Ben Hunt: Verstappen’s F1 clean sweep isn’t a shoo-in as Norris and Co show the pack are catching up at Silverstone
MAX VERSTAPPEN was victorious again and Red Bull maintained their 100 per cent win-rate for the season.
But don’t switch off yet, the others are definitely catching up.
OK, it may already be too late in the title race for Verstappen has a whopping 99-point lead.
But there was something, even in Red Bull’s 11th consecutive win, that makes me think we could see a driver from a different team on the top-step of the podium at the next race in Budapest.
Red Bull started the season strongly with a car design that has proved to be best out of the box — as they usually do.
I have asked their rivals and there is ZERO suspicion of any foul play with regards to the design — which in itself is unusual for F1 as team’s do enjoy pointing an accusing finger.
Yet we have now reached the point of the season where the teams have had time to copy that design and produce their own version of it.
Consequently, it was no surprise to see McLaren’s Red Bull-inspired car design perform so well at Silverstone.
Others will follow suit soon.
Aston Martin and even Mercedes would be foolish not to put engineering pride to one side and copy Red Bull’s homework.
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It was interesting to hear Lando Norris keep expectations in check after impressive back-to-back results — fourth in Austria and second at Silverstone — on two very different tracks.
He usually has a terrible poker face but they will again be in the mix in Budapest at the Hungarian GP, as will Mercedes after a difficult two races.
Verstappen has been winning by a good 25+ seconds yet, at Silverstone, that was cut to just 3.7sec.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has always maintained that convergence would happen over the course of the season as the other teams make up ground.
And we also need to factor in the limited development Red Bull now have by virtue of the rules that cut the allotted wind-tunnel time depending on where you finish in the championship.
The other element to consider is the further reduction as punishment for breaching last year’s cost cap.
The gap in lap time between Verstappen and the rest is closing.
While it is too late to change the outcome of this year’s championship, it does bode well for the competitiveness for 2024.
Pitt’s lost the plot
FILMING for the new Formula One film started at Silverstone and we were told to hold back on the details so as not to spoil the plot.
So it was a bit of a surprise to hear Brad Pitt say this in a TV interview with Sky F1.
When asked about his character Sonny Hayes, movie star Pitt said: “So he has a horrible crash, kind of craps out and disappears and is racing in other disciplines.
“His friend, played by Javier Bardem, is a team owner.
“They’re the last-placed team — 21st and 22nd on the grid. They’ve never scored a point.
“They have a young phenom played by Dansom Idris.
“He brings me in as a kind of ‘Hail Mary’ and high jinks ensue.”
Lew-dunit
ACTOR Damian Lewis is well used to playing a baddie on screen — but boy did he murder the national anthem at Silverstone on Sunday.
He sounded like a shoddy Elvis tribute act.
Four’s to be reckoned with
CHANNEL 4 has extended its deal with Sky to show Formula One action by three years to 2026.
The agreement shows the British GP live and delivers a highlights package of all the other races.