F1 LIVE | First free practice for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Formula 1 returns to Silverstone this weekend. Given the events of last year, Max Verstappen will be keen for a good result here, but Charles Leclerc will also be looking for a win after a series of disappointing results. And we get to see the Mercedes upgrades for the first time. FP1 is first on the programme.

LIVE | British Grand Prix FP1

However, the theme this weekend seems to be less about the racing and more about the controversy that arose after Nelson Piquet's comments surfaced. Verstappen has also been criticised, as the story will not have contributed to the less than cordial reception he received at Silverstone.

Red Bull and Mercedes updates

If Red Bull Racing were to be believed, no more than a few minor, routine updates were planned. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as pictures of a rather radical aerodynamic update emerged on Thursday. Adrian Newey has clearly been hard at work and the results are impressive.

During the weekend we will see how the updates will benefit Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. It is possible that they will not only have to contend with Ferrari but if we are to believe Lewis Hamilton then Mercedes will also have a shot at victory.

The story of 2022

Pre-season testing demonstrated that Ferrari were back at the front of the Formula 1 grid. In the early races, they seemed to be on top but Red Bull are currently on a winning streak. Charles Leclerc is getting the pole positions, but it's Max Verstappen doing the business in the races on Sunday. Mercedes haven't been in the mix for race wins this season, as Hamilton and Russell struggled with porpoising. Mercedes believe they have got a grip on this now and there are strong suggestions they will be in the mix. 

F1 started the season with brand new rules and regulations. So far, they have improved the racing as drivers can now follow each other closely for a number of laps. This has created a few on-track battles that last more than one corner as we've seen in previous years. It has also provided a bit of a change in the standings. Alfa Romeo, with Valtteri Bottas, have made huge gains. Williams still sit at the bottom of the standings, with Haas much closer to the midfield than years gone by. McLaren seemed to have moved backwards but still hold foruth. Alpine are battling for that position and look to be improving. In Canada, last time out, Fernando Alonso started from the front row.