Silver Arrows on Record Hunt at Silverstone: Hamilton's Home Race, Russell's Tractor Dream and the Lego Parade

„Nach dem letzten Jahr, in dem ich sowohl das Rennen als auch die WM gewonnen habe, kann ich etwas entspannter hierherkommen, ohne das Gefühl zu haben, unter Druck zu stehen", explained Hamilton. The 28-year-old is determined to further reduce his deficit to Antonelli in the ninth championship round of the year. 46 points separate him from the leader.

Hamilton's Living Room

The record world champion himself also emphasizes Hamilton's special relationship with Silverstone: „Sie hat sich über einen sehr langen Zeitraum hinweg entwickelt, seit meiner ersten Pole Position 2007. Die Rennstrecke ist großartig, die Fans sorgen für eine einzigartige Atmosphäre." It is also an emotional home race for the Briton, where as a driver of the legendary Mercedes team he now competes for the traditional Italian racing team Ferrari.

Unlike Hamilton, Mercedes teammate George Russell approaches the home race with mixed feelings. Russell is still well-positioned in the title fight – only 40 points behind Hamilton, six ahead of him in fourth place. „Ich habe hier jetzt sicher meine beste Chance, aber darüber denke ich nicht wirklich nach", said Russell. „Ich konzentriere mich auf meine Abläufe und darauf, hart mit meinem Team zu arbeiten, weil ich weiß, dass genau das zum Sieg führt und nicht das Träumen davon."

Russell's Tractor Dream

The Briton, who grew up in the countryside in Norfolk, surprisingly spoke before the weekend about a childhood dream: „Ich erinnere mich, dass ich als Kind davon geträumt habe, einen Massey-Ferguson-Traktor zu besitzen", said Russell. He has long had the money for a tractor, but not yet a victory at his home race. „Denn das schien mir in Reichweite." He does not want to wish for a possible triumph too much.

The competition within his own camp is strong: With Kimi Antonelli, a young Italian leads the drivers' standings. With seven wins in eight races, Mercedes is by far the clearly dominant team so far. „Das ist die Realität der aktuellen Situation in der F1", said Antonelli, who came onto the podium in Spielberg after Russell. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff remains restrained despite the successes: „Das Feld liegt zu eng beieinander, die Reihenfolge ändert sich zu schnell, und was in der einen Woche noch wettbewerbsfähig aussah, kann in der nächsten ganz anders aussehen."

The Challengers Lie in Wait

Behind Mercedes, the challengers lie in wait. Lando Norris, fifth in the championship, remembers the chaotic race at Silverstone last year. „Stattdessen habe ich den Wunsch, mein Heimrennen ein zweites Mal zu gewinnen", said Norris. „Das ist etwas Besonderes, weil ich mich noch immer als Kind sehe, das Rennen fahren und das Fahren genießen will, aber gleichzeitig habe ich dieses unglaubliche Extra, nämlich eine Fangemeinde." Hamilton joked about his friend Russell in front of the media: „Ich erinnere mich, dass er immer die ganze Nacht geschnarcht hat, mitten in der Nacht aufgewacht ist und ich ihn nach draußen bringen musste, damit er vor Valtteris Wohnwagen sein Geschäft verrichten konnte", Hamilton recounted amusedly about the time spent with Russell and former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.

Max Verstappen is also a candidate for victory at Silverstone. „Es mag wieder ein großartiges Wochenende für uns werden, aber es könnte auch Max gewinnen", Russell is aware of the danger posed by the four-time world champion. Verstappen himself appears less confident: „Ich will es so schnell wie möglich hinter mich bringen", the Dutchman appeared less amused. In Spielberg, Verstappen came as close to victory with second place as he has all season. „Es wird ein hartes Rennen", he emphasized. „Es wird anders zu fahren sein, als wir es von Silverstone gewohnt sind", the four-time world champion continued, without specifying technical details.

Nico Hülkenberg also deserves attention. In the rain, the German ended his losing streak after 238 futile attempts and raced from second-to-last on the grid to third place with a masterful drive. With this result, he has announced his return and can tackle Silverstone with confidence. In the home of British motorsport, a state of emergency prevails when the English Formula 1 idols take to the stage to heat up the atmosphere before the Grand Prix.

Lego Cars and Sprint Race

Another highlight is the Lego race on Sunday: Then the Formula 1 drivers compete in miniature cars made of around 28,000 Lego bricks each. The cars, weighing around 280 kilograms, can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h. Hamilton put it in a nutshell: „Das ist der gefährlichste Teil des Wochenendes", said the record world champion with a wink. The Lego race has been held for five years, with the premiere at Silverstone in mid-July 2021. With eight of 22 races completed, only around one third of the season has been driven.

The sprint races begin at Silverstone with the fourth of six short races (Saturday, 1:00 PM CEST, live on ORF1) in the second half. „Keine Ahnung, warum", said Russell, at least surprised about the tight schedule. „Es geht nun darum, Konstanz zu finden und aus jedem Wochenende das Bestmögliche herauszuholen", is the motto of the Mercedes driver, currently fourth.

The organizers expect 565,000 fans across the entire Grand Prix weekend. This makes the race one of the best-attended on the entire calendar. ORF1 broadcasts the action live: Friday at 1:20 PM the first practice, at 5:10 PM the Sprint Qualifying. On Saturday, the Sprint broadcast begins at 12:40 PM (Sprint at 1:00 PM), followed at 4:40 PM by the F1 News show, and at 4:55 PM the Qualifying. On Sunday, coverage starts at 2:40 PM with the F1 News, the race begins at 3:25 PM (4:00 PM), with the analysis following at 5:45 PM.

Hamilton summarizes his special connection to Silverstone himself: „Es ist für uns Briten ein Privileg, hier zu sein und unser Land zu vertreten, zumal gerade so viele großartige sportliche Events stattfinden, von Wimbledon bis zur Fußball-WM." Norris also emphasizes the significance of the circuit: „Silverstone ist einer der Höhepunkte im Rennkalender."

Wolff's Sober Assessment

Hamilton adds regarding the special atmosphere: „Diese Verbindung besteht schon seit 20 Jahren, sie ist also ziemlich tief. Er ist einfach immer dorthin gegangen." With these words, he describes his own decades-long bond with the circuit. „Als ich ein Kind war, schien mir das einfach zu weit hergeholt", said Hamilton with a view to his own childhood memories and the grown fanbase.

Russell views the weekend soberly: „Wir sind jedoch nicht in der Position, davon auszugehen, dass sich das fortsetzen wird", he said, measured. The favorite role weighs on Mercedes, but the competition is warned.

With the upcoming weekend, the hot phase of the season begins. After the British Grand Prix, numerous races remain, and the title fight is completely open. Antonelli leads, Hamilton follows, Russell lurks behind. At Silverstone, it could become clear who has the momentum on their side in the remaining races of the season.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is looking forward to the weekend only a few kilometers from the team's headquarters. From Vienna, where he last attended the Austrians' home race, he now heads directly to England. Wolff knows the significance of the home race for his team: The Silver Arrows are the benchmark this season.

Home Race with Tradition

For Hamilton, Silverstone is more than just a race. The circuit symbolizes the pinnacle of his career, his emotional home. Here he secured numerous podium finishes, here he celebrated his first successes, here he now wants to triumph in the Ferrari. The return to the podium in Spain has shown: The record world champion is far from the end of his career