Lewis Hamilton has nine British Grand Prix wins at Silverstone - a record for an F1 driver at a single circuit

Hamilton “dreaming of strong weekend” as Ferrari challenge McLaren at Silverstone

Hamilton Eyes Silverstone Success After Ferrari Impress in British GP Practice

Lewis Hamilton says he and Ferrari can “dream of a strong weekend” after an encouraging performance in Friday practice for the British Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion, chasing a record-extending 10th win at Silverstone, was third fastest in FP2, just 0.301 seconds off McLaren’s Lando Norris, who topped the timesheets.

Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc split the McLarens in second, with championship leader Oscar Piastri fourth and Max Verstappen struggling down in fifth.

“It was a really good day,” Hamilton said. “Great to see the crowd, amazing to be out on track in a Ferrari here at Silverstone. Red Bull and McLaren brought upgrades, so for us to be in the mix is really positive.”

The Briton admitted Ferrari still need to “put it all together” to fight for pole, with rain forecast for Saturday’s qualifying.

McLaren Quick, but Norris Cautious

Norris, fresh from his win in Austria, was wary of Ferrari’s long-run pace despite topping FP2.

“The Ferraris have been very, very quick today and they shall be tomorrow,” Norris said. “It maybe looked a bit too good for us today. There’s work to do.”

Leclerc, fastest on race simulations, believes Ferrari’s race pace is strong but qualifying remains a weakness.

“In race pace, I’m happy. But McLaren is probably still the car to beat,” he added.

Verstappen Struggles, Mercedes Watch

Red Bull’s Verstappen reported “no balance” in the RB20 and faces an uphill battle to challenge this weekend.

“It was quite a bad day. Quite difficult corner to corner – a poor day in general for us,” the Dutchman admitted.

Off track, talk of Verstappen joining Mercedes for 2026 continues to dominate the paddock. McLaren’s Zak Brown called the prospect “nerve-wracking”, while Red Bull’s Christian Horner said Verstappen remains committed to the team.