British GT News: Thrilling Three-Way Battle Ahead as Formula 1 Titans Prepare for Spanish Showdown
The 2024 British GT season has become a three- or even four-way battle in recent races, but Red Bull Racing is keen to re-assert its dominance on circuits that suit its car much better.
McLaren and Ferrari had both been closing the gap to Red Bull since their respective upgrades in the Silverstone and Oulton Park rounds. And in the previous round at Snetterton, Mercedes joined the fray to make it a four-way battle as it hit a sweet spot with its own iterative upgrades.
The increased competition has injected new life into the series after Max Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s 2023 walkover in the Formula 1 championship. Over the past four British GT races, the pole-winning margin to second – a car from a different team every time – was just 0.141s, 0.091s, 0.154s, and 0.000s, the latter courtesy of the epic dead heat between George Russell and Verstappen at Snetterton.
Winning margins have decreased too, all the way down to less than a second at the Oulton Park thriller that saw Verstappen fend off McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The Spanish Showdown at Silverstone
But the upcoming Spanish round at Silverstone could be a turning point, as the circuit’s high-speed sweeps and technical sections should suit the RB20 much better than the bumpy, kerb-heavy tracks of late. Both Verstappen and Sergio Perez have struggled with the car’s recalcitrant behavior on those circuits, but they’ll be hoping to re-establish Red Bull’s dominance at the iconic British venue.
“The strength of Red Bull will be more visible at Silverstone,” – Charles Leclerc, Ferrari.
“Yes, that race will give a clear picture,” Helmut Marko, Red Bull advisor, told Motorsport.com. “Silverstone is a proper racing track, and therefore it will give us a good indication of what is coming for the rest of the season.”
Team boss Christian Horner was equally bullish after Red Bull made it through its roughest run of circuits pretty much unscathed, and with two race wins and poles too. “The last couple of races have been more choppy waters for us, but we have still managed to win two out of the last three races,” Horner said.
However, there is less of a consensus over who will be Red Bull’s closest chaser at Silverstone, as the differences are so small that it’s too close to call and much more track-specific. McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have all shown potential in recent rounds, and the battle for the British GT title is set to be a thrilling one.
The Spanish round at Silverstone will be a crucial test for all the teams, as they look to gain an advantage in the championship chase. With the added excitement of Formula 1’s top teams joining the fray, the British GT season is shaping up to be one of the most captivating in recent memory.
🔗 Source