Prix weekend, with the SF-26 showing competitive pace not only over a single lap but also during the limited race simulations completed in the only practice session. Lewis Hamilton topped the timing sheets and also produced an impressive long-run, although the picture remains far from complete as teams continue to evaluate different setups and energy management strategies ahead of the Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Ferrari and Mercedes show encouraging long-run pace
As always, analysing practice data requires caution because every team follows its own programme, with different engine modes, fuel loads and tyre preparation strategies making direct comparisons difficult. Even so, Ferrari had several reasons to be optimistic after both SF-26 cars displayed promising signs in race trim.
Rather than focusing purely on the absolute lap times, the most interesting indications came from how the pace evolved during each run. Lewis Hamilton steadily improved his lap times throughout his stint, following a trend very similar to George Russell, who completed a slightly longer race simulation. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, posted more inconsistent lap times, possibly alternating between slower and quicker laps to better manage tyre temperatures and degradation.
| Lap | Antonelli | Russell | Hamilton | Leclerc | Verstappen | Norris |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:33.3 | 1:33.3 | 1:32.5 | 1:32.3 | 1:33.0 | 1:34.0 |
| 2 | Slow | 1:33.1 | 1:32.4 | 1:32.3 | 1:34.1 | 1:32.3 |
| 3 | 1:32.7 | 1:33.2 | 1:32.3 | 1:33.0 | 1:33.6 | 1:34.5 |
| 4 | 1:33.3 | 1:32.8 | 1:31.9 | 1:32.4 | 1:34.1 | 1:33.9 |
| 5 | 1:32.6 | 1:32.6 | 1:32.2 | 1:34.4 | 1:34.0 | |
| 6 | Slow | 1:33.1 | 1:34.9 | |||
| 7 | 1:33.3 | 1:33.5 | 1:35.1 | |||
| 8 | 1:32.6 | 1:34.2 | 1:34.4 | |||
| 9 | 1:33.0 | 1:34.9 |
From both a balance and tyre management perspective, Ferrari appeared to have started the Silverstone weekend on a much stronger footing than it did in Austria. If the Scuderia can maintain this level of performance over the coming days, it would reinforce the impression that the SF-26 performs particularly well when protecting the front tyres, while tending to struggle more at circuits where preserving the rear axle becomes the limiting factor.
By contrast, Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who looked extremely competitive just one week ago in Austria, appeared to encounter more difficulties at the start of the British Grand Prix weekend. Verstappen’s race simulation saw his lap times gradually increase as the stint progressed, while Lando Norris delivered a slightly more consistent run, remaining mostly in the low 1:34s.
A weekend still likely to evolve
Overall, the long-run simulations suggest that tyre degradation at Silverstone is relatively low, increasing the possibility that Sunday’s British Grand Prix could become a one-stop race. However, numerous variables remain in play, and the competitive order could still change considerably compared to what was seen in the only practice session.
Beyond differences in setup, fuel loads and engine modes, one of the biggest factors throughout the weekend is expected to be energy management, which is particularly demanding around the Silverstone circuit. With just one practice session available before Sprint qualifying, every team used the limited track time to experiment, but strategies and car configurations are expected to converge as the weekend progresses and teams gain a clearer understanding of the optimum package.
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