British Grand Prix 2021 Alfa Romeo Sauber Formula 1.jpg

How do you think the 2021 British Grand Prix will play out? Will Toto Wolff’s prediction come true?

  • Yes, Mercedes will be able to compete with Red Bull

    Votes: 125 49.0%
  • No, Red Bull’s domination will continue

    Votes: 126 49.4%
  • Other, let us know in the comments below

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • Total voters
    255
How do you follow up the 2020 British Grand Prix, where the winner finished with only 3 working tires? A new qualifying system for 2021 and a second-place team expecting a sizable victory just might do it.

Formula One is back in action this weekend, taking on the Silverstone circuit for the 2021 British Grand Prix. Max Verstappen currently holds an impressive 32-point advantage over reigning champion Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings, while their respective teams rank in the same order with a 44-point gap.

Hamilton will look to gain back some ground in the standings after failing to get a podium finish at the Austrian Grand Prix on the fourth of July. This is Hamilton’s home race, and seven of his record 98 wins have come at this circuit. Hamilton’s recent dominance at the British GP includes winning six of the last seven races here, with his worst finish since 2014 being a second place in 2018.

Max Verstappen is favored to upset that dominance this weekend, amid his strongest season ever. Verstappen enters the weekend on a three-race win streak and has taken a podium in every race except Azerbaijan, a race he was leading before a tire failure.

Toto Wolff says that he expects his Mercedes team to take a 1-2 victory with a 30 second margin at Silverstone. Mercedes finds themselves trailing behind Red Bull so far this season, but Wolff believes that recent upgrades to their W12 car will put them ahead of their rivals.

Sprint Qualifying​

Fans can also expect some extra racing this weekend. Breaking from the usual FP1 > FP2 > FP3 > Qualifying > Race format, Formula One will introduce Sprint Qualifying this weekend.

There are two sessions scheduled for Friday: Free Practice 1 and Qualifying (Q1, Q2 and Q3). This qualifying session is to determine the grid order for the Sprint Race on Saturday. Free Practice 2 will happen in advance of the Sprint Qualifying, then the drivers will take to the track for a 100-kilometer race session to determine the starting grid for Sunday’s race. In addition to grid positions, the drivers and teams will also be vying for up to three championship points from the sprint race.

Verstappen in elite form​

With 14 races remaining on the calendar, Mercedes and Hamilton can still catch Verstappen and Red Bull, but there is a growing sense that if the momentum is to shift, it needs to happen soon. Max has been in elite form behind the wheel of his RB16B this year. The last two races at Austria’s Red Bull Ring had Verstappen taking both pole position and the race win.

Moving down the standings, 46 points behind Verstappen and Hamilton is Sergio Perez of Red Bull, who is the only driver other than the top two to score a victory this season. Perez has been overshadowed by his teammate this year, but his 104 championship points has helped elevate Red Bull well above Mercedes in the constructors' standings.

Norris aims for another strong show​

Further back in the field, Lando Norris hopes to continue his excellent season for McLaren with another strong showing, after having finished an impressive third last time out in Austria. Norris currently sits fourth in the drivers' standings, ahead of Valterri Bottas in his Mercedes. Bottas finished ahead of his teammate in the second race in Austria, but his inconsistent performance has led many to speculate about his future at Mercedes.

Norris’ teammate Daniel Ricciardo has had a less than stellar season so far. He has yet to break into the top five so far this year, and at the Styrian Grand Prix three weeks ago he finished a disappointing 13th.

Norris has proven that McLaren has the pace to beat all but Mercedes and Red Bull, so hopefully Ricciardo can find his groove with the MCL35M and start improving his results.

Ferrari​

The talented Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz find themselves just two points apart after nine races. Leclerc holds a slight edge in points, but Sainz has posted the only Ferrari podium this season with his third-place finish in Monaco.

There is a midfield fight for fifth place in the constructors' championship, with AlphaTauri just four points ahead of Aston Martin. Behind them is Alpine with 32 points scored so far. And rounding out the field are Alfa Romeo, Williams, and Haas, with two Alfa Romeo 10th place finishes accounting for the only points between the three teams.
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

I agree with Muzikant about the types of corner, yes you "can" in theory overtake on any corner...as long as you don't cause a collision, which in a corner like Copse takes not just big balls, but big skills, and there sadly Lewis lacked the skills to avoid an incident. And I'm a fan of NEITHER driver and would be saying the same if drivers reversed or any combination of driver. I'm glad I'm not on the same race track as some people here....simulated and ESPECIALLY reality.
 
You are the only one inventing theories.

"Copse is a corner you can not overtake":
Bullshit, Max would try to overtake in ANY corner.
"The one on the racing line always has the corner":
Bullshit, You usually have to get OFF the racing line to overtake.
"Lewis was never close enough to try a pass":
Bullshit, the footage shows he was 90% next to Max before the corner.
"Hamilton tried to kill Max":
Bullshit, he was just as aggressive as Max and made a mistake.
"It was 100% Lewis' mistake":
Bullshit, EVERY F1 specialist (except Max and Redbull) agrees that BOTH drivers were over-committed, and Hamilton is MORE to blame.

Whatever theories you invent, Max will not get his points back.
But he will be more cautious, not aggressive to make sure he doesn't loose more points. And Lewis will also try to avoid taking more blame.

We all by now understand how sad you are about the crash, and that you don't respect Hamilton. I am sure he will be very upset by this, and change his ways.
Great summary.
 
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I didn't even say MAx is frustrated but he is often aggressive, that's why we LIKE him, remember?

You are really unstoppable, aren't you? You don't even read any common sense arguments, just keep trolling. Maybe Silverstone WAS Karma for Max, who will tell...

Ok, now its your turn again to say you don't like Hamilton.
You are really unstoppable, aren't you? I can say the same of you
 
I agree with Muzikant about the types of corner, yes you "can" in theory overtake on any corner...as long as you don't cause a collision, which in a corner like Copse takes not just big balls, but big skills, and there sadly Lewis lacked the skills to avoid an incident. And I'm a fan of NEITHER driver and would be saying the same if drivers reversed or any combination of driver. I'm glad I'm not on the same race track as some people here....simulated and ESPECIALLY reality.
I'm the only one who comes up with theories how funny can you be I read theories from at least 15 people
I just quoted what the F1 specialists say, I don't invent stuff.
You are the one who decides what corners are for overtaking and what not.
I think Max would really laugh at you: he will try to overtake everywhere.
And you know what: he usually can overtake anywhere ;)
 
I just quoted what the F1 specialists say, I don't invent stuff.
You are the one who decides what corners are for overtaking and what not.
I think Max would really laugh at you: he will try to overtake everywhere.
And you know what: he usually can overtake anywhere ;)
what are you actually trying to say?
 
what are you actually trying to say?
The same as I said a week ago:
Racing incident between 2 good but aggressive drivers, Lewis more at fault.
Check the youtube analysis by Driver61, Jolyan Palmer or Chain Bear, they are all spot on: Racing incident. All the rest is bullshit.

ALL successful F1 drivers are aggressive and sometimes hypocrites.
Hamilton would be the first to complain about a driver on the radio and when that driver is punished, he'd say "I really don't want to win like this" (vs Vettel, Canada 2019) That's why I am not a Hamilton fan.

And now lets get on with the season and hope Max wins!
 
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I just quoted what the F1 specialists say, I don't invent stuff.
You are the one who decides what corners are for overtaking and what not.
I think Max would really laugh at you: he will try to overtake everywhere.
And you know what: he usually can overtake anywhere ;)
Indeed I've been made aware as much as possible (short of the actual regs) that thems the rules.....I'm not one to "blindly" follow rules when they are dangerous. I question everthing and this is a rule I question.

The issue I have with "you can overtake anywhere" is that it only works when:

a) the car being overtaken yields (I.e. NOT racing).
b) the car being overtaken is taken by surprise and doesn't defend.

IF the leading car defends (and corner defense is allowed) in those types of corners then, because the overtaker is 99.99% reliant on the other car yielding or not defending, a collision is certain.

It's why I prefer "clean" racers, those who do it all with skill without resorting to the antics of Senna, Schumacher, Max and now Lewis.

Also I hope you never complain racing when a human or Ai oppenent just barges you out of the way in a corner. "racings is racing" after all eh? Why bother being clean? See a gap, dive in regardless of the consequences?
 
Hmmm… Mika Hakkinen… I seem to remember him driving cars with Mercedes engines a lot…
Not sure if it was intended as amusing, but this one cracked me up.
Basically "Hakkinen's opinion is worthless because he drove a car that had a mercedes engine in it 20 years ago".
Comedy gold :roflmao:
 
Muzikant :cool:
This is my last response to you cause you seems to be one of the most biased and stubborn fanboy'ish guy I've ever seen. You're talking about respect? You? It's ridiculous.
Guys like you are poison to the community.

It was said in so many reviews of incidents between Lewis and Max, Lewis was the one who backed off.
In case of Barcelona even Horner admitted:
Quote:
“Turn 1 was mega. I mean Max, that was full Max Verstappen – he was just going for it – and he positioned the car fantastically well,” said Horner after the Spanish GP. “He tucked in, he got a little bit of a tow and a bit of momentum. And yeah he just braked later and ran the car wide. Thankfully Lewis had got out of it because otherwise he would have ended up in the fence,” he added."
Source:

So if Max is going full Verstappen and others have to back off they call Max "the reigning champion". If others don't back off they'll comes with lawyers.

Btw: At Silverstone Lewis backed off twice already before the incident in Copse Corner.
we disagree but that doesn't matter and that i'm poison to the community is just your opinion no idea how you come to that conclusion?
 
The issue I have with "you can overtake anywhere" is that it only works when:
a) the car being overtaken yields (I.e. NOT racing).
b) the car being overtaken is taken by surprise and doesn't defend.
My point is: things are only impossible until someone does them, like surprising another driver from 5 car lengths back... (Ricciardo does this well and so does Max) or driving around the outside at Estoril... or passing at copse. It's all very difficult but not impossible, but people like Max etc often succeed in doing difficult stuff, that's why they are great to watch.
But it makes no sense to claim that passing at copse, or taking the outside at the last corner in Estoril, etc is impossible, let alone forbidden, just because you have been victim of an error.
Those actions are very hard, brave and risky.
If Max had yielded at copse, Lewis would have been called a hero... that's how it works.
We all understand that Christian Horner is extremely disappointed with the outcome of the race.
It's just a shame that everyone starts doing politics, sometimes plainly lying, when something goes wrong for them. Toto Wolff is no different...
IF you try a pass at copse, you have to REALLY get it right. And Lewis didn't get it right, hence the penalty. All the rest is emotion or politics.
 
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My point is: things are only impossible until someone does them, like surprising another driver from 5 car lengths back... (Ricciardo does this well and so does Max) or driving around the outside at Estoril... or passing at copse. It's all very difficult but not impossible, but people like Max etc often succeed in doing difficult stuff, that's why they are great to watch.
But it makes no sense to claim that passing at copse, or taking the outside at the last corner in Estoril, etc is impossible, let alone forbidden, just because you have been victim of an error.
Those actions are very hard, brave and risky.
If Max had yielded at copse, Lewis would have been called a hero... that's how it works.
We all understand that Christian Horner is extremely disappointed with the outcome of the race.
It's just a shame that everyone starts doing politics, sometimes plainly lying, when something goes wrong for them. Toto Wolff is no different...
IF you try a pass at copse, you have to REALLY get it right. And Lewis didn't get it right, hence the penalty. All the rest is emotion or politics.
At no point have I said words like "impossible" or "forbidden".....and at the end you're basically saying what I said all along. Lewis effed up, I don't think any of us amateur sim racers would attempt to take Copse on the line Lewis was on let alone attempt a pass on that line..what on earth was he thinking?
 
At no point have I said words like "impossible" or "forbidden".....and at the end you're basically saying what I said all along. Lewis effed up, I don't think any of us amateur sim racers would attempt to take Copse on the line Lewis was on let alone attempt a pass on that line..what on earth was he thinking?
It all depends on who gives in... the move was risky but not crazy.
Why does everybody ignore he was virtually alongside just before the corner?
But I give up.
A beautiful weekend to ALL of you :)
 
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It all depends on who gives in... the move was risky but not crazy.
Why does everybody ignore he was virtually alongside just before the corner?
But I give up.
A beautiful weekend to ALL of you :)
People are NOT ignoring that at all, there's some difference of opinion on what consitutes "it's MY corner". Going by the diagram posted earlier, it was clearly Lewis' corner yet the stewards said he was "predominately to blame", which means the stewards realised that diagram wasn't to be taken as gospel...which is true as it's meant as "guidance" only. (I still wish someone would find the damn official regulations!!!!). I have expressed as my own personal opinion only that I find the guidance on that diagram daft for a corner like copse.
 
Not sure if it was intended as amusing, but this one cracked me up.
Basically "Hakkinen's opinion is worthless because he drove a car that had a mercedes engine in it 20 years ago".
Comedy gold :roflmao:
He did much more than just drive cars for Mercedes and also more recently than 20 years… so if his opinion is more biased towards Mercedes, it would not surprise me. But, glad I made you laugh. Laughing is good for everybody!:roflmao:
 
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I agree with Muzikant about the types of corner, yes you "can" in theory overtake on any corner...as long as you don't cause a collision, which in a corner like Copse takes not just big balls, but big skills, and there sadly Lewis lacked the skills to avoid an incident. And I'm a fan of NEITHER driver and would be saying the same if drivers reversed or any combination of driver. I'm glad I'm not on the same race track as some people here....simulated and ESPECIALLY reality.
.....and yet, he did the almost identical move successfully on Charles later in the Grand Prix.
The only difference...a lighter car less prone to understeer because of fuel burn.
It becomes ever more difficult to reason when bias overcomes fact.
 
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Premium
Aww Terry you ruined the calm...I thought there was finally a ceasefire LOL

It's been exactly a week of this back and forth guys and gals...but apparently:
780bc703bad1c4694fe8fb84a8ae967c.jpeg
 
.....and yet, he did the almost identical move successfully on Charles later in the Grand Prix.
The only difference...a lighter car less prone to understeer because of fuel burn.
It becomes ever more difficult to reason when bias overcomes fact.
what the hell are you blithering on about.....In the overtake v Leclerc (and Norris), there were other Glaring differences you obviously missed. I'll spell them out:

a) Leclerc didn't defend the corner as robustly as Max did, (I've already mentioned that's an aspect that I thought was a tad too much from MAX (probably why it's not 100% Lewis' fault in the eyes of the Stewards). So Lewis was on a MUCH better line then when he attempted the Leclerc overtake.....I'd presume someone who simraces knows the inside line will not give as much grip as the racing line but you prove me wrong it seems

b) Leclerc had to drive WELL OFF the track to avoid crashing into Lewis.

c) Leclerc was not in the title fight like Lewis and Max are.

I'm not biased, I'd say the same things regardless of driver. So next time don't be such a douche with your reply.
 
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what the hell are you blithering on about.....In the overtake v Leclerc (and Norris), there were other Glaring differences you obviously missed. I'll spell them out:

a) Leclerc didn't defend the corner as robustly as Max did, (I've already mentioned that's an aspect that I thought was a tad too much from MAX (probably why it's not 100% Lewis' fault in the eyes of the Stewards). So Lewis was on a MUCH better line then when he attempted the Leclerc overtake.....I'd presume someone who simraces knows the inside line will not give as much grip as the racing line but you prove me wrong it seems

b) Leclerc had to drive WELL OFF the track to avoid crashing into Lewis.

c) Leclerc was not in the title fight like Lewis and Max are.

I'm not biased, I'd say the same things regardless of driver. So next time don't be such a douche with your reply.
I almost agree with you here, especially at the "there were other Glaring differences" part.
Just the same corner but completely different circumstances.

The only point I've to heavily disagree is your "b) Leclerc had to drive WELL OFF the track to avoid crashing into Lewis."
Charles went off the track because of his own driving error.
 

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