George Russell’s Austrian Grand Prix victory left him 40 points behind Kimi Antonelli in Mercedes’ internal title fight, with Jenson Button calling it a “proper” battle for the world championship and Claire Williams describing it as a psychological contest. Button said the result should have lifted Russell ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, while Russell said he believed in himself, liked the Silverstone layout and knew Mercedes had at times struggled with car setup and tyre performance.

The discussion also centered on how Mercedes supported its two drivers. Button questioned whether Russell received the same backing from race engineer Peter Bonnington as Antonelli, pointing to Bonnington’s close involvement with Antonelli since he joined the grid at the start of last season and citing Monaco as an example. Alex Brundle made a similar point on the F1 Nation podcast, saying Bonnington should tell Antonelli he would have won in Austria without outside factors. Brundle said Antonelli had shown strong pace but had also had brief lapses and “mini meltdowns” that cost him track position, while Russell’s consistency and experience had made him more reliable.

Antonelli remained firmly in the title picture after starting the season with five straight wins in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco. Button said he had been quick all season, while Williams said Russell’s maturity, self-awareness and perfectionism could give him the edge if both drivers had comparable equipment. Russell’s Austria win was his second of the season, following his season-opening victory in Melbourne, and came after a difficult run in which reliability issues and Safety Car timing may have cost him more results.

McLaren unveiled a one-off heritage-inspired livery for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, replacing its usual papaya color scheme with a predominantly white design that some reports described as white-and-green and others as chrome. The tribute honored the McLaren M2B, the team’s first Formula 1 car from 1966, and marked the 60th anniversary of McLaren’s debut season. It also referenced Bruce McLaren and the team’s first championship point at the British Grand Prix, which came when Bruce McLaren raced the M2B.

The commemorative design also looked back to McLaren’s early history at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, and it was influenced by the film Grand Prix, which led to the original car being painted white for filming. McLaren added a Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Team sticker to the MCL40, and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were set to wear white race suits to match the car.

The Silverstone reveal was McLaren’s second special livery of the season, after a Monaco-themed design tied to its 1,000th Formula 1 grand prix. The latest livery also highlighted McLaren’s partnership with Google, which began in 2022, and its Gemini AI platform. McLaren Racing chief marketing officer Louise McEwen said the design celebrated the team’s roots and its partnership with Google, while Google vice president Marvin Chow said Gemini was helping McLaren apply AI in creative work, business decisions and trackside strategy. Fans were set to view the livery at a joint McLaren-Gemini activation at the Truman Brewery in East London on Thursday.

Williams unveiled a one-off Union Jack-inspired livery for its home British Grand Prix at Silverstone, turning the usual blue FW48 into a red, white and blue tribute for the team’s biggest home weekend. The design moved the Union Jack elements from the engine cover to the nose area and chassis sides, and Carlos Sainz Jnr and Alexander Albon were set to wear matching race suits. Williams also rolled out a special team kit and trackside takeover gear for mechanics and engineers, with fans able to buy the commemorative New Era kit online.

The campaign extended beyond the circuit, with a show car and livery display touring Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and London before the race. Williams said the promotion was meant to engage fans and celebrate racing in front of a home crowd, with free London fan zones set to feature Albon, team principal James Vowles and former driver Damon Hill.

Vowles said Silverstone has been the setting for many of Williams’ biggest milestones and that the home crowd gives the team a boost across the weekend. The team linked the celebration to Clay Regazzoni’s first Grand Prix win for Williams at Silverstone in 1979, Jacques Villeneuve’s 100th Formula 1 victory for the team at the circuit in 1997 and Nigel Mansell’s three British Grand Prix wins. Williams has eight British Grand Prix wins at Silverstone overall, arrived at the weekend eighth in the constructors’ standings with 11 points, and brought a substantial upgrade package aimed at solving an overweight car issue as it looked to move back into the top 10.

The 2026 British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone from July 3 to July 5 as round nine of the Formula 1 season, and it returns to a Sprint weekend format for the first time since 2021. Competitive action begins on Friday with one practice session and Sprint qualifying, Saturday features the 17-lap Sprint and grand prix qualifying, and the 52-lap race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, July 5.

UK viewers will have multiple ways to watch the event. Channel 4 will show the race live on free-to-air television, Sky Sports F1 will also carry coverage, and Sky One will offer a free viewing option for Sky box users. BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app will provide free coverage, while selected countries will have every session live on F1 TV Pro. F1 TV Premium adds 4K Ultra HD/HDR, multiview and support for up to six devices, and live timing will be available on F1.com and the F1 app.

Silverstone is expected to be warm and dry across the weekend, with Sunday forecast to reach 27 degrees Celsius and no rain currently predicted. The circuit is a fast, demanding 5.891-kilometer track that hosted the first British Grand Prix there in 1950.

Max Verstappen said Red Bull were still not ready for a serious Formula 1 title challenge even after their strongest weekend of the 2026 season at the Austrian Grand Prix, where the heavily upgraded RB22 delivered his best result of the year. Verstappen finished second to George Russell from fifth on the grid after a Q3 crash, and he said the revised car was quick enough to fight for victory, but the team still needed to become more all-round, more rock solid and cleaner on starts and procedures.

Verstappen moved up to third by the end of lap two, spent much of the 71-lap race chasing Russell and briefly pressured him for the lead late on. Red Bull’s pit timing left him out too long in the second stop cycle, costing more than 10 seconds, while a rear-axle issue hurt his pace near the end and Kimi Antonelli closed in. Verstappen said he believed he could have kept Russell behind and described the result as a positive step after a difficult stretch.

The podium was Red Bull’s second of the season and their best Sunday result so far, after upgrades to the floor, rear suspension and engine cover helped the team move closer to the front. Red Bull is still chasing its first win of the year. Verstappen said the team could build on Austria, but with 374 points still available across the remaining 14 rounds, one report put him 98 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.