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The first day of running in the 2024 F1 British GP is now done and dusted, and we have a McLaren '1-2' led by Lando Norris in FP2. The Woking-based squad was supposed to be ahead around Silverstone because of the fast speed sections helping the car characteristics, but the real picture is yet to be seen as Max Verstappen did his lap much earlier than everyone else.
In P3, we have Sergio Perez, the Mexican finding some form with the car, and in P4 there was a surprise entry in the form of Nico Hulkenberg. Even though the conditions were more or less overcast, the teams were able to get dry running for the most part, as the rain only played a role much later in FP2.
After two hours of running, what did we learn? Let's find out as we take a look at some of the key takeaways from the day.
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2024 F1 British GP: What did we learn?
#1 McLaren looks stronger than Red Bull
Helmut Marko was quick to admit that Red Bull is losing a decent chunk in the slow sections of the track. It does appear to be the case that McLaren has the edge over its competition. How much? We don't know that exactly but Lando Norris was certainly happy to see how the car responded all day.
The F1 British GP could once again see a battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, but Red Bull will not enjoy the kind of advantage it had in Austria. After day 1, it is an advantage to McLaren.
#2 Mercedes might be closer than the last few races
Mercedes is slowly starting to establish itself as the third-best team on the grid, and the F1 British GP was no different. The track layout helps the car to exploit some of its strong points and it does appear that the two drivers are also quite confident of what they can achieve with the car.
On the other hand, it does appear that Ferrari is a further step back compared to Mercedes, as the team is still trying to understand the upgrades that it brought to the car.
#3 Tire degradation could play a role
The F1 British GP tends to be abrasive on tires because of the demands of the track. We can expect a two-stopper this weekend as the tires would certainly be a factor.
The hard tire might be the least used tire for now but if the temperatures soar for the rest of the weekend, we could end up with a situation where those tires might be the best suited for the race.
#4 The upgraded Haas is certainly a step up
The lap from Nico Hulkenberg turned heads but many dismissed it at that very moment, citing it to be a consequence of the team playing with fuel loads and engine modes. One shouldn't expect Haas to make this big a jump but at the same time, there's the element of the team bringing a ton of upgrades to the car for the F1 British GP.
Even in the worst-case scenario, it does appear that the upgrades brought to the car are certainly working.
#5 Aston Martin and Alpine are outside contenders for points
At the moment, it does appear that both Aston Martin and Alpine are not the favorites when it comes to scoring points. For the French team, one of the drivers is starting the race at the back, and for the Silverstone-based squad, the F1 British GP is still nothing but a fact-finding mission as the team tries to make sense of the upgrades.
Haas and RB might be the frontrunners to score points this weekend, while Alpine and Aston Martin might struggle to get into the top 10.
