Fans at Silverstone made their feelings clear as former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner returned to the Formula 1 paddock for the first time since his exit a year ago. A crowd of photographers and autograph-seekers gathered as Horner entered through the electronic gates ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Antonelli on Pole for British GP
Kimi Antonelli will start from pole position for this afternoon's British Grand Prix, set to begin at 3pm BST. The Italian, who won the Sprint Race on Saturday, claimed his fifth career pole with a final lap of 1:28.111, beating Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton by 0.175 seconds.
Antonelli's Mercedes teammate George Russell qualified fourth, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar fifth and reigning world champion Lando Norris sixth. Max Verstappen cut a frustrated figure after a difficult Saturday, starting seventh on the grid.
Mercedes Investigates Russell's Speed Loss
George Russell revealed that Mercedes is investigating why he is losing speed in a straight line compared to Antonelli. "All weekend we've been losing lots of time in the straights," Russell said. "Yesterday in Q3, it was almost three tenths I lost in the straights. The team are working super hard to understand why that is." He noted speed trap differences of 3 km/h in the middle sector and 6 km/h in the last sector versus his teammate and the McLaren cars.
Verstappen's Engine Woes
Max Verstappen expressed frustration with persistent car issues after qualifying. "Everything is just too slow. We have a few too many vague things happening," he said. The Dutchman requested a pit lane start with a new power unit, but Red Bull decided against the change, leaving him to race with the current engine.
Fans React to Horner's Return
Christian Horner's presence in the paddock drew significant attention, with speculation about whether he would be welcome in the Red Bull motorhome. The former team principal's return marks his first appearance at a Grand Prix since leaving Red Bull.
Other Highlights
Jeremy Clarkson was spotted in the paddock, looking well after confirming he is in remission from prostate cancer. The TV presenter has been providing produce from Diddly Squat Farm to the Alpine team this weekend.
In the LEGO drivers' parade, Fernando Alonso took victory after a competitive race that saw several karts stuck in the gravel. Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris shared a moment as Sainz jumped on Norris's LEGO car.
Sergio Perez arrived at the circuit wearing a Mexico football shirt ahead of his home nation's World Cup clash with England. He will start 20th on the grid for Cadillac.
Martin Brundle was branded an "idiot" by Jos Verstappen over comments about Max Verstappen's impact on Red Bull senior staff changes. Jos said, "Another idiot who thinks he knows what it's like."
In Formula 2, Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov capped a perfect weekend with a feature race win, his sixth of the season, cementing his lead in the standings. Alisha Palmowski won the F1 Academy race for Red Bull, becoming the first British winner of the day.
The FIA decided against penalising Isack Hadjar for exceeding the maximum delta time during qualifying, accepting he was making room for other cars. Weather at Silverstone remains dull but rain is not expected.
