F1 British GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race

Hamilton has cut the gap to Norris to 1.7s at the front, while Verstappen is 6.7s off the Mercedes driver.

You feel given their positions, Leclerc and Perez will act as guinea pigs for Sainz and Verstappen. We won't be far away from a switch of tyres and the duo could provide very handy reference points.

This weather change will only speed up the swap back to slicks but with 15 laps to go it is still too far out to make softs last to the finish.

There goes the chance of an all-British podium at the British GP. But a home 1-2 is still on, as Norris leads Hamilton by 2.4s at the start of lap 36, with the Mercedes driver gaining time.

Magnussen almost planted his Haas into the barriers after hitting the exit kerb at Stowe. Fantastic car control keeps him pointing in the right direction, but that was a code brown!

Mercedes reports a water system issue is the cause of Russell's retirement.

No word yet on why Russell is out of this race, but he's in for an early bath. Sainz and co all move up a spot as a result.

The pitstops and stacking have really separated the field out. Piastri and Sainz is the only battle on track separated by less than a second.

Norris leads by 3.5s from Hamilton, with Verstappen a further 7s back in third. This race is a test of tyre life control and making the right calls at the right time. So far, it is advantage Norris.

But now Verstappen's inters are crying in the heat due to a lack of the wet stuff. So they've all got to look after their tyres again in order to pit at the right time to go back to slicks. There's 20 laps to go.

The biggest winner in that pitstop shuffle was Verstappen who pitted first and moved from fifth to third. Piastri, who pitted last, went from battling for the lead to sixth.

Perez had jumped ahead of Leclerc but the Mexican has pitted again with burned up interest hurting his progress.

Norris leads again, with a 3.3s gap to Hamilton, while Verstappen is third a further 4.8s back. Russell is fourth another 2.4s back and then Sainz is 3.7s back and Piastri is a further 4s off.

Clean stops for that trio - Norris comes out in second, Hamilton in third and Russell is fifth behind Verstappen. Mercedes' double stack has allowed Verstappen to sneak between them both.

Everyone coming in now. Alonso, Tsunoda, Albon, Magnussen and Sargeant need the intermediates and that puts Hulkenberg back into seventh.

Both McLarens and Mercedes brave it out for another lap. Hero or zero time.

Sainz had been closing in on Verstappen but has to save a snap into Brooklands so loses some time. The rain is keeping everyone on their toes!

To put it into perspective, Leclerc is now 52 seconds behind Bottas.

Never fear, heavier rain is on the way... because we needed more spice in this contest. The leaders are currently lapping Perez and Leclerc who both stopped for inters and are trying to ride it out but it isn't working.

Leclerc is now lapped and struggling to keep the Ferrari on the road. Perez also a lap down now.

Another move down the field, this time Magnussen on Sargeant for P12.

Put simply, both McLaren drivers fared better in that rain sprinkling which promoted them from fourth and fifth to first and second. Norris leads by 1.6s from Piastri with Hamilton a further 1.1s back. DRS is re-enabled.

Alonso has switched places with team-mate Stroll to take eighth on the road, but can't make any impact on the gap to Hulkenberg ahead.

On lap 22 the rain looks to have relented as most teams predicted. The pace of the leaders has picked back up so the gaps have stabilised. Norris leads by 1.9s from Piastri, Hamilton, Russell, Verstappen and Sainz.

"It's too dry man, it's too f**king dry."

Perez is not enthused by the switch to inters.

Zhou, who has been in the pits twice already, is lapped by the leaders. Just under eight seconds split the top six - Sainz, in sixth, was three seconds a lap faster than the leaders last time around.

In fact Leclerc has just been overtaken by Bottas.

It's far too early for the intermediates - Leclerc is losing time to Ricciardo ahead.

Piastri dips two wheels on to the grass attacking Hamilton but keeps it pinned down the Hangar straight and takes second place into Stowe - it is a McLaren 1-2!

We cannot keep up! Norris leads from Hamilton but Piastri is also climbing through the Mercs as he passes Russell and is attacking Hamilton.

DRS has been disabled due to the rain arriving but it isn't stopping Norris! He passes Hamilton for the lead into the first corner on lap 20!