Max Verstappen extended his Formula 1 lead by clinching the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a one-weekend race that kept pace with the championship. Spaniards Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz finished seventh and tenth, bringing a different kind of drama to the podium day up front.
At 25, Verstappen appears to be steering toward a third straight title. The Red Bull driver secured his 43rd F1 victory, his eighth this season and his sixth in a row, topping a field that included two British contenders. Lando Norris finished second for McLaren, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton completing the podium for Mercedes, while Sergio Perez climbed from 15th to sixth on a day that highlighted the team’s resilience.
Fans celebrated Verstappen’s dominance, a hallmark of his 2024 season, as Norris equaled his best result this year and Hamilton marked the 14th modern podium appearance in a stretch where no rival has matched his tally of eight wins. McLaren enjoyed a standout day with Australian rookie Oscar Piastri securing fourth, the best result yet in his brief F1 career.
Verstappen steered the RB19, a car engineered under the eye of British aerodynamics maestro Adrian Newey. The car again demonstrated why Red Bull has such a commanding lead in the standings, and its current win rate underscored a remarkable year-long performance. Looking ahead, the team’s tally suggested a historic run could extend across the season’s remaining races in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Red Bull then pushed its constructors’ title bid further, intersecting with a season-long storyline that echoes historic campaigns from McLaren in 1988, when Prost and Senna opened with a dominant string of wins. The current effort sits on the cusp of matching those early-season benchmarks, with Verstappen stringing together a sequence that has kept the team at the front of the chase.
Verstappen now leads with 255 points, 99 ahead of Perez and a commanding 118-point cushion over Aston Martin, which finished seventh as a result of a track with fast corners demanding precision. The Dutch driver was the favorite to win from the start, having topped two practice sessions on Friday and earning pole position on Saturday for the 2024 British GP—a signal that the race would unfold with Verstappen at the front from lights out.
The weekend featured a tense qualifying and a dynamic race, with Norris and Piastri starting strong and Russell shadowing the leaders in the midfield. Hamilton’s strategic choices also shaped the podium order, as the track offered moments of opportunities, including a potential late-race shift that did not culminate in a change at the top.
In the early stages, Leclerc and Sainz attempted to challenge, with Leclerc starting behind the Ferrari lineup and Russell maneuvering through the field in a Mercedes that looked capable of fighting for more than a top-five finish. Alonso began from ninth with Gasly nearby, while Williams marked their 800th Grand Prix with Albon finishing in the top ten and signaling continued progress for the team as they approach the Emilia Romagna race scheduled after a mid-season break.
During the race, strategy played a critical role as drivers navigated tire choices and evolving track conditions. A dramatic moment emerged when Magnussen’s engine faltered, briefly triggering a safety discussion before the event resumed. Piastri showed his talent by crossing the finish line in fourth, with Hamilton and Norris leading the pack behind Verstappen in a close, tactical fight for the podium.
As the laps wound down, Verstappen maintained pace and avoided mistakes, extending his horizon of victory. Norris pressed relentlessly, while Hamilton attempted a late surge to overtake, only to settle for a podium that reinforced his status as one of the sport’s enduring icons. Alonso, fighting to defend his position, encountered a challenging sequence as the final laps approached, ultimately crossing the line in seventh and reinforcing the competitiveness of the season’s midfield and top teams.
This British round left Verstappen on a transformative trajectory toward a potential third consecutive title. The season now moves toward Hungaroring, seeking another strong performance that could echo past breakthroughs and add to a legacy already shaping the era around his remarkable speed and consistency.