2023 F1 British GP Qualifying: Top 5 conclusions

The 2023 F1 British GP qualifying saw Max Verstappen securing the pole position but flanked by the McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

In a season where Red Bull continues to dominate and we keep getting surprises in the chasing pack, it was a wholesome moment when Norris could not control his tears while talking to his race engineer.

Behind the top three, we had the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, followed by the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

In a session that was expected to be affected by the weather but ended up producing stellar action, what did we learn? Let's take a look.

2023 F1 British GP Qualifying: What did we learn?

#1 Max Verstappen is inevitable

Red Bull has the best car on the grid, but it has had one driver qualifying outside of the top 10 on the last five occasions.

The other driver has qualified on pole in every single one of them. What this shows, however, is that none of these sessions are straightforward. A driver has to keep his wits about him and push only when needed.

This is exactly what Verstappen has perfected this season, and just like Lando Norris said after qualifying, "Max ruins it for everyone",

#2 McLaren might be a new frontrunner in F1

There's still an element of let's hold our horses and see how the 2023 F1 British GP unfolds, but it does appear that McLaren has made the leap to the front-running group.

For a long time, the team has talked about joining the group at the front and for a long time, the team was right on the precipice by being the best team in the midfield.

If the upgraded McLaren has shown something, then it is definitely competitive. The race pace, too, did not look too shabby for either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri on Friday.

Could we see the Woking-based squad now compete with the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin? Let's wait for a couple of races, although the signs of that happening are certainly bright.

#3 Over a lap, Red Bull is not as dominant as many would think

Except for Baku, Red Bull has not ceded pole position at any race this season. Even at the 2023 F1 British GP, Max Verstappen secured pole position by a gap of almost a quarter of a second.

In all of this, though, one thing is quite clear, Red Bull is not as dominant over a single lap as it is over a race.

Even this weekend, the gap from P1 to P7 is less than half a second. Red Bull's competitors should take solace from the fact that the kind of gaps that we're talking about here is not massive, and with judicious use of development time, they can be overhauled.

Red Bull might be winning everything, but once we dig deeper, we can see that it's not as dominant as many are making it out to be.

#4 The honeymoon might be over for Aston Martin after the 2023 F1 British GP

The last couple of races have shown that the honeymoon period might be over for Aston Martin. The 2023 F1 British GP qualifying saw Fernando Alonso slotted in P9. The Spaniard did not have the perfect lap under him, but still, at no point, this season has Aston Martin looked formidable.

Lance Stroll getting bumped out in Q2 is not even a surprise anymore, but what might be crucial for the team now is bringing in upgrades and making progress.

Unlike Ferrari and Mercedes, which seem to be bringing something to the car often, Aston Martin has not. The 2023 F1 British GP is an indication that the competition in the rarefied air is intense, and the team might need to buckle up to reach the level it was operating on early in the season.

#5 Alex Albon is making the most of an underrated car and underperforming teammate

Alex Albon's stock in F1 has never been higher. At the start of the 2023 F1 British GP, the driver was linked with Ferrari. On Saturday, he qualified his car inside the top 10 and looks strong enough to score a few points.

Is there an element of Albon doing a good job in a car that is too underrated and having an underperforming teammate? Could this be playing a crucial role in how Albon is perceived right now? Could this also be the reason why Red Bull has not made an attempt to get its former back?

It's an interesting question that is worth pondering over. In the meantime, Albon deserves all the credit in the world for his performance in that Williams.