Qualifying will instead take place on Friday evening in a later slot to allow as many fans to watch the session as possible. Results from Friday qualifying sets the grid for the sprint.
Points are on offer during sprint qualifying but only for the top trio. Three points will be awarded to the pole sitter, two to the runner-up and one to the third-place driver. There will not be a podium ceremony for the winner, with that still reserved for the race on Sunday.
Passing is not too difficult around the Silverstone circuit so there’s plenty of potential for a thrilling burst of action.
Mercedes updates
Mercedes has been left standing by Red Bull in recent races
Grand Prix Photo
Is it all over already? The 2021 title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton had promised much in the early phase of the year as the duo traded victories, but as Red Bull has persevered with development of its ’21 car, the fight has become one-sided.
Mercedes says it is done with development of its W12 beyond what it already has in the pipeline but there is set to be an upgrade for this weekend.
There has been no declaration by Mercedes as to what the update will be nor what it will focus on fixing but Lewis Hamilton has downplayed its significance already. The reigning world champion says that without a boost in power, the championship could already be heading back to Red Bull after a long absence.
Still, Silverstone is usually a Mercedes track and with a capacity crowd in attendance, there is the chance of Hamilton adding an eighth British Grand Prix win to his resumé before the summer break.
First look at F1 2022
Fans will get a first look at F1 2022 this weekend
F1
On Thursday, Formula 1 will unveil a 1:1 scale car of what F1 could look like next season.
The arrival of the postponed regulations is set to shake up the established order and help the wheel-to-wheel racing with greater emphasis placed on ground effect.
Fans will get the opportunity to see the car at Silverstone as well as get an explanation of what the new cars are meant to achieve, what’s been done to improve the racing and how they’ll achieve it.
An expert panel will explain the thinking behind the car as well as all of the aerodynamic innovation that will hopefully create cars that can follow one another much better than the current generation of car.
The 2022 preview will be livestreamed via F1’s official YouTube channel and Facebook page on Thursday at 3pm BST.
New tyres made to order
New Pirelli tyres will be used from this weekend
Marco Serena/NurPhoto via Getty Images
After a hastily arranged test during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, teams will adopt new tyres that will be used for the remainder of the 2021 season.
The new tyres use a new rear construction with a more robust structure without adding to the weight of each tyre. They also incorporate elements planned for next year’s compounds of tyre when F1 switches from 13 to 18-inch tyres.
Pirelli head of F1 racing Mario Isola said that the feedback on the new tyres was overwhelmingly positive and that they had been likened to the C4 compound of tyres.
Teams were required to run at least 12 laps on the tyres during free practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, with several choosing to run the tyres again in final practice ahead of the race.
Whether or not they’ll improve the racing spectacle remains to be seen but with a sprint race also part of the proceedings this weekend, we’ll get a decent idea of if they have changed the competitive order.