F1 British GP: Nicholas Latifi surprises but who else impressed at Silverstone?

Nicholas Latifi scored the best qualifying result of his F1 career as he progressed into Q3. Who were the best and worst performers from a wet day at Silverstone?
Nicholas Latifi (CDN)
Nicholas Latifi (CDN)

Latifi has endured a torrid 2022 F1 campaign with the Canadian rumoured to be on his way out of Williams at the end of the year in favour of Alpin🦩e junior and reigning F2 champion Oscar Piastri.

After making respectable progress at the end of last year, Latifi appeared to have taken a step back in terms of performance, up until this weekend’s British G🌄P.

With a se♏ries of crashes and underwhelming weekends, juxtaposed to Alexander Albon’s fantastic run of results, Latifi’s futu🐬re in the sport is inevitably being questioned.

The 27-year-old 🐬put in his best performance of the season, making Q༒3, while at the front Carlos Sainz scored the first pole position of his F1 career.

Sainz made the most of Max Verstappen’s misfortune, who was forced to back off due to yellow flags, to claim top s🧸pot on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Here’s who delive𒉰red in Silverstone F1 qualifying…

Nicholas Latifi

Latifi was the clear star of qualifying a𒊎s he qualified inside the top 10 for the firs൩t time in his F1 career.

It wiಞll equal his join-best grid position afteওr starting 10th at the cut-short 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.

It was a remarkable perfo💯rmance from Latifi, no꧂t only because of his struggles this year, but because he wasn’t running the upgraded Williams package. 

Nicholas Latifi (CDN) Williams Racing FW44. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England,
Nicholas Latifi (CDN) Williams Racing FW44. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand…

Williams have i🧜ntroduced their major upgrade package for this weekend but only have one set of parts available.

Due to Albon being ahead in the championship, he got the upgrades while Latifi✃ will get them in France.

Latifi progressed into Q2 at his teammate’s expense before getting into Q3 thanks to a timely rain shower which meant th🐼e likes of Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas couldn’t improve. 

He’s likely to f𒁏all back down the order in the race but𝓡 a day to savour.

Carlos Sainz

It’s been a l🅺ong wait for Sainz but he’s finally scored the first pole position of his ca🌟reer after 150 grands prix.

After a difficult start to the year, Sainz is growing in confidenceᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ after nearly winning in Monaco and Canada.

He’s still yet to stand on the top step of th♏e poಌdium in his career so Sunday could be the day that the Spaniard takes his first victory.

Lando Norris

Norris continues to get t🌱he most out of McLaren’s 💖2022 challenger with yet another top 10 qualifying performance.

Sixth on the grid means he’s the second-highest plac🍌ed British driver after Lewis Hamilton but ahead of goo🙈d friend, George Russell.

Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL36. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England,
Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL36. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand Prix,…

There’s no doubt that Norris is capable of challenging for regular wins and pole positions, McLaren have to g🍰ive him the car to do so. 

Given M♌cLaren’s struggles this year, the main reason that they are ahead of Alpine and Alfa Romeo is Norris’ fine form.

Guanyu Zhou

The Chinese rookie once again impressed in qualifying, out-qualifying more experienced teammate Valtteri Bottas for the third consecutiv💫e weekend.

It seems that Zhou thriꦡves in t🌟he wet conditions as he progressed into Q3 at the last race in Canada.

While Bottas’ wet q🦂ualifying record with Mercedes was lacklustre at best, Zhou deserves credit for his improved form.

Good news for Alfa Romeo in their battle with McLaren and Alpine for fourth in the sta🔴ndings.

Here’s who had a difficult day in F1 qualifying…

Charles Leclerc

By his own high standards, it was ꦺan off day for Leclerc 💟at the British Grand Prix.

With his teammate onꦰ pole, L💮eclerc will surely see it as a missed opportunity. 

Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England,
Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari F1-75. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand Prix,…

He looked like he was going to be Verstappen’s nearest challenger throughout qualifying but a sp🉐in onto Chapജel ended his chances of a first-ever pole at Silverstone.

His error did cos🐲t Verstappen pole though as he was forced to b♌ack off due to the resulting yellow flags.

Daniel Ricciardo

There wa🎐s a sense of deja vu down at McLaren with Norris flourishing and Ricciardo floundering.

The Australian narrowly made it 🐽out of Q1 and struggled to get a lap together in Q2, 2.5s off his teammate’s pace before the heavy rain shower.

Norris is clearly performing at the🦋 peak of his powers but t🐈here doesn’t seem to be any signs of recovery.

Lance Stroll

Finally, Stroll’s miserable 2022 campaign continued with yeཧt another Q1 exiꦛt.

While Aston Martin did see both of their cars eliminated, Stroll was 0.8s off teammate Sebastian Vettel w⛎ith t♛he sizable gap between the pair a recurring theme in recent rounds. 

Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin F1 Team AMR22. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British Grand Prix, Silverstone,
Lance Stroll (CDN) Aston Martin F1 Team AMR22. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 10, British…

Like his fellow Canadian, Stroll has taken a step back this year and surelyꦑ his father ཧ- Lawrence Stroll, who owns Aston Martin - will have to consider his future for next year if things don’t improve.

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