Silverstone Grand Prix – Round 15

The Grid:
It was an all-British front row with Matthew Fisher on pole and Lucas Thomas alongside him, backed up by Jeremy Hawkings and Kallum Davies. The virtual Silverstone circuit was primed for drama on home soil.

Lap 1: Fisher vs Thomas – Side-by-Side Through the Classics

Fisher got a strong launch but Thomas nailed the second phase, sweeping past into Turn 1. Fisher wasn’t having it immediately countering down the Wellington Straight, sending it around the outside at Brooklands. Thomas fought back through Luffield but Fisher, with better traction, reclaimed the lead.

The pair then went wheel-to-wheel through Copse and Maggots, thrilling the crowd as they stayed side-by-side until Becketts. Fisher edged ahead onto the Hangar Straight and they kept swapping positions through Vale and Club, with Fisher leading into Lap 2.

Early Chaos & Midfield Battles:

Behind the leaders, the Williams pair swapped positions while Jos Van Hallen climbed to P13, shadowing Gunthenstiner. Alain Dupont suffered a spin after contact with Llewellyn Rees, but the race stayed green.

 “This Guy’s Pretty Good”

Thomas wasn’t done. He retook the lead down the straight but Fisher came right back at him the two pushing the limits side-by-side through Copse lap after lap. On Lap 3, Fisher clipped the kerb out of the final corner, sending his Mercedes briefly onto two wheels! Hawkings lurked just behind, waiting to capitalise.

Fisher even came over the radio, laughing: “Jesus, this guy’s pretty good. Got to give it to him!”

Pit Strategy Settles It:

The pair boxed together mid-race. Fisher regained the lead with DRS right before the stops, then stretched his legs on the mediums, reporting: “Car feels a bit better  less washing out on the fronts.” The lap times backed it up, as he began pulling away from Thomas.

Van Hallen vs Gunthenstiner Ends in Disaster:

Further back, Jos Van Hallen and Gunthenstiner found themselves locked together in battle. Disaster struck when the two came together — Van Hallen launched over a kerb, smashing his suspension and retiring on the spot. Gunthenstiner carried on but sustained heavy sidepod damage that ruined his pace.

Checkered Flag – Fisher’s Masterclass:

In the final laps, Fisher had a slight twitch at Becketts, skating onto the runoff but controlling the slide. He crossed the line with a 3.3-second margin  another statement win on home ground.

In the post-race interview, Fisher said: “We ran the mediums at a different pressure to offset the balance as fuel burned off and temps dropped. The car was a complete package today.”