Qualifying
The free practice session was held on a wet track, which made the process of getting to grips with the track and making adjustments for the qualifying session hard, especially as they started on a dry track.
The three ART Grand Prix drivers found the right window to place themselves in the top 8 before the rain returned after mid-session.
Laurens achieved his best result of the season (5th), just ahead of Christian (7th) and Nikola (8th).
Sprint Race
After originally being postponed due to heavy rain, the Sprint race eventually took place on a dry track. Starting from P5, Christian finished in the same position with Niko close behind, despite tricky tire management. Unfortunately, Christian will take 12th place in the rankings due to a 5-second track limit penalty. Starting 7th on the grid, Laurens lost 4 places at the start but managed to finish 9th.
Feature Race
With rain expected for the race, most drivers started on wet tires despite the track being mostly dry.
The numerous appearances of the safety car and the rain repeatedly altered the standings between drivers on slick and wet tires.
The ART Grand Prix drivers were unlucky in this back-and-forth situation and finished just outside the points (Laurens 11th, Christian 13th, Nikola 15th).
Christian Mansell:
“We expected a lot of things at Silverstone, but not a Russian roulette! We had to anticipate, try to guess what would happen, and then wait an eternity for the first race. Then scoring points was finally very satisfying after so much uncertainty and difficulty in finding and maintaining the perfect rhythm. Sunday was a bit crazy. We went up and down the standings without controlling anything. It was like winning the lottery, and in the end, it just wasn’t our day, but that doesn’t diminish our motivation for Hungary and Belgium.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“At Silverstone, it is crucial to get into a good rhythm right from free practice and gain the confidence to push harder and harder. The weather decided otherwise, and there are no real lessons to take away from this weekend in terms of points, as our main championship rivals also struggled. However, on a individual and technical level, the team reacted quickly and well to all the changing conditions, adapting quite successfully, and this experience now strengthens our morale as we approach the final stretch of the summer where we will need to be mentally strong in order to achieve our goals.”
Copyright : Formula Motorsport Limited
