Silverstone, amidst Aston Martin's improvements, Verstappen rumours, and rain fears

Arriving at Silverstone is always special for the Formula 1 paddock. After all, it is the epicentre of the so-called 'motor valley', with at least eight of the ten teams having their headquarters nearby. However, among them, Aston Martin can truly call the British Grand Prix their 'home' race.

It's not just a figure of speech: they race at the circuit right outside their headquarters, their brand-new home built in recent seasons with the aim of becoming the championship-winning team they aspire to be. Lawrence Stroll, as the visible head of the company's board of shareholders, has staked his business future on an Aston Martin F1 team that places its greatest hope on Adrian Newey, with Fernando Alonso as the spearhead.

For the Asturian, Silverstone should be the Grand Prix of definitive recovery. After the Austrian event, he achieved what seemed minimal not long ago: matching Lance Stroll. The 14 points Alonso has accumulated after his third consecutive scoring Grand Prix have brought back his smile, something that seemed almost impossible not long ago.

This is largely due to the updates gradually implemented by the Aston Martin team on their AMR25. Although not clearly, Newey's influence has been felt on a car that had offered little hope and has now become a fixture in the midfield. Alonso has achieved two consecutive seventh places, which he aims to surpass this weekend. Nevertheless, anticipating that excessive euphoria might generate undue expectations, he was quick to warn that they don't have enough new parts to make a significant leap forward. "The biggest package arrived in Imola," noted the Asturian, who also admitted he is eagerly looking forward to this weekend's event. "We are happy to race at home, to have the factory just 200 metres away, and eager to enjoy the weekend. We also have some rain forecasts for Saturday and Sunday, so it's going to be a bit hectic in that regard," he stated in pre-weekend remarks.

In Silverstone, despite the warm start to the summer, one must always keep an eye on the clouds. In fact, the weekend is expected to be quite tricky in this regard, as forecasts change every hour. What seems clear is that, at the very least, there will be some drops on the track where this championship began in 1950.

There is no summer without heat, storms, and Formula 1 transfer rumours. The 'silly season' has Max Verstappen as its initial main protagonist, who has been strongly linked with Mercedes. The rumour mill is fuelled by Toto Wolff himself. George Russell's renewal seemed little more than a done deal pending signature, but without it, the possibility opens up for many - with Wolff himself at the forefront - as a dream: seeing Verstappen in a Mercedes suit.

Far from calming the situation, the Dutch driver also fuelled the fire of rumours suggesting he might be alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli instead of George Russell. "I say what I said a week ago," was the response from the four-time world champion. It's no coincidence that the biggest rumours come from Italy and Britain: Lewis Hamilton's work at Ferrari is not satisfying anyone, and Russell's presence in the market could serve as a catalyst in all respects.

Therefore, all eyes at Silverstone will be on many drivers. There are so many fronts that the anticipated dominance of McLaren, which specific driver remains to be seen, has been overshadowed.