2007 British Grand Prix

Previous race

Ferrari took a one-two in France: Räikkönen moved through the field to win from third on the grid, while Massa led from pole before losing out at the second round of pit stops. Hamilton finished third.

Between-race developments

Ferrari presented a legal case against engineer Nigel Stepney and a McLaren employee after a search warrant uncovered evidence of Ferrari technical information being taken. McLaren said they would fully cooperate with the investigation and concluded internally that “no Ferrari intellectual property has been passed to any other members of the team or incorporated into its cars.” The FIA is conducting its own parallel investigation into the matter. A three-day test at Silverstone began on 19 June. Ralf Schumacher set the fastest time on day one. McLaren and Ferrari both used test drivers (de la Rosa and Badoer) to evaluate new parts on days one and two. Massa was fastest on day three after 87 laps, working through aerodynamic and mechanical adjustments.

Circuit director Richard Phillips notes that ticket sales have “gone through the roof” following Hamilton’s Canadian win, describing the response as comparable to “Mansell-mania in the late 80s and early 90s.”

Practice

FP1 at Hamilton’s home race sees the McLaren rookie on top, with the two Ferraris splitting him from Alonso. The track is greasy but dry, and many drivers — including both McLarens, Kubica, Coulthard, Sutil, Trulli, and Massa — spin at various points. Rosberg outpaces both BMWs; Davidson finishes tenth in the Super Aguri, ahead of Button’s Honda.

Button does not run in FP2 following a minor back injury sustained at Indianapolis, with Christian Klien taking his seat. Toyota return to testing form in the second session, both Ralf Schumacher and Trulli outpacing Alonso. Räikkönen leads Ferrari to a half-second advantage over Massa. Sutil runs wide at Copse and spins into the tyre barrier, escaping unharmed. Eight drivers run off at Copse eleven times across the session.

Saturday practice sees the top drivers break the 1:20 barrier. Massa is fastest ahead of Alonso and Räikkönen; Hamilton’s final low-fuel run is disrupted by a yellow flag when Wurz goes off, leaving him in fourth.