The final round of the Formula 1 triple-header was upon us at the 2024 British Grand Prix. Being the United Kingdom, everyone expected rain to pour onto Silverstone Circuit after a heavy shower signaled a red flag at the start of the supporting Porsche Supercup race. Nevertheless, the wet action didn’t disappoint especially between McLaren and Mercedes-AMG.

1. Sergio is slowly losing his groove. The past few races haven’t been too kind for Sergio Perez (Red Bull), and the rumors of losing his seat haven’t helped his case for an extended contract. His qualifying stint came quickly to a close after losing grip at the high-speed Copse corner and landing stuck on the gravel trap.

His race started from the pit lane due to modifications and a powertrain swap, but an early call for intermediate tires hindered any top-10 finishes. Perez finished in P17 while gossip circulated that his drive after the summer break might be hanging by a thread.

2. Trouble continued for the red team. Ferrari hasn’t shown great performances since Canada, which continued to follow the team in Britain. Charles Leclerc began in P11 after failing to secure a spot outside Q2.

As rain slowly entered the track, the Monégasque was the first to pit for inters only for him to fall slightly back with no improvements out of P14. Meanwhile, his teammate Carlos Sainz carried the team’s pace with a finish in P5 while setting the fastest lap of the race.

3. Gasly and Russell were out. Silverstone saw two retirements from the top- and bottom-performing drivers of qualifying. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) was knocked down in last place after a power unit change, but the French’s day was worse when he was called to the pits after the formation lap due to gearbox issues.

Meanwhile, the pole-sitter George Russell (Mercedes-AMG) celebrated starting in P1 in front of his home crowd. Apart from a cock-up at Copse, his drive throughout the race was worry-free until a rising water temperature warning kicked in 10 laps before his retirement.

4. Best friends cleanly battled each other. After their last battle in Austria, all eyes were on Lando Norris (McLaren) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull). Despite qualifying in P3 and P4, respectively, both drivers immediately swapped positions at the race start. The Brit retaliated with a clean pass on the Hangar Straight on Lap 15, followed by a charge into first place.

While the McLaren and Mercedes drivers fought, the Dutchman gambled for the inters on Lap 27, setting the precedent for the two teams on Lap 28. Weirdly, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) wasn’t called in for the swap, unlike the Silver Arrow’s double pit strategy, hurting his fight at the front and possibly leaving his teammate in the open.

Feeling the pressure, Lando overshot his second stop on Lap 40 and lost his leading spot as soon as he exited. Eight laps later, the Dutchman pulled the same move on the same straight to clinch P2 till the end.

5. Hammer time is back on the schedule. It had been 946 races since Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-AMG) had won a Grand Prix, and he finally broke the winless streak at his home. He successfully made his first move against Russell on Lap 18 before Norris took the damp conditions personally and sprinted to the front.

However, Lewis took advantage of Lando’s slow stop and swiftly passed his fellow countryman without hesitation. Lewis crossed the finish line and paraded the circuit in tears while firmly clinching the Union Jack flag. Aside from savoring his final British GP with Mercedes, the seven-time world champion achieved his ninth win at Silverstone, the most anyone has at a single circuit.

Will we see Mercedes on top again, or will Verstappen and Norris continue to make headlines? Before those questions are answered, everyone will have a weeklong break as the circus will continue at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 21 (9pm, Philippine time).