2023 F1 British GP: Qualifying predictions

The 2023 F1 British GP qualifying is expected to feature mixed conditions as rain could play a part once again.

Now, the unpredictable British weather has thrown a surprise or two in the past, and sessions affected by weather are nothing new, but it cannot be denied that it does spice things up.

This season as well, we've had quite a few sessions where rain has played its part.

One of the more recent ones was in Canada, where Nico Hulkenberg, of all people, pulled off a surprise qualifying on the front row.

The first day of running for the 2023 F1 British GP was run in dry conditions, and if we have rain on Saturday, then all of the learnings can be thrown out of the window.

Having said that, what can we expect from a wet 2023 F1 British GP qualifying session? Let's take a look.

#1 Max Verstappen secures pole position for the 2023 F1 British GP

These days it's just foolish not to bet on Max Verstappen topping every session. Whether it rains or it stays dry, the Red Bull driver has been untouchable.

We've seen multiple times in the wet weather or the dry, with Verstappen, the conditions do not matter. The driver is equally capable in both conditions, and one can even speculate that the Dutchman might be even better in wet weather.

To add to this, Verstappen has a team that does an impeccable job of selecting which tires he needs to be on.

Doesn't matter what the conditions are, the Red Bull driver is the frontrunner once again.

#2 Ferrari might struggle, especially Leclerc

Charles Leclerc admitted in Austria that his major Achilles heel in the last few races had been an inability to be fast in mixed conditions.

The driver admitted that he was quick in the dry and in the wet. It was the mixed interchangeable conditions where he struggled.

Ferrari itself has not been too impressive when rain makes an appearance on the track. Sainz was less than a 10th slower than Max Verstappen over a lap on Friday.

It's hard to see him achieve the same in the wet weather. Ferrari will be doing an anti-rain dance tonight and hoping for a dry session.

#3 Keep an eye on Norris and Hulkenberg

Whenever rain has made an appearance this season, two drivers that have somewhat stood out over the rest of the field have been Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg. The German driver used his wet weather process in Austria to even score points for his team in the sprint.

Not only that, he ran as high as P2 after overtaking Sergio Perez, and if it was not for the car's uncanny ability to eat through its tires, he could have sustained his pace.

On the other hand, Norris has been very impressive in the wet weather as well. With the upgraded McLaren already impressing everyone, keep an eye on Norris as well.

#4 Mercedes and Aston Martin might struggle

Both Mercedes and Aston Martin have not excelled in the rain like a few other teams. While drivers like George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso mean the team will maximize whatever is put in front of it, it does look like an uphill climb.

Neither Mercedes nor Aston Martin have had a strong start to the 2023 F1 British GP, and the struggle has primarily been over a single lap.

Both of teams might have a few jitters if rain does make an appearance.

#5 We could see strategy and luck play a major role in the final standings

What we have seen in the past in a wet F1 British GP session is that one needs to be on their toes when it comes to getting the best out of a session.

You cannot make too many mistakes. You cannot be out of track on the wrong tires, and you certainly cannot make the mistake of picking a sub-optimal strategy.

There are going to be teams that pick the right moment to go out on fresh wet, weather tires or even the intermediates. There could be ones that go out on slicks as well.

More often than not, when we look at the final standings of the 2023 F1 British GP qualifying, it's the ones that made the correct choice that is going to shine over everybody else.