Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing (P2, 18 pts): 7.5/10
If that rating looks a little harsh given he battled his way through setbacks and poor weather to take second place, you're right. It's just that we expect so much more from the best driver on the grid, in the best car out there, and this weekend neither of these things were quite firing on all cylinders or performing to the level we have come to expect from them. Verstappen himself admitted that he had no idea whether he would win the race or finish outside the top ten at various points. A good call on the final set of tyres saved his day and the team can breath a sigh of relief at the outcome, but it doesn't change the fact that Verstappen is showing worrying vulnerability at the midpoint of 2023. Could F1's indestructible Terminator be human after all?
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (P1, 25 pts): 9.5/10
Well that was rather unexpected. Sure, Mercedes clinched victory last week in Austria but that was thanks to Lando Norris and Max Verstappen making contact while battling for the lead. Mercedes hadn't shown race-winning pace before then and George Russell was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time when the opportunity presented itself. It did show promise for Mercedes' work-in-progress but we didn't expect to see a Mercedes front row lock-out this week, or for the euphoric scenes when Lewis Hamilton renewed his love affair with Silverstone with his ninth win here (a record) and his first victory in 945 days since Saudi Arabia in 2021. Dare to dream: fairytales and miracles do happen. It was a master class of race management and wet weather driving, and fully deserved.
