British GP: Verstappen, to remove the thorn in Silverstone

the dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), last world champion of Formula Onewill try to strengthen its leadership in Silverstone (England), a circuit that hosted, in 1950, the first race in the history of the queen category; and this weekend will host British Grand Prix, the tenth World Cup. On this circuit, last year Lewis Hamilton sent him off the track in the first lap, suffering a strong impact against obstacles in one of the fastest corners in the championship, in Copse. so, Verstappen He arrives wanting to remove the ‘thorn’ and erase that memory on this British track with a car capable of fighting it all against Ferraris.

Whatever happens, ‘Mad Max’, 24, will lead the legendary Northamptonshire county trackbecause after signing two weeks ago, in Canada, his sixth victory of the year – containing the last attacks of the Spaniards Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), who finished second-, leading the World Cup with 175 points, 46 more than his Mexican teammate Sergio Pérez -retired to Montreal- and has a 49 advantage over the other ‘Scuderia’ driver, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc.

With his 26 wins in the premier class, the young Dutch star has not counted in the British Grand Prix, alone, along with Italy, which has always been present in the 72 years of having Formula One. But he won two years ago at Silverstone: one of the circuits repeated, to reconfigure the pandemic World Cup calendar and organized the ‘70th Anniversary GP’, which marks the first race in F1 history.

ferrarishining in the preseason and coming off a very good start to the World Cup, given, four races ago and in Montmeló (Barcelona), the baton in Verstappen and to his group, red bull; who also presides over Builders World Cupwith 304 points, 76 more than Sainz’s team — fifth in the individual standings, with 102- and with an advantage of 116 against Mercedes.

The German team, which marked a historic milestone by winning the last eight constructors world championship -but, still far from what it was-, had to live, as best possible booty Canadaalong with third and fourth place by its two drivers, the seven -time English world champion Lewis Hamilton and his compatriot George Russell: fourth in the World Cupl, 64 points behind the leader.

Silverstonethat during World War II there is an airport RAF (Royal Air Force), the British air force, is a fast and complex ‘pilot’ circuit, 5,891 meters long, with 18 curves (eight on the left), some of which are mythical, such as Copse and the linked ones Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel. A track with very abrasive asphalt on which, for this reason, in the dry, the wheels of the most durable set of compounds are rolled: C1 (hard, recognizable by white stripes), C2 (medium, yellow stripes) and C3 (soft, red).

Free practice will begin this Friday for the tenth of 22 races that make up a world which, as is beginning to become customary, will close -on November 20- in Abu Dhabi.

Rehearsals will be completed on Saturday, hours before qualifying; which will command the starting grid of the race on Sunday, which is scheduled for 52 laps to complete a 306.2-kilometer route.

Sainz and Alonso, for everyone

sainz27, and his countrymen Fernando Alonso (Alpine), 40, shared the limelight two weekends ago on Canadawhere they participated, on two consecutive days, the festival organized by Verstappen to show your candidacy to re -verify the title.

Sa Montrealthe double Asturian world champion showed himself in the wet to finish qualifying -achieving his best position on the grid in ten years- in second place: the same that the rider occupied from Madrid on Sunday, approaching his first success and who. make a fat sweat drop in a, however, as impeccable as brilliant ‘Mad Max’. His first teammate in F1, in red bull (now Alpha Tauri).

Alonso, again with the bad luck that had followed him since the start of the season – this time stemming from reliability problems and the entry (at the wrong time for his interests) of the safety vehicle -, he crossed the seventh line of finish. But, for zigzagging to defend the position, he was punished with a five-second penalty and finished in ninth. He rose, however, to tenth place in the World Cup, where he covered 18 points.

Sainz, who finished sixth last year matched his best result at Silverstone, signed his fifth podium of the year in Canada, the eleventh since he ran in the gold category. And he confirmed his fifth place in the competition, 24 points behind his teammate Leclerc; who starred in the return of the sun by rising from the bottom of the grid -he was punished for replacing parts in his power unit- in fifth place.

Alonso -who after two absences, returned to Formula One last year -achieved two of his 32 victories in the premier class (the 32 that Spain has in its entire F1 history) at Silverstone: in 2006 -the years that reaffirmed the title, with Renault- and in 2011, with Ferrari.

“Silverstone always brings back good memories. It was a beautiful circuit, with a lot of quick corners. The win was special on that track, because it was like the home of Formula One. All the teams were from there. The sport is very English, F1; and winning there means a lot “, explains, in an interview with Efe that took place last year in Austria, the great Asturian pilot. He has already achieved four of his 98 podiums in the prestigious motorsport division on the legendary English track, where he has also signed three of his 22 pole positions.

In England, Mexican Pérez hopes to straighten the path again, whose retirement in Montreal has not ruined his spectacular season in any way. “Having a weekend off is always complicated after a difficult career like I experienced in Canada; so I came to Silverstone with a lot of desire to fix things and get back on the podium”, said ‘Checo’, born 32 years in Guadalajara (Jalisco), three -time winner -one of them this season, in Monaco- and has 20 podiums in F1.

But the one with the bigger unfinished business at Silverstone was his Dutch colleague. What Hamilton removed from the track last year – ‘Mad Max’, which that day went to the circuit clinic, will go home to be dethroned in the final lap of the last race – before raising his own historic record of achievements. to eight at the British Grand Prix. ‘Sir’ Lewis was just one of the active drivers who improved on Alonso’s two wins on the legendary English circuit, which were also twice won by four-time German world champion Sebastian Vettel, who is now at Aston Martin .