After the highs of Austria last weekend, it all came crashing down for Pascal Wehrlein at Silverstone as he spun out of the British Grand Prix early when he aquaplaned at turn one at the start of the sixth lap.
The Manor Racing driver had made a pit stop to switch from the Full Wet to the Intermediate Pirelli tyre as soon as the safety car left the circuit, but hit one of the deeper puddles at the Abbey turn at the end of the pit straight and was a passenger as he ended up beached in the gravel trap.
Wehrlein felt he was just a passenger when he hit the wet pace at turn one, which was a problem turn for much longer than anywhere else on the circuit due to retaining the water on track, not that the German had any sympathy to his rivals.
“There was nothing I could do really,” admitted Wehrlein. “We’d just switched to the Intermediate tyre, completed a lap and then I aquaplaned into Turn 1 and lost control. I was just a passenger really.
“Some parts of the track were okay and it was drying quite quickly, but in that situation there will always be parts that are still a little too wet and can catch you out. Unfortunately, that’s what happened. I know it happened for a few other drivers, but it’s very disappointing to end the weekend this way.”
