The Grid:
It was a special one Silverstone in reverse, marking Matthew Fisher’s 10 years in F1 Esports. The grid saw Fisher on pole, but only by virtue of setting his lap before Llewellyn Rees, who matched him to the thousandth. Murphey lined up 3rd, with Gunthenstiner 4th.
Lights Out — The Battle of the Welshmen:
When the lights went out, Fisher reacted well, but Rees on loan to Red Bull while Van Hallen recovers used more battery and snatched the lead into Turn 1. Murphey held 3rd from Gunthenstiner, but it was all eyes on the front as the two Welshmen locked into a fierce DRS fight.
Fisher tried around the outside at Brooklands no luck. He made his next move at Becketts but had to back out. It wasn’t until the second DRS zone that Fisher finally made it stick, only for Rees to fight right back. The commentary box could hardly keep up.
Lap 3–5: Elbows Out, Kerbs Clipped:
Lap 3, Rees regained the lead into Becketts. Murphey started closing in while Gunthenstiner lost out to Manley. Lap 4 saw the flashpoint: contact between Fisher and Rees at Becketts sent Fisher’s Mercedes sideways. Undeterred, the pair traded paint again into Turn 1 — two drivers on the limit.
The Bait and the Plan:
After a final, aggressive DRS move, Fisher forced his way past, but was slapped with a 5-second penalty for not being fully alongside at the apex. His radio was classic: “Fine. The bait has been thrown?.” His engineer’s laugh in his reply “Yep, reel them in Fish.”
From there, Fisher dominated pulling a 10-second gap to cover the penalty. He crossed the line first, reduced to a 5-second margin after the stewards’ call.
Further Back:
The midfield saw chaos too: Alpine and Williams tangled, spinning wildly out of P17 and P18. Gunthenstiner fought back to reclaim P4 from Manley in the closing laps.
🥇 Matthew Fisher — Mercedes AMG Esports
🥈 Llewellyn Rees — Oracle Red Bull Esports (first race on loan)
🥉 Shane Murphey — McLaren Shadow
Another classic awaits. The paddock wonders: Can Fisher keep this streak alive through Belgium’s unpredictable weather and mighty Eau Rouge? Or will Murphey, Gunthenstiner, or Van Hallen claw it back?