Weather British F1 GP: windy conditions and a possible race between the drops
For the twelfth round of the season, Formula 1 travels to Silverstone, the historic birthplace of the championship, nestling in the heart of Northamptonshire. This fast, flowing circuit is also known for its unpredictable weather, with sudden showers and sunny spells following one another. Once again, the conditions could have a major impact on how the weekend unfolds. Here's the weather forecast for the British Grand Prix.
General situation
On the eve of the weekend, an anticyclonic ridge from the Azores extends towards the British Isles, with a high-pressure center positioned to the west of the United Kingdom. This system promotes the establishment of a west to southwest flow, bringing dry and relatively mild air, particularly over England.
A weak residual warm front still affects the north of Scotland and is expected to reach the Silverstone area on Friday evening and Saturday morning, while gradually weakening. It will precede the arrival of a new deterioration expected by the end of the day on Sunday.
Friday, July 4th: Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2
Friday begins with clear skies, in a calm and dry atmosphere. The sun predominates through the morning, with little or no clouds to report. Conditions will remain very sunny until mid-afternoon, before the sky gradually becomes overcast starting at 5 PM, as the weakening warm front approaches. Despite this cloud cover at the end of the day, no precipitation is expected when the single-seaters are on track.
Temperatures are expected to be above the seasonal average for the Silverstone region, with values between 23°C and 25°C during the first two free practice sessions (12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time). Thanks to generous sunshine, the track temperature will rise between 35°C and 39°C.
The southwest wind will strengthen throughout the day, reaching 20 to 30 km/h, with gusts potentially exceeding 45 km/h. In the evening, ahead of the warm front, clouds will become increasingly present.
Saturday, July 5: Free Practice 3 and Qualifying
The sky will already be overcast at dawn, with a few light showers expected between 4 and 6 in the morning. These showers will remain very limited, bringing at most 1 mm of precipitation. Late in the morning and throughout the afternoon, the cloud cover will remain thick, although the risk of new showers remains low, below 20%. A few clearings might break through at the end of the day, without significantly changing the gray atmosphere.
The southwest wind will blow moderately around 25 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 50 km/h, especially in the middle of the afternoon.
Temperatures will drop significantly compared to the previous day, slowly climbing to reach a maximum of about 22°C by late afternoon. On the track, the thermometer will also show cooler values, fluctuating between 20°C and 30°C depending on the sunshine. Humidity, meanwhile, will remain quite noticeable with levels between 60% and 70%.
Sunday, July 6: The race
The sky will remain uniformly overcast from morning until evening, providing a typically British weather ambiance. Some very light drizzle may occur during the afternoon, never developing into continuous precipitation. As a reminder, the Grand Prix will start at 3 PM local time (4 PM Paris time).
The wind will remain moderate but constant throughout the 52 laps, initially blowing from the west at about 20 km/h, before gradually shifting to the northwest towards the end of the race. Gusts could reach up to 40 km/h, which might slightly disturb the balance of the single-seaters, especially in fast sections and as the weight decreases.
The temperatures will be even cooler than the previous day, with a maximum of 20°C in the air and about 25°C expected on the track, relatively cool conditions for tires and strategy, especially considering that some teams, such as Mercedes among others, are more competitive in such circumstances.
