Ferrari pose British GP threat as data reveals Max Verstappen promise

One of the biggest surprises of the opening day of on-track action at the British Grand Prix was the pace of the Ferrari drivers. Lewis Hamilton commenced the weekend in strong fashion with a run to the fastest lap at the end of FP1, before Ferrari's impressive pace was backed up with strong attempts in second practice that left it second and third respectively. The Ferrari drivers were cautiously optimistic after the day of running, with Leclerc stating he needs to find improvements in his single-lap pace. The Monegasque driver was two-tenths down on session leader Lando Norris at the end of FP2.  Alarmingly for Red Bull, Max Verstappen was half a second down on the fastest time, leaving the Dutchman to label it a poor day for the Milton Keynes-based squad as he battled understeer concerns. Norris enters the Silverstone weekend seeking his fourth pole position of the year and draw himself level with team-mate Oscar Piastri's tally for the season. Below, you can see how Norris' throttle map and speed compare to Leclerc and Verstappen during their fastest laps. The article continues below the images. While Norris held an advantage over one lap, it was a different story when it came to the long runs. Leclerc noted over his team radio at the end of the session that he was happy with the car in a high fuel mode, a point he reiterated to media after practice was done and dusted. The Ferrari driver lapped an average of 1:32.120 on the medium compound, which was one-tenth of a second faster than Norris' run. Even more interestingly, however, was Verstappen's pace as his 1:32.019 was the best of the lot - a stark contrast to his performance across a single lap. Red Bull's Helmut Marko pointed out Hamilton's tyres started to grain before the rest of the front-running competition, a claim that is backed up by a dramatic drop-off in Hamilton's lap times. Leclerc, however, was able to stabilise his lap times in comparison, which held up strongly against the ever-consistent McLaren whose strength lies in its ability to extend its tyre life. While fuel and engine modes always make for some guesswork, it was rare for Leclerc to strike such an optimistic figure in what has been a difficult campaign so far for Ferrari. Overtaking opportunities are plenty around Silverstone, placing less importance on the qualifying efforts compared to some other venues. Should Ferrari and Red Bull continue to unlock the potential of their car, an unpredictable Sunday showdown could very well be in the works.