BRITISH GP - WING THURSDAY!

McLaren is still unsure about the best wing to run at Silverstone 💡

A MORE loaded wing (left) provides:
✅✅ Much better braking (grip + stability);
✅ Improved cornering and traction;
❌ Higher drag (main drawback).

🛞 Will it result in better tyre deg? Yes... maybe
- The tyres will spin/slide less ➡️Smaller temperature spikes ➡️ Lower thermal deg.
- Tyres will be subject to higher vertical forces, AND also longitudinal/lateral forces if the driver exploits the additional grip ➡️ Larger MECHANICAL stress.

The AVERAGE temperature can get higher, increasing the mechanical wear (tyre gets softer) and the thermal wear too.

In Silverstone, a more loaded wing normally improves tyre deg. There are exceptions, though: LEC got P3 in 2020 on the terrible SF1000 also thanks to the lower tyre stress induced by his less loaded rear wing!

If you liked this topic I will make a more detailed discussion and analysis on it in the future!

Photos by: @albertfabrega

So... I did something😬

I'm teaming up with JMP to organise an F1-themed data analysis summer challenge!🤩

You'll analyse the data from an F1 race: laptimes, compounds, pit stops, speed traps, you name it!🏎

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Info in comment👇

1) SIGN UP
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I will be on the jury alongside other experts. The winners will present their findings in a webinar and will also receive a LEGO F1 car! 🧱

Click here:
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See you at the challenge!

A race weekend might be the best time to get involved in a F1-themed data analysis challenge! 👀🏎

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BRITISH GP - PRACTICE 2 ANALYSIS

The telemetry of 🟧NOR vs 🟥LEC's laps is VERY interesting:

🟧NOR was 8km/h (!!) quicker than LEC at Turn 4 apex, yet he was also quicker on entry and no slower on exit.

🟧NOR downshifted to 2nd gear into T7 (LEC used 3rd).

🟥LEC didn't lift into Copse (T9), but his ERS deployment before that is much lower (notice how he loses more and more speed)!

🟥However, he was 8km/h quicker at the end of the snake (T12-13) as he lifted was less through there, producing ~1g higher lateral acceleration. He only lost a bit on exit.

🟥He lifted less into T15, but his performance was similar to NOR's.

Summary: 🟧McL is the favourite, but 🟥Ferrari should be strong again, as in Austria (Mercedes might be in the mix too, aided by the cooler temperatures).

What's YOUR opinion?

Become a supporter and access the 60+ analyses so far (and the in-depth articles!)
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https://buymeacoffee.com/f1dataanalysis/british-gp-analyses-repository-3817123

The possible rain can shake up everything, though! It will be a very unpredictable weekend 😬🔥

📊 BRITISH GP - FP2 LONG RUNS

Most drivers used the Medium

🟦VER: quickest;
🟧NOR: incredibly consistent (likely driving to a target laptime);
🟥HAM: started his long run with the quickest lap, but his pace dropped worryingly;
🟩RUS: longest stint (12 push laps; 23 laps on his tyres by the end!)

Quali analyses will be delayed by a few hours 😬🌊

BRITISH GP - QUALIFYING

“Aerodynamically, a skinny rear wing shouldn't allow you to corner as quickly, but VER doesn't know it, so he does it anyway!”

🟦Verstappen's and 🟧Piastri's laps were just 1 tenth apart, yet they couldn't be more different than this!

VER opted for a very skinny (for Silverstone) rear wing, gaining significantly over all the straights.

His achievement, however, was losing little or no time in the fast corners! Notice how he's still very competitive in Maggots and Becketts (T10-12).

He had to lift into Copse (T9), though: his entry speed was higher than PIA's (less drag) and his grip limits lower (less downforce).

He had no other choice but to obey the laws of physics!

BRITISH GP RACE PACE

🟧McL dominated, and it wasn’t even close: the 2nd best car (🟩Sauber/HUL and 🟥Ferrari/HAM were matched) was over 1s/lap slower!

ALB’s pace (13th quickest) was closer to HUL/HAM’s than HUL/HAM’s was to NOR’s!

🟦VER’s skinny rear wing paid dividends in quali, but hurt him in the wet.

🟩Sauber scored more points (15) than any other team after McLaren! They are now 6th in the WCC, and HUL is 9th in the WDC (and has over half ANT’s points).

BRITISH GP - 📊 START ANALYSIS

Those on the front row (🟦VER, 🟧PIA) were the first to reach 200km/h. Still, PIA was slightly quicker to 100km/h, gaining a few meters (but not enough to attack).

Worst start by ANT and SAI (needed 0.4s more than PIA to reach 100km/h, and 0.6s more to 200).

BRITISH GP - 🟦VER vs 🟧PIA RACE START

PIA was smoother on the throttle (increased it sooner, but also more progressively).

VER, instead, had to lift a bit around 50% throttle as he has some wheelspin (notice the spike in RPM just before that!).

He still reached 200km/h when PIA did, but lost a bit of time before that.

BRITISH GP - RACE | TOP SPEED PER LAP

How strong can a tow be? What about 26km/h ON TOP of DRS?!?😳

BEA had the 4th lowest top speed in quali (no tows): ‘just’ 320km/h.

Instead, he reached 346km/h while overtaking, although compared to quali:
- ERS deployment had to be managed more 🪫;
- Track conditions were worse.

Teams’ points after 12 races: comparison with last year 👀

2024
🥇🔵RBR 373
🥈🔴Ferrari 302
🥉🟠McL 295
4️⃣⚫️Mercedes 221

2025
🥇🟠McL 460 (+165✅)
🥈🔴Ferrari 222 (-80❌)
🥉⚫️Mercedes 210 (-11✖️)
4️⃣🔵RBR 172 (-201❌❌)

- RBR went from 1st to 4th in WCC. They lost over half of their points!
- McL gained 165 points in just 12 races;
- Clear decline for Ferrari;
- Almost no change for Mercedes;
- Overall, the top 4 teams lost points (who went to midfielders).

McL has more points than Ferrari and Mercedes COMBINED! 🤯

Finally: the telemetry of the near-miss that led to PIA's penalty! (Lap 21) 👀

🟠 PIA braked very intensely: around 2g sustained braking. Specifically, the low-speed braking was extreme: he reached ~2.4g at around 126km/h (low speed ➡️little downforce) and in the wet, which is close to the maximum braking effort the car can sustain under those conditions (and possibly he exceeded the grip limits briefly). He braked almost as strong as he could.

🔵 VER had to brake intensely to avoid him, and did so for longer (he nearly stopped: 32km/h).

PIA also did something similar (208km/h to 50km/h in 160m) 4 laps before, when VER was farther back. In my opinion, what he did on both laps was dangerous (very intense braking with little visibility), but the danger only showed up on Lap 21 as VER was closer.

What do you think? Was the penalty fair or too harsh?

🤔

Made via @JMP_software

2025 QUALI PERFORMANCE (Gap to fastest lap)

[Each quali is a dot ⚪️]

In Silverstone (Purple dot 🟣):
- 🟦 RBR got pole;
- 🟩 Aston (ALO) and ⬜️Haas (BEA) were closer to the fastest lap than in any other quali session (but BEA had a 10-place drop);
- 🟧 McL had their 2nd worst session (yet still 2-3 and 0.1s off pole)!
- 🟥 Ferrari had their 2nd-best showing.

TEAMS QUALI TIER LIST
(Based on average quali gap)

S-Tier: McL (almost always on pole, and when they don't, it's by a tiny margin)

B-Tier: Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari (Can fight for poles, but only if everything goes their way). Average quali gap: TENFOLD McL's!

D-Tier: Williams, RBs, Alpine, Aston. Can fight with the previous 3 on occasion, but not for pole. Very track-dependent order

E-Tier: Haas, Sauber. Often fight with the previous 4, but are the slowest on average

Aston and Sauber have improved massively (recent performance is 'top of midfield')

Made via @JMP_software