2026 British Grand Prix - Silverstone, July 03 - 05

[Big Tea]

I have been thinking of this also in the past. My conclusion is, that it could creat some confusion because if a driver becomes slower the driver behind can not now if he had some problem or do it on purpose. Also the laped driver may never now if he is in the right spot or must go further back. Generally things like that.

I would just gift them the lap. Once the SC has caught the field and everyone has done their pit stops, everyone lapped goes through the pitlane, everyone else stays on track. Like this they get the order without interfering with cleaning the track in most cases. Once the track is clear, they go racing.

The old issue with "they have fuel for an additional lap" is nonsense. There is no fuel saving anymore, everyone has to drive on maximum ICE deployment. Plus they can save or burn fuel at need during the SC period.

just because they are a lap behind, it doesn't mean that they are not racing as well. They have their own race which they have to finish ahead of their direct competition, not to mention the sponsor requirements that they have to fulfill.

Red flagging the race when a SC is deployed with less that 10% of the race laps remaining is the easiest and IMO the best option on theses cases.

Those they are racing would be in the same position. One lap extra fuel weight and one lap less tyre use.
For someone who has been lapped to ever re-join the train is going to be so exceptional as to not be worth legislating for.

[basti313]

I have been thinking of this also in the past. My conclusion is, that it could creat some confusion because if a driver becomes slower the driver behind can not now if he had some problem or do it on purpose. Also the laped driver may never now if he is in the right spot or must go further back. Generally things like that.

I would just gift them the lap. Once the SC has caught the field and everyone has done their pit stops, everyone lapped goes through the pitlane, everyone else stays on track. Like this they get the order without interfering with cleaning the track in most cases. Once the track is clear, they go racing.

The old issue with "they have fuel for an additional lap" is nonsense. There is no fuel saving anymore, everyone has to drive on maximum ICE deployment. Plus they can save or burn fuel at need during the SC period.

just because they are a lap behind, it doesn't mean that they are not racing as well. They have their own race which they have to finish ahead of their direct competition, not to mention the sponsor requirements that they have to fulfill.

??? So where is the issue? If they do not run a lap it is much more fair. We have huge advantages or disadvantages by running this extra lap: We have seen unlapping cars on warm tires, while the rest is cold and we have seen instances where they did not even reach the field.

Red flagging the race when a SC is deployed with less that 10% of the race laps remaining is the easiest and IMO the best option on theses cases.

I do not like this option if it goes with a standing start as the current rules would do it if I understand it correctly. Was semi ok for Monaco, but in Stone it would have been a complete gamble.

[venkyhere]

why so much complication ? instead of asking lapped cars to unlap themselves, just ask them to drive much slower, so that 'current lap cars' behind them can all pass them and line up appropriately. This can happen within 1/2 a lap. There is no need to 'wait' for the unlapped ones to join the tail. So simple, wonder why it's not being done.

[Artur Craft]

Hence my point: I don't know who is really fast.

It's weird how many people are still not understanding this, and judging drivers like it's any other season.

Yeah, and I guess that´s the reason the likes of Hadjar are being so competitive against Max on QLF, or how Antonelli suddenly became much faster than Russell while he was very much slower last year, and obviously the situation on your very favourite team itself. ´

If "driving on the edge" is not the fastest way around a full lap anymore, it´s really hard to judge those things. And I don´t see that changing anytime soon

[SiLo]

Hence my point: I don't know who is really fast.

It's weird how many people are still not understanding this, and judging drivers like it's any other season.

Yeah, and I guess that´s the reason the likes of Hadjar are being so competitive against Max on QLF, or how Antonelli suddenly became much faster than Russell while he was very much slower last year, and obviously the situation on your very favourite team itself. ´

If "driving on the edge" is not the fastest way around a full lap anymore, it´s really hard to judge those things. And I don´t see that changing anytime soon

Drivers being slower in corners, recharging more and suddenly going way faster down straights. Is this a possibilty and leads to being faster?

[Watto]

It's weird how many people are still not understanding this, and judging drivers like it's any other season.

Yeah, and I guess that´s the reason the likes of Hadjar are being so competitive against Max on QLF, or how Antonelli suddenly became much faster than Russell while he was very much slower last year, and obviously the situation on your very favourite team itself. ´

If "driving on the edge" is not the fastest way around a full lap anymore, it´s really hard to judge those things. And I don´t see that changing anytime soon

Drivers being slower in corners, recharging more and suddenly going way faster down straights. Is this a possibilty and leads to being faster?

I think so, I think there was a Charles lap earlier this year it was a tiny mistake but would cost your lap but he actually improved his time because it basically put him in regen mode.

Kinda simular to lifting earlier in straights to charge the battery created a faster lap that truly late braking where they usually would/the car could handle

[LM10]

It's weird how many people are still not understanding this, and judging drivers like it's any other season.

Yeah, and I guess that´s the reason the likes of Hadjar are being so competitive against Max on QLF, or how Antonelli suddenly became much faster than Russell while he was very much slower last year, and obviously the situation on your very favourite team itself. ´

If "driving on the edge" is not the fastest way around a full lap anymore, it´s really hard to judge those things. And I don´t see that changing anytime soon

Drivers being slower in corners, recharging more and suddenly going way faster down straights. Is this a possibilty and leads to being faster?

To my understanding that’s exactly the reason some drivers known for being on the edge and excelling in the corners (where driving skills matter more) - like Leclerc or Verstappen - don’t like the current rules. And it’s also the reason others suddenly look much closer to or better than their team mates.

It’s the first time in F1 history that errors in corners might make you faster overall. Mercedes was faster by lifting shortly before the finish line in Silverstone. This is absurd.

[Gillian]

Yeah, and I guess that´s the reason the likes of Hadjar are being so competitive against Max on QLF, or how Antonelli suddenly became much faster than Russell while he was very much slower last year, and obviously the situation on your very favourite team itself. ´

If "driving on the edge" is not the fastest way around a full lap anymore, it´s really hard to judge those things. And I don´t see that changing anytime soon

Drivers being slower in corners, recharging more and suddenly going way faster down straights. Is this a possibilty and leads to being faster?

To my understanding that’s exactly the reason some drivers known for being on the edge and excelling in the corners (where driving skills matter more) - like Leclerc or Verstappen - don’t like the current rules. And it’s also the reason others suddenly look much closer to or better than their team mates.

It’s the first time in F1 history that errors in corners might make you faster overall. Mercedes was faster by lifting shortly before the finish line in Silverstone. This is absurd.

I suspect there is also a more finegrained control on power delivery/recovery during the lap which gets upset when a driver deviates from the predetermined configuration. I know this has been a thing since atleast 2014 at a basic level, but with all the harvesting and deployment strategies the effects are more visible. I think this is also why "overdriving" a car is even more detrimental than ever. The fastest way is arround is stick to the plan lap after lap.

About that last part... that is more an example of circumventing rules. Smart but I dont like it.

[basti313]

Drivers being slower in corners, recharging more and suddenly going way faster down straights. Is this a possibilty and leads to being faster?

To my understanding that’s exactly the reason some drivers known for being on the edge and excelling in the corners (where driving skills matter more) - like Leclerc or Verstappen - don’t like the current rules. And it’s also the reason others suddenly look much closer to or better than their team mates.

It’s the first time in F1 history that errors in corners might make you faster overall. Mercedes was faster by lifting shortly before the finish line in Silverstone. This is absurd.

I suspect there is also a more finegrained control on power delivery/recovery during the lap which gets upset when a driver deviates from the predetermined configuration. I know this has been a thing since atleast 2014 at a basic level, but with all the harvesting and deployment strategies the effects are more visible. I think this is also why "overdriving" a car is even more detrimental than ever. The fastest way is arround is stick to the plan lap after lap.

About that last part... that is more an example of circumventing rules. Smart but I dont like it.

I agree on most of it. Still, there is a strong track specific difference to this. Stone now was the worst of this ruleset. But there is not just "silly corners" where regen is more relevant than apex speed. On every track we will have corners where drivers need to push for maximizing the apex speed just like in the past.
A bad thing is obviously, that the tire murdering, F1 specific super fast corners that separate the men from the boys....are most likely the ones where you regen...

[slinger]

Hi all
Has anyone seen or done a comparison between last years fastest race lap and this years one?
Would be interesting so see corner and straight comparisons.

[hollus]

https://www.gp-tempo.com/app?year=2026& ... =telemetry

Here you go. I'll let you fight with extracting and posting an image.

[Just_a_fan]

Or compare with the first British GP of the previous rules as this is the first British GP of these rules:
https://www.gp-tempo.com/app?year=2026& ... 2ANT%22%5D

Note this year's fastest lap was on the hard tyre compared to the medium and soft of the others, and had quite a bit of fuel still on board compared to the other two end-of-race laps.