#also if Charles claimed he moved only when he saw a car try to overtake from the left he’s just bullshitting an excuse

[leclercskiesahead]

Some absolutely baffling and let’s say truly imaginative interpretations of the race start so here is the break down of what we actually see.

Charles moves to his left (outer track) off the racing line. George behind him immediately shifts to his right (ie inner track) because he senses the gap. At 0:06 there’s a clear line down the straight for George because Lando also moved outwards to cover Charles.

Bottas and Hulk were trying to look down the middle once George went to the inside so he had to come back out a bit to cover them, and his entry atp would have been a bit too narrow. But even when he goes back outward a bit, he still stays well inside Charles’ line as seen right at the end of 0:08/start of 0:09. He blocks Bottas into the turn but not Hulk, we’ll come back to this later.

At 0:10 Lando and Charles take their first apex on this part of the turn sequence, moving back to the inside of the track. In isolation this is normal and covers George’s inside line. But as they pass the apex, Charles goes back out wide. At 0:11 is when he starts drifting to his left again. Carlos’ car body doesn’t even overlap his.

Now all this time, Oscar and Carlos pretty much stayed on their initial outer line off the grid. They do drift inward as they enter the T1-3 turn sequence but again this is normal. They are both still well outside of Lando and Charles and their “apex” here - since it is the race start and all cars are around - is on the center line of the track.

0:11-0:12 you can see Charles drift outside Lando and behind Oscar as if he wants to take that Oscar’s line. Mind you he has the space to do this because Carlos’ car still doesn’t overlap his atp.

0:13-0:14 Carlos is still half a car behind Charles. This is hardly an “attack” by Carlos. In fact, Oscar is also just half a car behind Lando and just outside of him, but as they continue along the curve, Oscar can only tuck in behind Lando. There was barely any overtaking threat from Carlos.

As it goes from 0:13.5ish to 0:14 the front five cars start to turn again but Charles still continues his outwards drift, going too deep into the curve and pushing Carlos off track. And leaving the door wide open for George.

At the boundary of 0:12 and 0:13 the gap between Charles and George could still fit a whole car length, possibly one and a half. But within a second and a half that gap is closed because Charles ran so wide and deep and George has been sticking inside all this time.

Note that Hulk actually pulls ahead of George for a moment in 0:12 yet he cannot keep his nose in front around the curve, being on the outer line. Behind that, another car also seems to briefly get its nose in front of Bottas but Bottas easily covers them on the inside. Fernando and Hulk had to swoop their whole cars ahead of Checo and Bottas respectively to overtake those cars on the outside. These further show that Carlos was barely an overtaking threat to Charles. Charles didn’t “need to choose” between defending against Carlos or George. He certainly did not need to defend as much as Carlos had to during the sprint.

Instead it just looks like he was aiming for a wide line (remember he started drifting outwards from like three seconds before he actually goes too deep and right off the starting line he also drifted out) and misjudged how wide to go, leaving him far too little lateral space with his teammate and a huge gap for others to pass him on the inside.

[shes-homeward-bound]

Crash and Burn | Chapter 4

Summary: You’re the first female driver to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship in decades and it's your second year of navigating through a male-dominated sport. Your talent and drive to prove yourself made you vicious on the grid. Your seemingly unshakeable confidence was never questioned- until a certain Ferrari driver made you crash and burn.

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr. x Reader

Chapters: 4/?

Warnings: swearing, a glimpse of playboygasly

Word Count: 4.1k

Posted on: 5/16/2022

masterlist

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I’ve been so busy with school. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and feel free to comment! I want to know your opinions! Also, remember that what I write is fiction, not an actual depiction of their character. 

Chapter 4:

Carlos is a family guy. He has a great relationship with his parents and siblings and when he wasn't working, he was probably with his family. His family made sure to come to Bahrain and support Carlos in the first race of the season. They were ecstatic about his podium and were still talking about it during brunch the next day. His sister Blanca was on her phone when she saw a photo that made her stop scrolling. 

“I saw you and y/n celebrating after the race, I didn’t know you guys were friends,'' said Blanca as she displayed her phone to her parents who were next to her. “Look, F1 just posted a nice picture of them.”

Carlos went on his phone to search and he couldn’t help but smile once he saw it. It was a picture of you two beaming at each other while hooking your pinkies together. The post was celebrating Ferrari’s 1-2 podiums and Aston Martin’s 8 car overtake. He saw that you had already liked the picture and even commented on it claiming it was the power of the pinky promise that helped Ferrari get their podiums. Carlos responded to your comment with: “it’s official. The pinky swear will now be a tradition.” 

“She’s amazing,” said Blanca. “How come you’ve never talked about her before?”

“Oh… ehh we just became friends this year,” said Carlos.

His mother, Reyes, gave him a knowing look. She was with him the day F1 announced your seat with Aston Martin and she heard her son make rude assumptions about how you got your seat in Formula One. She was disappointed at his comment and told her son to get to know you before assuming he knew your story. As she looked at the photo of you and her son, she gave Carlos a nod, happy that you decided to befriend her son. 

“You should invite her over for dinner along with Charles and Lando one day,” said Reyes.

Carlos almost choked on his food when he heard his mother say that. “Uh sure, mom.”

Her husband, Carlos Sr. raised an eyebrow knowing what she was trying to do. She waves him off and leans toward her son.

“Now that we’re talking about girls…. When will you get a serious girlfriend? Are you even trying to date right now?”

“Mama! We’ve talked about this already, I'll find the right person when it’s time. Besides, I can’t afford any distractions right now. I need to focus on winning races, not going on dates.”

She raised her hands in surrender. “I’m just asking, I just want you to find someone to go through life with.” 

He didn’t like it when his mom pressured him with relationships. Ever since moving to McLaren and then to Ferrari, Carlos’ chances at a title were getting closer and he was determined to win it. He’s had a couple of short-term girlfriends but none of them stuck, they were always unhappy that Carlos’s main priority was getting podiums. He wanted to avoid any type of distraction, especially ones that came from relationships. 

As Carlos chewed on his avocado toast, his mind drifted to the memory of you practically flying into his arms after the race. He was surprised that you went to him, he was pleased to know that you cared enough to congratulate him, let alone wrap him in a great hug. Realizing what he was thinking about, he shook his head trying to shake the thought of you away. You had just become his friend and you were only acting like that because he stopped being an asshole and started treating you right. That was the only explanation that made sense thought Carlos.

*******

You were driving Anna to the airport so she could go home and see her fiance for a few days before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While you were occupied by the road ahead of you, Anna was doing a deep dive on all the photos taken of you and the other drivers in yesterday's race. She saw the pictures, especially the one with you engulfing Carlos in a hug. This was the proof she needed.

“Do you like Carlos?” said Anna.

You gripped the steering wheel till your knuckles turned white. You stayed quiet, having no idea what to say. 

Anna screeched. “Oh my gosh! You like him!” she said as she bounced on her seat. “Does he feel the same way?” 

“God no! I don’t know!” you said in a rush. “We just became friends, plus he’s a professional, he would never date another driver,” you said. 

Before Anna could say anything, you rambled on again. “It’s just a stupid crush, my feelings will die off in a couple of weeks. And even if we were to start dating, it wouldn’t be a good idea. The media would have a fucking field day and start making stupid assumptions about us.” 

Anna smiled, she knew you and was confident your feelings wouldn’t wither away, they’d most likely prosper with every interaction you would have with Carlos.

“Can you please stop worrying about the media for one second? Let your friendship with Carlos develop naturally, you never know what will happen,” said Anna. “Don’t sabotage a good thing before you even have it.”

You huffed as Anna said those words. She was right of course, you were finally getting the friendship you wanted from him. What she didn’t know was how much you thought of him. Carlos Sainz Jr. has consumed your thoughts. You knew you were being dramatic but after the realization of your feelings, you haven’t stopped thinking about how he helped you. Hell, you even dreamt about him last night. Nothing has occupied your thoughts like this in a long time, your priority was always racing and when you woke up today thinking about him, it scared you. 

You noticed that Carlos has been treating you really well and he’s shown you that he cared. But did you think he liked you too? Nope. He was just being nice. Like you told Anna, you just hoped these feelings would die off as time went by. It would be almost impossible to ignore Carlos or stop talking to him so you decided to set a rule for yourself. Don’t touch Carlos. It seems like a fairly easy thing to do but you reminded yourself that most of your interactions with him have involved his touch. Your love language was physical touch, it was something you couldn’t help but fixate on. You felt extremely ridiculous making this rule for yourself but it was necessary if you wanted to keep your feelings at bay.

*******

It was time for the drivers to start heading to Jeddah and you were buzzing in excitement. You loved back-to-back race weekends and to top it all off, Lando invited you to fly to Jeddah in a private plane. You didn’t mind taking commercial flights but it was a nice treat now and then to fly in a private plane. You arrived at the airport tarmac and spotted Lando waiting for you by the stairs leading up to the small plane. You both whooped and hollered as you made your way toward him. It was only a 2-hour flight but you were determined to party all the way to Saudi Arabia. 

“Let’s gooo! They already broke out the champagne,” said Lando as he took your suitcase from you.

You stopped in your tracks. “Who? Dani and your girlfriend?”

“Luisa’s here along with Charles, his girlfriend, and Carlos,” said Lando.

“Oh! The more the merrier!” 

As you mentally prepared yourself to see Carlos, you missed the stupid grin on Lando’s face. What better way to get two people to interact with each other than a small plane thousands of feet in the air? Ever since he saw the tension between the two of you during the golf game, he’s been discreetly watching the both of you. Charles warned him not to interfere but Lando wasn’t going to listen. He wasn’t going to do anything major but he was determined to give his friends a little nudge in the right direction.

You stepped onto the plane to be greeted with a hug from Luisa and Charles handed you a champagne flute. This time it was your turn to ignore the other Ferrari driver as you did everything you could do before you had to acknowledge him. In your own confusing way, this was you trying to act calm, cool, and collected in front of Carlos. 

The jet only had 6 seats which left you with only 1 empty spot next to Carlos. Your fake indifference was thrown away as soon as you met the gaze of those dark brown eyes. 

“Hi,” you said softly. 

 He stood up from his seat and like it was the most natural thing in the world, he pulled you in for a hug. You were surprised but you guessed after the Bahrain podium, it shouldn’t have been strange. How the hell were you supposed to let your feelings for Carlos dwindle down when he held you like this? Your arms were around his neck and his arms were wrapped around your waist. When you broke away you noticed how his hands were still resting on your body. Carlos seemed to notice too as he promptly dropped his hands and sat in his seat. Feeling flustered, you looked around the plane to see if anyone had caught that. To your dismay, Lando and Luisa had caught your eye only to turn to each other and pretend they didn’t see the interaction between the both of you. You downed your glass of champagne and got a refill before you sat down. You were no longer in a party mood, you just wanted to drink and think about anything else rather than Carlos. That was an impossible task because he was right next to you and you could smell his cologne again, the citrus and sandalwood engulfing your senses. 

As the plane flew smoothly to Jeddah, you noticed the two sets of couples were occupied with their own conversations leaving you and Carlos to talk. You didn’t want to talk, you wanted to stay far away from him and think of ways to smother your feelings to death. But if you didn’t talk to him, you would be sitting in silence thinking about how good he smelled or looking at his hair and how it seemed to fall perfectly on his head. It was almost like he sensed that you were overthinking when he pulled a travel-sized chessboard out of his bag.

“Do you know how to play?” said Carlos.

You nodded. “I'm a decent chess player too.”

“Of course you are,” chuckled Carlos. “Let’s put those skills to the test.” 

 As the chess game progressed and intensified, the more flirtatious the both of you became. Unbeknownst to you, Lando and Charles were watching Carlos’s every move, trying to decipher what he could be thinking. Their girlfriends thought it was hilarious and gave input every time you did something like throw your head back and laugh at something Carlos said. They noticed the way you would playfully punch his arm whenever he did a good move on the chessboard. The boys saw how Carlos would do his happy nose scrunch whenever he observed you celebrating a chess kill. 

Lando happened to catch you eyeing him up and down as Carlos got up to go use the bathroom. With his face red and veins popping out on his temples, Lando did everything he could do to stop his laughter. Charles glared at him as Luisa clamped her hand over Lando’s mouth.

“Mate, stop that!” whispered Charles. “She’s going to figure out we’ve been watching them and she’ll kill us both. Plus, you’re going to get an aneurysm if you don’t calm down.”

You usually prided yourself on your resolve, it’s what led you to your successful career. When you set your mind to something, you would make sure you achieved it. When it came to Carlos, you were struggling. You told yourself no touching but you found yourself gravitating towards him throughout the entire plane ride without giving your body consent to do so. By the time you arrived on the tarmac at the airport, you and Carlos were leaning on each other fast asleep. You both woke up with a start realizing your head was resting on his shoulder and his head was on top of yours. Neither of you acknowledged it as you were forced to part as the pilot announced it was okay to disembark the plane. As you gathered your belongings, you snuck a look at Carlos to see him with a smile as he packed away his travel chessboard. You bit your lip to avoid the huge grin that would've been plastered on your face. 

*******

The race weekend felt like a blur as you stood in formation with the other drivers as the Saudi Arabian national anthem played. From long practices to you and some drivers protesting the Grand Prix due to nearby missile strikes, the weekend was exhausting. To your dismay, your concern for the fans and everyone on the paddock had been overridden, and to top it all off, you were starting P13 on the grid. This was not ideal but you trusted your skills and the car, now you just had to perform and ensure your future in Formula One. As the others made their way to their cars, the Ferrari driver grabbed your attention by tapping your elbow to stop you. 

You laughed as Carlos lifted his hand and stuck his pinky out. He wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to make this a tradition. You hooked your pinky and held it.

“Good luck,” said Carlos.

“Drive fast,” you responded.

Your cheeks burned as you made your way towards the back of the grid. You could feel a searing gaze on your back, it was either Carlos or the cameramen who were furiously snapping pictures to capture every moment. Either way, you did your best not to smile like a fool, the public could not find out about your little crush. Anna, who was waiting by your car, handed you your helmet. You thanked her as you quickly put it on wanting to give yourself privacy. You clambered into your car and did your usual ritual of closing your eyes, manifesting, and getting into your race mindset. 

You sent it as soon as the lights went off, gaining 2 positions after turn 3. Despite a couple of yellow flags and the constant update of data from your race engineer, you were on a whole different level. It was like you were hypnotized by the light tunnel you were racing in, night races tended to do that to you. You kept pushing and overtaking whenever you could and before you knew it, the race was over. You passed the checkered flag and your engineer radioed in that you were P6. You snapped out of the trance as you squealed into the radio celebrating your point-winning position. You couldn’t stop the smile on your face as Ben, your race engineer informed you of who got the podiums. 

After parking the car and congratulating the drivers that parked nearby, you made a beeline to the front where the top 3 were taking off their helmets and drinking water. You slapped Max on the back as you made your way to the closest Ferrari driver who happened to be Carlos. Still wearing your helmet and drenched in sweat, you wrapped your arms around him.

“Congratulations on the podium Carlos!” 

You laughed as he lifted you from the ground and squeezed you tightly. His eyes gleamed as he grabbed your helmet and brought you a little closer. Your heart wanted to beat out of your chest.

“Amazing job y/n! P13 to P6!” said Carlos.

You grinned at the thought of Carlos checking in on how your race went. Before you could say anything, you felt a slap on your helmet from a smirking Charles. Rolling your eyes, you turn to give your friend a sympathetic hug. You knew he wanted this win to get a proper head start for the championship but he couldn’t complain about P2. 

After watching the podium ceremony, you made your way to the garage to get out of your race suit. There wouldn’t be any clubbing in Jeddah so it was decided that the winner would be celebrated at a fancy dinner. You and Anna made a stop at your hotel to shower and change into one of your favorite silk cocktail dresses that showed off your figure. As you put on some strappy heels, you heard a whistle from Anna.

“Damn girl, you might make Carlos drool when he sees you,” said Anna.

You snorted. “Very funny, Anna. Whether he drools or not, I have to distance myself from him.”

You were aware of how touchy you both were back at the circuit, the fans and people on the paddock definitely noticed. You went from barely any interaction with Carlos in your rookie year to sweet hugs and pinky promises. You were scared of what the media might say about you. What terrified you, even more, was the idea of Carlos finding out about your little crush. If he found out, you knew he’d get all weird and start ignoring you again. You finally had a friendly relationship with Carlos and you really didn’t want to ruin it. 

Once you arrived at the restaurant, there was a group of paparazzi waiting to take pictures. You and Anna smiled and waved as you pushed through the crowd. You were thankful for Lewis’s arrival as the majority of them turned their attention towards him. The hostess led you to a private area reserved for tonight and you immediately scanned the room and that’s when you saw Carlos in a perfectly tailored navy blue suit. He spotted you and you noticed his gaze shift to look you up and down. His jaw fell open only to have it manually shut by Lando who was making fun of him.

Anna snickered. “I told you so.”

You rolled your eyes at her but couldn’t help but smirk. You meant to stay away from Carlos but that didn’t mean you didn’t want him to look. This was the first time the majority of the drivers have seen you in the most figure-hugging dress you owned. You were always stylish and elegant but tonight, you were alluring and carried an air of mystery with you.

With newfound confidence from Carlos’s reaction, you sauntered over to Pierre and Daniel. You gave Daniel a side hug as he ogled at you. 

“Mini-me, what happened to you? You look so beautiful,” said Daniel.

You took your clutch and whacked him. “Excuse you Ricciardo, I always look this good.” 

You turned to Pierre who takes your hand and spins you around before wrapping his arms around your waist with one hand very low on your back. You and Pierre were definitely only friends but that didn’t stop the both of you from jokingly flirting with each other. The fans thought it was hilarious because you were clearly friends and only did it as a joke. 

“Ma chérie, look at you all dressed up for me,” said Pierre.

“Babe,” you placed your hands on his chest and smoothly brought them to clasp behind his neck. “I don’t dress up for drivers slower than me on the grid.” 

The room erupted in laughter and cheers. You were unaware everyone was watching the exchange between you and Pierre. You blushed as you hid behind Pierre, embarrassed by all the attention. Pierre was good-natured and managed to laugh at your burn towards him.

“I guess I’ll have to work harder in the next race,” Pierre said as he squeezed you and let go.

You heard howling laughter and saw that it was Lando. Carlos was next to him looking at you with the most peculiar expression. You couldn’t understand it, did he think it was funny? Was he mad? Before you had time to analyze him, the waitstaff entered the room and everyone made their way to the closest table. With drivers, team principles, and a couple of plus ones, your little F1 circus took the space of multiple large round tables. 

At your table, you were seated between Pierre and Daniel with Carlos sitting across the table. To distract yourself, you talked to Pierre and Dan occasionally sneaking looks at the Ferrari driver across from you wondering what he was thinking.

Carlos was feeling many things. He watched you walk in looking stunning in a dress that showed off curves he didn’t know you had. He thought you’d come up to him and greet him but felt embarrassed as you turned to Pierre and Daniel. Of course, you’d go to them first, they’ve been your friends since the beginning. Carlos only realized he was jealous when Pierre wrapped his arms around you. Pierre might as well have grabbed your ass with the way it was positioned. What made Carlos’ eyes go wide was the fact you leaned close and played with Pierre’s hair. Carlos knew that you guys were friendly and he thought Pierre had a girlfriend but now, he wasn’t so sure. Throughout dinner, Carlos kept an eye on the both of you trying to see if they did something to signify that they were more than friends. Carlos was surprised at himself, he didn’t know he’d get jealous at the sight of you flirting with another man yet here he was watching you like a hawk.

 It wasn’t like you were completely ignoring Carlos, multiple times you’d include him in the conversation but he seemed preoccupied. This was something you’ve noticed about Carlos, he’d space out and stare at random objects whenever he was in deep thought. You wanted to know what he was thinking about. You figured it was okay to approach him since you’ve kept your distance for the entire event. After dinner, people mingled and were occupied with taking pictures with Max and Charles so you took this chance to find Carlos in the crowd. You finally found him tucked in a corner with Mattia, his team principal. You approached the pair and greeted them with the basic Italian that you knew. Mattia congratulated you for getting P6 and left you alone with Carlos.

“Hey,” you said as you sat in the chair next to him. “Why aren’t you over there with the other podium winners?”

Carlos shrugged. “It was getting a little stuffy.”

You didn’t believe him, he still seemed distant even if you were right next to him. You planted your arm on the table and leaned on your hand. With an expression of tenderness, you studied Carlos.

“What’s going on in that head of yours Carlos? You’ve been spaced out the entire dinner.” 

Carlos’s lip quirked. “Have you been watching me?”

You laughed. “ Oh fuck off, I’m just concerned about you.”

“I’m okay,” reassured Carlos. “I just realized something and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Oh? What did you realize?”

Carlos shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about it. I’m just really surprised about it, that’s all.”

“Well… if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here.” 

Carlos smiled and thanked you. He thought this entire conversation was ironic. The woman who had been occupying his thoughts the entire night was sitting in front of him asking if he was okay. Ever since you arrived in Formula One, you had always been an intriguing person to Carlos. You were beautiful and defied expectations with your personality and driving. But tonight was the first time he’s ever felt jealous because of you and it concerned him. Seeing you flirt with Pierre shouldn’t have bothered him, what it did was ignite a fire in Carlos. He realized that he wanted you to be like that around him. Carlos wanted to be able to hold you whenever he felt like it, not just after an event that required some form of congratulations. 

As he sat back and watched you flutter around and socialize with Pierre following you around, he couldn’t help but feel a little somber. If he hadn’t been such an asshole in your rookie year, maybe he would’ve had the privilege to be closer to you. He wanted to punch something as he saw you and one of his oldest friends be all buddy-buddy with each other. Now, all he could do was be your friend and gain your trust. 

don't forget to reblog and lmk what you thought!

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[tkmedia]

Ten things we learned from F1's 2021 British Grand Prix

Formula 1, the British Grand Prix and a sold out Silverstone – it had the feeling of familiarity after the unknown and empty grandstands since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. But the 2021 British GP was anything but recognisable, starting on the Thursday with the first showing of a full-scale 2022 F1 car model and then a new weekend format which pivoted around the inaugural sprint qualifying race. It all resulted in a dramatic and controversial victory for Lewis Hamilton after his lap one collision with Max Verstappen which sent the F1 world championship leader into a 51G impact with the tyre barriers. Hamilton recovered from a 10-second time penalty for the incident to reel in shock leader Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and overtake him with just two laps to go – maximising his advantage with Verstappen out and cutting the deficit in the standings to eight points. While penalties and sportsmanship became the major post-race talking points, it created a race weekend jammed with action and memorable moments. Here are 10 things we learned from the 2021 British GP. 1. The first major clash of Hamilton vs Verstappen reveals true rivalry (By Alex Kalinauckas)

Lewis Hamilton congratulates Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver's sprint race victory Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images It's easy to see why the Lewis Hamilton/Max Verstappen collision at Copse, which put the Red Bull driver out in a scary, high-speed accident, is being described as 'inevitable' – because, really, it was. They have already clashed once in 2021 – at Imola. Then there was Verstappen's divebomb in Spain, plus the ultra-on-the-line close racing between them between Abbey and the approach to Copse in both Silverstone races. But the reason why the grand prix clash ended as it did is precisely because of the championship situation Hamilton faces, as well as the fierce nature of both driver's on-track attitude. Hamilton came into the British GP 33 points down on Verstappen. This isn't 2017-2021, when the Mercedes driver could afford to take a 'big picture' championship-points-tally-consideration view in 50-50 moves. He has more to lose now if something goes wrong, vital ground in a title battle where he has a slower package, so simply cannot afford to give an inch. And that's Verstappen's attitude overall – just look at his reaction to Hamilton getting alongside at Abbey and Brooklands on Sunday. In the crash, Hamilton deserved a penalty for causing the incident, but it was still a fine call. Don't expect this to be the last flashpoint of the 2021 title fight. 2. F1's penalty system needs to be explained better (By Jonathan Noble)

Lewis Hamilton had to sit stationary in his pitbox for 10s before his mechanics could service him Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images Red Bull's calls for Lewis Hamilton to be given a race ban for his part in the opening-lap crash with Max Verstappen were always going to fall on deaf ears. But you could fully understand its frustration that the 10-second penalty given to Lewis Hamilton for the clash ultimately cost the world champion nothing. Although it meant he had to fight a bit harder for the victory, he was still able to come home with the full 25 points. While that may seem unfair for Verstappen, who saw his title advantage slashed massively, F1 is quite right not to dish out penalties based on the consequences of offences. For doing it that way could open an even worse scenario where drivers get heavy sanctions for relatively minor rule breaches, but the book thrown at them when a tiny issue has big consequences. What perhaps is most lacking in F1 is actually a definition of driving rules and etiquette – so fans are better able to judge incidents based on the same criteria the stewards use. That would be hugely helpful in preventing the kind of polarised opinions that have engulfed social media in the last 24 hours. 3. A spirited sprint success, but the overall verdict remains to be decided (By James Newbold)

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21, and the rest of the field at the start Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images Until the ill-fated clash of the titans at Copse, the weekend's biggest talking point had been F1's inaugural sprint race (let's call it what it was, shall we?) which generated mixed reviews. From "weird" according to Sebastian Vettel) to "I loved it" from Charles Leclerc, just about everybody had their opinion. Many welcomed the added excitement it brought to Fridays and the engineering challenge of getting the set-up nailed in FP1, while others questioned the relevance of FP2 when the cars were in parc ferme conditions which meant evaluating tyres was the only feasible action. The 17-lap distance allowed for variation in tyre strategies which was seized upon by Fernando Alonso, whose star turn on the soft tyres undoubtedly enlivened the proceedings as the race for the top four proved pretty static after the opening lap. F1 now faces a decision over whether to continue its experiment beyond the two further (as yet unconfirmed) sprint events planned for this season and, if so, whether to make further tweaks. Series bosses are encouraged by initial feedback, and have an unspecified "job list" to work through, but can at least be pleased that the format shake-up achieved what it set out to in building anticipation throughout the weekend. 4. Two-day race weekends look realistic option to ease pressure on growing F1 calendar (JNob)

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, waves to fans after securing pole Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images F1's first sprint race trial at the British Grand Prix can be viewed as an overall success. The boost in audience figures on Friday, plus increased interest for the Saturday 17-lap dash that provided a few spills and thrills, were exactly what F1 chiefs wanted. Sure there are some things that need improving – like the issue of Saturday's final free-practice being pretty much of no interest to fans on TV – but this is just a case of tidying up rather than starting from a clean sheet of paper. And, of course, the sooner the FIA goes back to awarding pole position in the history books to the fastest driver in Friday qualifying, rather than the winner of the sprint, the better things will be. But the success of the compressed format has also reopened the debate on whether F1 actually needs to stick at three-day weekends. Hamilton suggested a two-day schedule in the future would be the right way to go. It's something that F1 has baulked at in the past, and circuits would certainly not be happy at losing an extra day's ticket sales. But could it be something that proves preferable for some venues in exchange for holding one of F1's Grand Slam sprint weekends? 5. F1 at its best with packed crowds as Silverstone roars again (AK)

Fans cheer from the grandstands Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images Questions over the merits of letting a capacity crowd – that totalled 365,000 at Silverstone over the entire British GP weekend – gather during an ongoing pandemic should directed to the UK government, with the track itself understandably just trying to stay afloat in these awful times. But the fans in attendance were treated to an exceptional sporting event. Friday night qualifying produced two exceptional displays from British drivers in front their home fans, with the reaction to George Russell's Q3 lap the highlight for this writer given how the Williams racer was cheered from corner-to-corner. Then the sprint race delivered nicely in terms of an interesting race, even if it wasn't the all-out thriller some claimed. But it did set up a grand prix that fizzled spectacularly throughout – capped by the title rivals colliding and Leclerc nearly holding on for a famous against-the-odds victory. But there's an interesting footnote to Hamilton's victory. Motorsport.com was told there were plenty of new, younger fans seen at Silverstone – with an apparent increase in female spectators too. It will be interesting to see if this can be backed up in official data, but even anecdotally it suggests the 'Netflix effect', as well as Hamilton's laudable efforts to help diversify motorsport are having an impact. And what a race they were treated to, hopefully cementing lifelong motorsport fan status. 6. Leclerc demonstrates Ferrari's resurgence (By Jake Boxall-Legge)

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12 Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images Leclerc was unbelievably close to a surprise victory at the British GP, but there wasn't quite enough in the tank to repel Hamilton's late assault for the lead. But Leclerc had been stellar, and his opportunistic move to clear Hamilton moments after the Verstappen incident rewarded him with the upper hand for the restart. His getaway from the pole spot and subsequent managing of the gap to Hamilton were incredibly well-judged and, despite facing engine cut-out issues while in the lead, Leclerc was able to weather the storm and find enough in reserve to keep Hamilton at bay. The seven-time champion's recovery post-penalty, however, was too much for Leclerc to resist and his slight wide moment at Copse was the only blot on the Monegasque's copybook. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz Jr's recovery in the sprint and continued progress in the race also showed the pace of the Ferrari in the pack, although his ascent was halted by a slow pitstop. That dropped him behind Daniel Ricciardo, whose McLaren proved to be a tough cookie to overtake. Nonetheless, Ferrari has showed greatly improved form after a disastrous Paul Ricard race, and the upcoming Hungarian GP could be a race in which the Scuderia truly shines. 7. Perez suffers like those before him in Red Bull's second seat (By Haydn Cobb)

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, and Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, on the grid, ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 car unveiling Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images Sergio Perez appeared to have the Red Bull support role nailed after picking up the pieces to win in Baku and then claim a deserved podium at the next race at Paul Ricard. But after being in the wars in Austria against McLaren's Lando Norris and Leclerc, Perez's performance in the British GP had shades of the struggles Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon endured before the Mexican came to Red Bull's rescue. It must be said it is down to fine margins, but qualifying behind Leclerc on Friday night set the wheels in motion for Perez's downward spiral. Trapped in the midfield battle at the start of the feisty sprint race, he was caught out by dirty air and spun off, to be condemned to the back of the grid for the main event. Despite Red Bull F1 car tweaks made in a bid to aid his retaliation in the grand prix, but also meaning a pitlane start, Perez was making progress until he got stuck in DRS trains and then got impatient and collided with Kimi Raikkonen. A P10 finish was as good as it was going to get until Red Bull sacrificed that solitary point to pit Perez for softs to take the fastest lap point away from Hamilton – even though finishing outside of the top 10 meant he wouldn't earn the point himself. Perez has slipped back to fifth place in the standings and is set to play 'who can be the best support driver' against Valtteri Bottas for the rest of the year. 8. Old dog Alonso makes the most of new tricks (HC) Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, and Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images Alonso demonstrated he's lost none of his racecraft with his stunning start to the sprint. The Alpine driver's charge from 11th to fifth was aided by his soft tyre gamble, but the TV onboard footage was reminiscent of the old Alonso - carving through the pack and finding gaps few others can. As his softs faded and left him seventh for the start of the main event, the double world champion held his nerve against an early attack from Vettel, before his old rival spun off on his inside at Woodcote, and went on to take seventh to extend his points-scoring run to a fifth race. The British GP marks Alonso's last race before his turns 40 and after a steady start to his F1 comeback, slowed by his pre-season training accident and adapting to his Alpine surroundings, he feels fresher and ready – a warning that the old dog has learned new tricks. "After the accident at the beginning of the year, in the first couple of races, there was still a part of the stress of coming back to the sport. I was concerned about the jaw, about the shoulder as well that I had the small injury with," Alonso said after the British GP. "But now, I'm super fit and I am 200%. "Next week is another number. So we'll eat some cake. But apart from that, it's going to be a very normal weekend. I feel 25. So whatever number it says in the passport it's not what I feel." 9. Williams progress clear but Russell is making the difference (JNew)

George Russell, Williams, waves to fans from Parc Ferme after Qualifying Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Hamilton's qualifying triumph on Friday stole the headlines, but one of the biggest cheers from the crowd was reserved for Russell's lap of honour in his one and only Q3 run. The Williams driver made the final segment of qualifying for the third race in a row with the eighth quickest time, raising questions over whether the FW43B should be considered a Q3 car henceforth. The team's head of vehicle performance Dave Robson reckoned it was "a little too early to say whether that's going to be something that's a regular occurrence", admitting he expected Williams would find it harder than in Austria but the "very calm conditions" on Friday evening played to the car's strengths. Despite the Hungaroring requiring a totally different set-up, Robson predicts "there's a good chance we'll be there or there abouts". But even if it's not, Russell can be counted on to make the difference. While his weekend went downhill after qualifying - a first-lap tangle in the sprint with Sainz resulted in a "harsh" three-place grid penalty for the grand prix that he couldn't recover from against cars that remain quicker in race-trim - Russell is in the form of his life right now. "I think there's an element for him of getting on that upward spiral," explained Robson. The question now is, how high can it go? 10. What the 2022 F1 show car hints at (JBL)

The 2022 Formula 1 car launch event on the Silverstone grid Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images Although F1's vision for 2022 has been long defined after the unveiling of the all-new regulations (initially planned for 2021) back in 2019, the championship's promoters unveiled a full-size model of its interpretation of next year's chargers. Of course, it came with all the bells and whistles expected for next year: the low-slung nose directly attached to the front wing, the simplified bodywork and focus on ground-effect aerodynamics all featured on the car wrapped in a distinctive holographic livery. That being said, there were a few small differences between the physical model and the render, particularly around the front end; the nose tip sat in the middle of the leading front wing element, rather than protruding beyond them, hinting at the variation the teams can employ. Although F1 elected to pick a representation of next year's rules largely based on aesthetics, it can only be expected that the teams will take a more pragmatic view of the rules and might not necessarily stick to the spirit of them. There's a greater focus on prescribed designs and single-spec components to cut costs and develop the aero effect that F1 has studied and earmarked as the way forward for closer on-track racing, but those effects will surely be a little diluted when it comes to the actual range of cars next year. Regardless, it's an exciting new direction for F1; although some have questioned the necessity of the new rules as 2021 continues to intrigue us all, the British GP still showed the difficulties of racing within the current level of dirty air. The new rules should reduce that problem, should everything go to plan. By Alex Kalinauckas, Jonathan Noble, James Newbold, Jake Boxall-Legge and Haydn Cobb Read the full article