Mercedes backs against the wall for maiden F1 sprint qualifying - What to expect at the British GP

Round 10 of the 2021 F1 season sees a return to Silverstone for a British Grand Prix that will feel rather different.

Sprint qualifying makes its debut at an F1 weekend, seeing action spread out across all three days of running as the sport trials the initiative for the first time.

There is also the return of a full-capacity crowd to a race circuit as normality begins to resume, which will no doubt boost the spirits of Lewis Hamilton as the world champion enters the weekend 32 points adrift of rival Max Verstappen.

Here is what to expect from a very unorthodox weekend of racing.

Sprint qualifying offers a special treat

Looking at this race weekend and this race weekend alone, what is not to like? An exciting qualifying session on Friday evening to sink your teeth into, a 100km race on Saturday and the main event to follow on Sunday. One practice session has been ousted and parc ferme is introduced after FP1.

If that sounds confusing, you can find the full timetable for the weekend here!

It is all very exciting but will it work? Who knows, but an extra race is certainly not something to complain about.

In the traditional three-part qualifying session, drivers will run all three sessions on soft tyres with the obligation for top 10 starters to begin the race on their Q2 tyres removed. This is to create a more level playing field.

With points available for the top three finishers on Saturday, it is possible some midfield runners could gamble on more punchy tactics than those with more to lose in the championship battle at the front.

The great thing about it is no one knows what will happen. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Mercedes backs against the wall

It would be no exaggeration to suggest the British Grand Prix is a must-win race for Mercedes with Red Bull entering the event holding a 44-point margin in the constructors' standings and having been victorious in each of the last five races.

Silverstone has, however, been a stronghold for Mercedes and Hamilton in the turbo-hybrid era with the seven-time champion victorious in all but one British Grand Prix since 2014. Max Verstappen did win at Silverstone last year, but this was in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

With an extra three points available for winning the 100km sprint, the gap could grow even further with a total of 29 points available for an individual driver.

Hamilton needs to take advantage of having home support behind him. Could he take the chequered flag on a straight named after him to revitalise his championship hopes? It looks a tall order.

Norris to dazzle in front of home support

Hamilton won't be the only British driver to draw upon home support for a special performance.

Lando Norris has been stellar this season and will no doubt have plenty of attention at Silverstone this weekend. Incredibly, the McLaren driver still sits fourth in the standings, just three points away from third-placed Sergio Perez and ahead of Valtteri Bottas.

Norris has been strong at every track this year, so there is no reason to suggest a podium to be out of the question on Sunday.

No sign of weakness has been displayed this year but just how the events of Sunday evening will affect the Briton, Norris having been mugged after attending the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium, remains to be seen.

On the other side of the garage, sprint qualifying could be advantageous to Daniel Ricciardo with the Australian often struggling for one-lap pace but more on the money in a race situation.

The papaya outfit should give home fans something to cheer for.

Williams to revert back to type

It would be easy to get carried away with the upturn in Williams' form given the performances of George Russell and Nicholas Latifi in Austria.

The British driver stole all the headlines after narrowly missing out on points two weekends in a row, but Latifi's qualifying pace has certainly taken a step forward to the point the Canadian is just slightly outside the times needed for Q2.

But the team may find this weekend's running more difficult. The FW43B is particularly sensitive to changes in wind speed and direction and, as a former airfield, the wind is always a factor at Silverstone.

This will likely be a weekend that test the endurance of the team, Russell and Latifi. Do not expect any Austria-like heroics, however.

Silverstone to welcome fans back

At the Styrian Grand Prix, a small number of fans were allowed to watch the race. The number grew for the Austrian Grand Prix and the atmosphere was electric as the sea of orange cheered for their hero Verstappen.

Now imagine how good an atmosphere is to come with a capacity crowd of 140,000 on Sunday at Silverstone.

Despite races dropping off the calendar due to localised Covid restrictions, the current swing of races gives a sense of a return to some form of normality is beginning to take shape.

Fingers crossed the sprint qualifying weekend can give plenty of excitement to the crowd. We cannot wait!

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