Conclusions | Battle between Hamilton and Verstappen forever changed

The championship is far from over

When you can make up 25 points from your nearest title rival in one go it's easy to come to the following conclusion. The championship is far from over for Verstappen. After ten Grands Prix we are not even halfway through the calendar and as Toto Wolff and Hamilton once said: with one DNF of Verstappen the Briton is back in the championship.

That retirement came perhaps even sooner than expected and that too from a direct fight between Hamilton and Verstappen himself. There can be no question of intent, but the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen is now just eight points.

The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen will never be the same again

Until the day of Sunday 18 July, the battle for supremacy between Hamilton and Verstappen had always been a friendly one, but don't expect these two to give each other an inch of space at the Hungarian Grand Prix in two weeks time. Verstappen once said he trusted Hamilton blindly when they clashed on track. That trust has taken a big hit and is unlikely to be restored.

Sprint qualifying is a good start for change

Action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That's what Formula 1 wanted, and that's what Formula 1 actually had at Silverstone. The sprint race itself was a great success, but the winner of that race should not receive a pole award. Pole position since the beginning of F1 has always been for the driver who is fastest over one lap and some things you shouldn't change.

The sprint race is a good idea and it is a relief to see Formula 1 trying new things. But instead of making qualifying, maybe it is an idea to give it more points, like is already done in lower classes like Formula 2 and Formula 3. Because it definitely didn't feel like a qualifying session.

Perez is still searching

Sergio Perez is a step up from Alexander Albon, that much is clear. But the Mexican, despite a revival in Azerbaijan and France, has yet to find the right rhythm in the Red Bull Racing car. Britain was a dramatic weekend for him and he just couldn't get a grip on the car. It seems he still needs some time before he can give Verstappen his back every race.

Bottas helps his own chances of a Mercedes seat

For weeks now, Valtteri Bottas ' seat has been one of the main topics of conversation. Will he still be in it in 2022, or will it be George Russell? At Silverstone he increased his chances again. When Hamilton, with ten seconds of penalty in his pocket, wanted to try and win the race Bottas was the good second driver as is expected of him.

The Finn immediately stepped aside after Mercedes explicitly said that it was a team order. No hassle as we saw in Spain. Bottas showed once again that he is the ideal second driver next to Hamilton.