British Grand Prix shake-up confirmed in bid to spice up Silverstone F1 race
Formula 1's tyre supplier, Pirelli, is spicing things up for the British Grand Prix by making a subtle but potentially crucial change. F1 returns to the United Kingdom next month, with the race at the iconic Silverstone circuit taking place on Sunday, July 6.
Fans were treated to Lewis Hamilton's emotional win last year and the track is always good for a dose of drama. Now the British GP is getting some special treatment which is intended to add to the excitement.
In 2025, there's been a growing trend of teams attempting to use the one-stop strategy. The FIA even enforced a mandatory second pit stop for last month's Monaco Grand Prix in an effort to make the race more exciting, a decision which resulted in mixed reviews.
While there'll be no such rule change at Silverstone, Pirelli have stepped in to shake things up - and it's all to do with their tyre allocations. F1's rulebook requires drivers to use at least two different dry tyre compounds during a race - whether it be soft, medium or hard.
The rule is only voided if a race to deemed too wet. For the British GP, drivers will be forced to select between the C2 hard, C3 medium and C4 soft tyres across qualifying on the Saturday and Sunday's race.
That's softer than ever before at Silverstone, with increased tyre degradation likely encouraging teams to make more than one pit stop. This usually leads to more overtaking and wheel-to-wheel action as well as giving strategists a headache.
For the following Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium on July 27 - also a Sprint race weekend - Pirelli has elected to introduce a gap in its tyre selection by using the C1 hard, C3 medium and C4 soft. The thinking behind skipping a compound change is that it'll make the hardest tyre considerably slower compared to the other options.
Pirelli's motorsport director, Mario Isola, recently explained: "If you want to go one stop hard/medium, you are penalised by the fact that hard is much slower. So someone could choose a more aggressive strategy with mediums and soft for the race."
For the two races either side of Britain and Belgium - this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix and August's Hungarian GP - the C3, C4 and C5 compounds will be used. There is one even softer compound, the C6, but it's thought not to be viable for those circuits.
McLaren star Oscar Piastri currently leads the Drivers' Championship with 198 points after 10 Grands Prix and two Sprint races. Team-mate Lando Norris is closely behind on 176 points, with four-in-a-row world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull sitting in third place with just over half of the season remaining.
Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky's new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192.
As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Christian Horner reveals how F1 team bosses have changed
Christian Horner, Red Bull 's F1 boss, is the longest-serving team principal in the paddock, having been with the team for 20 years since its formation in 2005. Horner believes that current F1 team principals sometimes "lack respect" compared to past bosses, attributing this to a shift from entrepreneurial spirit to a more managerial approach. He noted that while rivalries always existed among previous team principals, there was a common understanding of what was right for the sport. Horner addressed his reputation as a "pantomime villain," stating that winning often makes one unpopular in the business. Under Horner's leadership, Red Bull has secured eight drivers' world championships, though Max Verstappen currently trails championship leader Oscar Piastri in the 2025 season. Christian Horner believes 'respect is lacking' from current crop of F1 team bosses
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd make drastic change behind the scenes 'after years of poor transfers'
Manchester United have dramatically reduced the size of their scouting network in a bid to put an end to years of bad transfer business. The Red Devils have spent an astonishing £1.6billion on players since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, the last time they won the Premier League title. Poor recruitment has been a factor in United's demise and the new regime at Old Trafford have acknowledged the club's costly mistakes. Director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, 38, will lead a more streamlined scouting network, having joined in February last year. Vivell, who previously worked at RB Leipzig before a brief spell with Chelsea, initially arrived at United on a temporary basis, helping them navigate the 2024 summer transfer window. It was their summer first since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a co-owner, taking control of football operations. German Vivell's work behind the scenes has earned him plaudits at Old Trafford and the hierarchy trust him to improve their recruitment record. That starts with a new-look scouting network. According to the Manchester Evening News, United once had 100 scouts on the payroll which sources say led to 'years of poor transfers'. Dozens have left the club over the past 12 months, with Ratcliffe overseeing two rounds of redundancies. A 10-man team comprising of Armand Benneker, Marco de Sisti, Roy Beukenkamp, Giuseppe Antonaccio, Ben McFarlan, Jose Mayorga, John Lambert, Norbert Duwel, Steve Head and Nicolas Cinalli are listed as first-team scouts. They'll report to Vivell, with Ratcliffe and his fellow bigwigs expecting results. The Red Devils co-owner claimed last year that United were 'still in the last century on data analysis', a damning indictment on the previous regime led by Ed Woodward. "The club has drifted for a long period of time, a decade or so," Ratcliffe lamented in an interview with the fanzine United We Stand. "Manchester United has become mediocre. It's not elite and it is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. That's what it used to be under Alex. There is major change to come to achieve elite status. But already there has been huge change at this club. "Until were are as good as anyone in the world, then it's not good enough for Manchester United. We must have the best recruitment in the world. "Data analysis comes alongside recruitment. It doesn't really exist here. We're still in the last century on data analysis here. There's immense amount of useful data that we can get from data analysis and we're in the 'very poor' bracket with data analysis here. "These things don't happen overnight. You can't just flick a light switch and sort out recruitment. It's all about people and we need to find the right people." Michael Sansoni, an engineer for Mercedes' Formula 1 team, has reportedly been lined up to join United at the end of this year he leaves his role. Given that Ratcliffe's petrochemicals company, INEOS, own a stake in Mercedes F1, the process should be smooth and would be supported internally. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Watch sports events on DAZN, Sky Sports and TNT with deals
The summer is packed full of unmissable sporting events, including the FIFA Club World Cup, British Grand Prix, Tour de France and Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 As footie fans eagerly anticipate the kick-off of the 2025/26 season, there's a host of other sporting spectacles to savour this summer. Some of the globe's top clubs have descended on the USA for the FIFA Club World Cup, including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with the next match taking place today at 8pm between PSG and Seattle Sounders FC. Away from the football pitch, there are more unmissable sporting events lined up in July, such as the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Tour de France and the much-awaited rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. However, with all this sporting drama spread across several UK broadcasters, it can be a bit of a puzzle deciding which subscription best caters to our sporting preferences. With that in mind, we've examined a range of major sports broadcasters, including DAZN, Sky Sports and TNT Sports, along with the top deals currently on offer. So, read on for a sneak peek of the summer highlights and the best deals to catch each one without breaking the bank. DAZN While many sports enthusiasts link DAZN with boxing, it actually offers a whole lot more. Throughout June and July, the broadcaster will be showing every match from the FIFA Club World Cup live from the USA. Supporters can stream every match for free by creating a complimentary DAZN account, which also provides access to a range of documentaries, features and clips from past tournaments. For those desiring HDR picture quality and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, fewer adverts and full access to the rest of the DAZN platform, DAZN offers a paid Premium subscription. Watch the Club World Cup free on DAZN £0 DAZN Get DAZN here Product Description DAZN Premium is currently priced at £9.99 for an annual plan, or £19.99 for the 30-day rolling Flex account. The DAZN App is compatible with smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles, streaming devices and any device with a web browser. In addition to football, DAZN's boxing schedule includes Jake Paul vs Chavez Jr (June 28), Catterall vs Eubank (July 5) and Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 (July 19). However, bear in mind that certain fights will only be available on pay-per-view and are not included in a standard DAZN subscription. In our assessment of the DAZN platform, we found the app occasionally sluggish on an iPhone 13, but it operates smoothly once content is loaded, and streaming on a TV posed no problems. Sky Sports Despite being between Premier League and EFL seasons, Sky Sports has plenty to offer sports enthusiasts ahead of the new season starting in August. From the 2025/26 season, Sky is boosting its Premier League coverage, promising a 'record minimum' of 215 live matches, which it claims is more than any other broadcaster. Sky's flagship TV and sports package, the Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle, is available for £35 per month. This gives viewers access to every fixture broadcast on Sky Sports, including over 140 weekend matches, evening games on Fridays and Mondays, three midweek rounds, and the festive round of fixtures. By signing up for a 24-month Sky Sports package, viewers secure access to both the 2025/26 and 2026/27 Premier League and EFL seasons. The package includes nine dedicated Sky Sports channels, such as Golf, Tennis, Cricket and F1, so fans can catch every practice, qualifier and race from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 3-6. The package also includes more than 100 regular channels, along with free Netflix and Discovery+ subscriptions. However, the main drawback with Sky might be its 24-month contract length, which could deter those not looking to make a long-term commitment. If this is the case, Sky also offers a 30-day rolling plan for £43 per month, providing flexibility for a higher monthly cost. Existing Sky customers can add Sky Sports to their package for an additional £22 per month. Sky Sports is also included in Virgin Media's Bigger Combo bundle + Sport s, priced at £59.99 per month. This package justifies its higher price tag with the inclusion of 362Mbps broadband and a shorter 18-month term. TNT Sports The broadcaster formerly known as BT Sport is now accessible via a Discovery+ Premium subscription in the UK. Its coverage spans four telly channels and up to six digital or red-button channels, plus Eurosport 1 and 2. TNT offers a variety of sports to cater to any fan, including football, cycling, tennis, snooker, Premiership Rugby, MotoGP, boxing, UFC and more. This month's highlights include the remaining NBA finals games, with the Tour de France kicking off on 5 July. Also on the roster are the Bennetts British Superbikes and World Superbikes, along with the Grand Slam Track events from Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Looking ahead, TNT Sports will once again air select matches in the upcoming seasons of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League. All this can be accessed with a Discovery+ Premium subscription for £30.99 per month through Discovery+ or Amazon's Discovery+ Prime Video channel. TNT Sports can also be added to new or existing Sky and Virgin packages for £20 and £18 respectively. However, TNT Sports has faced backlash for its commentary on certain sports, with disgruntled users airing their grievances on Trustpilot. One tennis enthusiast described the commentary for the Men's and Ladies' French finals as 'dreadful'. One football fan remarked: "If TNT Sports football producers believe commenters shouting and screaming over each other enhances the experience, so be it. Most people I talk to either watch with sound off or now just don't tune in. However, other fans were more positive, as one said: "Giving five stars for Ally McCoist's match commentary. He's brilliant."
