Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova spots Aussie megastar Cate Blanchett in Royal Box during match
The 29-year-old fought back from losing the first set to win 3-6 6-2 6-1 to avoid fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova's swift exit last year when she was the defending champ.
But none of that was front of mind for Krejcikova on match point — instead, she just wanted to impress Australian megastar Cate Blanchett in the Royal Box.
'Might have won the match point... but let's be honest, I was really just trying to impress Cate Blanchett,' Krejcikova laughed before noting she had achieved her goal.
'(!!! She clapped.)'
Blanchett sat next to Rebel Wilson for the occasion, while Russell Crowe was on the other end behind English golfer Justin Rose.
Sam Smith in commentary said it was 'extraordinarily wonderful' to see Blanchett there.
'You actually put people together who would normally never meet, it's an extraordinary setup and a hot ticket certainly,' she said.
Anne Keothavong added: 'We've got some A-list Hollywood stars mixed with the likes of Julia Donaldson, who I'm a huge fan of — she has written some incredible children's books that my children are very familiar with.'
Donaldson wrote The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom among many other books.
Krejcikova entered Wimbledon under an injury cloud after withdrawing from the Eastbourne quarter-finals with a right thigh issue.
It was the last thing she needed after missing the Australian Open — and many more tournaments — with a back injury.
'I was in a lot of pain and I didn't really know how my career's going to go,' Krejcikova said of the back problem.
'I'm super happy and super excited that I can be here and that I can play, and play on such a great court.'
Krejcikova said she was motivated seeing her own trophy in the clubhouse.
'I was definitely enjoying the moment,' she said.
'I was really excited for this day and before the match I was really counting down every minute to the match, and when I walked from the locker room it was just very nice and special having that opportunity to see my name there.'
Krejcikova started slowly against Eala with 19 unforced errors in the first set.
But she cleaned up her play and had just 18 total for the rest of the way, often willing herself to victory with a clenched fist and a yell to celebrate points that moved her closer to victory.
Eala was in just her second grand slam but loomed as a threat, having already beaten three top-20 players this year.
The 20-year-old left-hander from the Philippines honed her skills at the Rafael Nadal Academy and broke out with a run to the Miami Open semi-finals earlier this year.
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34 minutes ago
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Keys open to rare double but Sabalenka lies in wait
Madison Keys' Australian Open victory in January was hailed as a breakthrough success for a player who had long been touted for a grand slam triumph but never realised it. At 30, the American is young enough to build on that win, but not so young that she can take her time, and she wasted little in beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon third round on day three of the championships. The 37th-ranked Danilovic battled hard, saving five break points in one game in Wednesday's second set, but Keys always looked in control. After declaring the record-breaking opening day heat "quite toasty" the Florida resident said of the cooler conditions: "I definitely felt a little more comfortable today, it's the cloudy, rainy England we know and love so I felt a little more normal." Keys is seeking to emulate her teenage inspiration, Serena Williams, in achieving the relatively rare AO-Wimbledon double. Williams did this four times, but only three other players have won both events in the same calendar year since the Australian Open moved from grass to hard courts in 1988. Of those only Amelie Mauresmo, in 2006, has done so in the 21st century. Steffi Graf (1988 & 1989) and Martina Hingis (1997) are the others while most recently Ash Barty held both titles but won Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022. With three of the top five seeds eliminated on Tuesday Keys is a serious contender, though Aryna Sabalenka, the woman she defeated at Melbourne Park, lies on the horizon. The pair are slated to meet in the quarter-finals after the No.1 seed beat Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 on Centre Court. Sabalenka looked at risk of a shock herself after her 48th-ranked French opponent broke her to serve for the first set at 6-5. But Sabalenka broke back, took the tiebreak, and was never threatened again. Two more seeds were evicted, Paris Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic and former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. Vekic, seeded 22 and a semi-finalist here last year, went down 6-1 6-3 to Spain's Cristina Busca while Canadian 29th-seed Fernandez was beaten by German Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-3. Elsewhere rising Brit Sonay Kartal beat Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2, Madison Keys' Australian Open victory in January was hailed as a breakthrough success for a player who had long been touted for a grand slam triumph but never realised it. At 30, the American is young enough to build on that win, but not so young that she can take her time, and she wasted little in beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon third round on day three of the championships. The 37th-ranked Danilovic battled hard, saving five break points in one game in Wednesday's second set, but Keys always looked in control. After declaring the record-breaking opening day heat "quite toasty" the Florida resident said of the cooler conditions: "I definitely felt a little more comfortable today, it's the cloudy, rainy England we know and love so I felt a little more normal." Keys is seeking to emulate her teenage inspiration, Serena Williams, in achieving the relatively rare AO-Wimbledon double. Williams did this four times, but only three other players have won both events in the same calendar year since the Australian Open moved from grass to hard courts in 1988. Of those only Amelie Mauresmo, in 2006, has done so in the 21st century. Steffi Graf (1988 & 1989) and Martina Hingis (1997) are the others while most recently Ash Barty held both titles but won Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022. With three of the top five seeds eliminated on Tuesday Keys is a serious contender, though Aryna Sabalenka, the woman she defeated at Melbourne Park, lies on the horizon. The pair are slated to meet in the quarter-finals after the No.1 seed beat Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 on Centre Court. Sabalenka looked at risk of a shock herself after her 48th-ranked French opponent broke her to serve for the first set at 6-5. But Sabalenka broke back, took the tiebreak, and was never threatened again. Two more seeds were evicted, Paris Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic and former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. Vekic, seeded 22 and a semi-finalist here last year, went down 6-1 6-3 to Spain's Cristina Busca while Canadian 29th-seed Fernandez was beaten by German Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-3. Elsewhere rising Brit Sonay Kartal beat Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2, Madison Keys' Australian Open victory in January was hailed as a breakthrough success for a player who had long been touted for a grand slam triumph but never realised it. At 30, the American is young enough to build on that win, but not so young that she can take her time, and she wasted little in beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon third round on day three of the championships. The 37th-ranked Danilovic battled hard, saving five break points in one game in Wednesday's second set, but Keys always looked in control. After declaring the record-breaking opening day heat "quite toasty" the Florida resident said of the cooler conditions: "I definitely felt a little more comfortable today, it's the cloudy, rainy England we know and love so I felt a little more normal." Keys is seeking to emulate her teenage inspiration, Serena Williams, in achieving the relatively rare AO-Wimbledon double. Williams did this four times, but only three other players have won both events in the same calendar year since the Australian Open moved from grass to hard courts in 1988. Of those only Amelie Mauresmo, in 2006, has done so in the 21st century. Steffi Graf (1988 & 1989) and Martina Hingis (1997) are the others while most recently Ash Barty held both titles but won Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022. With three of the top five seeds eliminated on Tuesday Keys is a serious contender, though Aryna Sabalenka, the woman she defeated at Melbourne Park, lies on the horizon. The pair are slated to meet in the quarter-finals after the No.1 seed beat Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 on Centre Court. Sabalenka looked at risk of a shock herself after her 48th-ranked French opponent broke her to serve for the first set at 6-5. But Sabalenka broke back, took the tiebreak, and was never threatened again. Two more seeds were evicted, Paris Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic and former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. Vekic, seeded 22 and a semi-finalist here last year, went down 6-1 6-3 to Spain's Cristina Busca while Canadian 29th-seed Fernandez was beaten by German Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-3. Elsewhere rising Brit Sonay Kartal beat Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2, Madison Keys' Australian Open victory in January was hailed as a breakthrough success for a player who had long been touted for a grand slam triumph but never realised it. At 30, the American is young enough to build on that win, but not so young that she can take her time, and she wasted little in beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon third round on day three of the championships. The 37th-ranked Danilovic battled hard, saving five break points in one game in Wednesday's second set, but Keys always looked in control. After declaring the record-breaking opening day heat "quite toasty" the Florida resident said of the cooler conditions: "I definitely felt a little more comfortable today, it's the cloudy, rainy England we know and love so I felt a little more normal." Keys is seeking to emulate her teenage inspiration, Serena Williams, in achieving the relatively rare AO-Wimbledon double. Williams did this four times, but only three other players have won both events in the same calendar year since the Australian Open moved from grass to hard courts in 1988. Of those only Amelie Mauresmo, in 2006, has done so in the 21st century. Steffi Graf (1988 & 1989) and Martina Hingis (1997) are the others while most recently Ash Barty held both titles but won Wimbledon in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022. With three of the top five seeds eliminated on Tuesday Keys is a serious contender, though Aryna Sabalenka, the woman she defeated at Melbourne Park, lies on the horizon. The pair are slated to meet in the quarter-finals after the No.1 seed beat Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 on Centre Court. Sabalenka looked at risk of a shock herself after her 48th-ranked French opponent broke her to serve for the first set at 6-5. But Sabalenka broke back, took the tiebreak, and was never threatened again. Two more seeds were evicted, Paris Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic and former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. Vekic, seeded 22 and a semi-finalist here last year, went down 6-1 6-3 to Spain's Cristina Busca while Canadian 29th-seed Fernandez was beaten by German Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-3. Elsewhere rising Brit Sonay Kartal beat Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2,
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34 minutes ago
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Vukic hopes the touch of grass will be Sinner's undoing
On paper it is a mismatch, fortunately for Aleksandar Vukic he will be meeting Jannik Sinner, in the pick of Australia's quartet of Wimbledon day four second-round ties, on grass. An old cliché perhaps, but in this case it has relevance because of all the surfaces tennis is played on, grass is the one the Australian believes gives him the best chance of dethroning the world No.1. Vukic came into the grasscourt grand slam off the back of a terrible run of form. Since beating then 22-ranked Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Australian Open in January he played 14 tour-level matches losing all but one of them - a victory over 149-ranked Nicolas Moreno De Alboran in Rome in May. And in the following game Korda avenged that Melbourne loss. During this period the 29-year-old slipped from 67 to 93 in the rankings. By contrast, since the start of January 2024, Sinner has played 101 matches losing nine. Five of those defeats have come against Carlos Alcaraz, three of the others have been against Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, all ranked in the top 12 at the time. It is the outlier that gives Vukic hope, at Halle last month when the Italian lost to Alexander Bublik, ranked 45, at Halle on grass. "If there's a surface and a time to do it, it's probably now," he said ahead of Thursday's match (local time). "He's world No.1 for a reason. He didn't lose too many matches last year or this. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one, just because it's a bit more random, so more upsets can happen - hopefully I can be one of those." Vukic played Sinner in 2021 and 2022, losing in straight sets on both occasions, but they were on hard courts. "I think a hard court, when everything's in the perfect slot for him, that's where he feels at his most comfortable and you can't really get it out of his zone," added the Sydneysider. "Grass, you move so different on it. That's why I might actually have a good chance to expose him, just because it is grass and no one moves amazingly yet. "That's probably where I'll have more of an advantage than the previous times. Hopefully I can recognise that, but I'm going to have to play very well." Vukic has been here before. He's faced a world No.1, losing to Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells last year, and played a Wimbledon show court when he faced Carlos Alcaraz in the same round on Court No.1 last year. Vukic lost in straight sets, but took the first to a tie-break and feels that experience could be invaluable. "That definitely helps. I remember last year going onto the court for the first time. It's a little bit surreal, but it's also a little bit more peaceful, less distracting, because the outside courts are quite chaotic with a lot going on around. "The fans are very close, there's a lot going on from other matches as well. You hear kind of all the voices around." "Maybe," he joked, "I'll ask to play him on Court 18, see how he gets on out there." In reality the All England Club have scheduled the tie for prime time on Centre Court. Quite the stage for an upset. "Things will have to go my way. I'm going to have to serve very well for sure. I'll have to take my chances but I've got nothing to lose. The pressure's on him." The same applies to Ben Shelton, the US No.10 seed who Rinky Hijikata takes on, but also to Australia's No.1 man and woman, Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina. They will each be expected to progress against Arthur Cazaux and Irina-Camelia Begu respectively, who are both, co-incidentally, ranked 115th in the world. AUSSIES IN ACTION ON DAY FOUR AT WIMBLEDON (prefix denotes seeding):Men's singles, second round Aleksandar Vukic v 1-Jannik Sinner (ITA) 11-Alex de Minaur v Arthur Cazaux (FRA) Rinky Hijikata v 10-Ben Shelton (USA) Women's singles, second round 16-Daria Kasatkina v Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) On paper it is a mismatch, fortunately for Aleksandar Vukic he will be meeting Jannik Sinner, in the pick of Australia's quartet of Wimbledon day four second-round ties, on grass. An old cliché perhaps, but in this case it has relevance because of all the surfaces tennis is played on, grass is the one the Australian believes gives him the best chance of dethroning the world No.1. Vukic came into the grasscourt grand slam off the back of a terrible run of form. Since beating then 22-ranked Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Australian Open in January he played 14 tour-level matches losing all but one of them - a victory over 149-ranked Nicolas Moreno De Alboran in Rome in May. And in the following game Korda avenged that Melbourne loss. During this period the 29-year-old slipped from 67 to 93 in the rankings. By contrast, since the start of January 2024, Sinner has played 101 matches losing nine. Five of those defeats have come against Carlos Alcaraz, three of the others have been against Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, all ranked in the top 12 at the time. It is the outlier that gives Vukic hope, at Halle last month when the Italian lost to Alexander Bublik, ranked 45, at Halle on grass. "If there's a surface and a time to do it, it's probably now," he said ahead of Thursday's match (local time). "He's world No.1 for a reason. He didn't lose too many matches last year or this. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one, just because it's a bit more random, so more upsets can happen - hopefully I can be one of those." Vukic played Sinner in 2021 and 2022, losing in straight sets on both occasions, but they were on hard courts. "I think a hard court, when everything's in the perfect slot for him, that's where he feels at his most comfortable and you can't really get it out of his zone," added the Sydneysider. "Grass, you move so different on it. That's why I might actually have a good chance to expose him, just because it is grass and no one moves amazingly yet. "That's probably where I'll have more of an advantage than the previous times. Hopefully I can recognise that, but I'm going to have to play very well." Vukic has been here before. He's faced a world No.1, losing to Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells last year, and played a Wimbledon show court when he faced Carlos Alcaraz in the same round on Court No.1 last year. Vukic lost in straight sets, but took the first to a tie-break and feels that experience could be invaluable. "That definitely helps. I remember last year going onto the court for the first time. It's a little bit surreal, but it's also a little bit more peaceful, less distracting, because the outside courts are quite chaotic with a lot going on around. "The fans are very close, there's a lot going on from other matches as well. You hear kind of all the voices around." "Maybe," he joked, "I'll ask to play him on Court 18, see how he gets on out there." In reality the All England Club have scheduled the tie for prime time on Centre Court. Quite the stage for an upset. "Things will have to go my way. I'm going to have to serve very well for sure. I'll have to take my chances but I've got nothing to lose. The pressure's on him." The same applies to Ben Shelton, the US No.10 seed who Rinky Hijikata takes on, but also to Australia's No.1 man and woman, Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina. They will each be expected to progress against Arthur Cazaux and Irina-Camelia Begu respectively, who are both, co-incidentally, ranked 115th in the world. AUSSIES IN ACTION ON DAY FOUR AT WIMBLEDON (prefix denotes seeding):Men's singles, second round Aleksandar Vukic v 1-Jannik Sinner (ITA) 11-Alex de Minaur v Arthur Cazaux (FRA) Rinky Hijikata v 10-Ben Shelton (USA) Women's singles, second round 16-Daria Kasatkina v Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) On paper it is a mismatch, fortunately for Aleksandar Vukic he will be meeting Jannik Sinner, in the pick of Australia's quartet of Wimbledon day four second-round ties, on grass. An old cliché perhaps, but in this case it has relevance because of all the surfaces tennis is played on, grass is the one the Australian believes gives him the best chance of dethroning the world No.1. Vukic came into the grasscourt grand slam off the back of a terrible run of form. Since beating then 22-ranked Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Australian Open in January he played 14 tour-level matches losing all but one of them - a victory over 149-ranked Nicolas Moreno De Alboran in Rome in May. And in the following game Korda avenged that Melbourne loss. During this period the 29-year-old slipped from 67 to 93 in the rankings. By contrast, since the start of January 2024, Sinner has played 101 matches losing nine. Five of those defeats have come against Carlos Alcaraz, three of the others have been against Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, all ranked in the top 12 at the time. It is the outlier that gives Vukic hope, at Halle last month when the Italian lost to Alexander Bublik, ranked 45, at Halle on grass. "If there's a surface and a time to do it, it's probably now," he said ahead of Thursday's match (local time). "He's world No.1 for a reason. He didn't lose too many matches last year or this. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one, just because it's a bit more random, so more upsets can happen - hopefully I can be one of those." Vukic played Sinner in 2021 and 2022, losing in straight sets on both occasions, but they were on hard courts. "I think a hard court, when everything's in the perfect slot for him, that's where he feels at his most comfortable and you can't really get it out of his zone," added the Sydneysider. "Grass, you move so different on it. That's why I might actually have a good chance to expose him, just because it is grass and no one moves amazingly yet. "That's probably where I'll have more of an advantage than the previous times. Hopefully I can recognise that, but I'm going to have to play very well." Vukic has been here before. He's faced a world No.1, losing to Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells last year, and played a Wimbledon show court when he faced Carlos Alcaraz in the same round on Court No.1 last year. Vukic lost in straight sets, but took the first to a tie-break and feels that experience could be invaluable. "That definitely helps. I remember last year going onto the court for the first time. It's a little bit surreal, but it's also a little bit more peaceful, less distracting, because the outside courts are quite chaotic with a lot going on around. "The fans are very close, there's a lot going on from other matches as well. You hear kind of all the voices around." "Maybe," he joked, "I'll ask to play him on Court 18, see how he gets on out there." In reality the All England Club have scheduled the tie for prime time on Centre Court. Quite the stage for an upset. "Things will have to go my way. I'm going to have to serve very well for sure. I'll have to take my chances but I've got nothing to lose. The pressure's on him." The same applies to Ben Shelton, the US No.10 seed who Rinky Hijikata takes on, but also to Australia's No.1 man and woman, Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina. They will each be expected to progress against Arthur Cazaux and Irina-Camelia Begu respectively, who are both, co-incidentally, ranked 115th in the world. AUSSIES IN ACTION ON DAY FOUR AT WIMBLEDON (prefix denotes seeding):Men's singles, second round Aleksandar Vukic v 1-Jannik Sinner (ITA) 11-Alex de Minaur v Arthur Cazaux (FRA) Rinky Hijikata v 10-Ben Shelton (USA) Women's singles, second round 16-Daria Kasatkina v Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) On paper it is a mismatch, fortunately for Aleksandar Vukic he will be meeting Jannik Sinner, in the pick of Australia's quartet of Wimbledon day four second-round ties, on grass. An old cliché perhaps, but in this case it has relevance because of all the surfaces tennis is played on, grass is the one the Australian believes gives him the best chance of dethroning the world No.1. Vukic came into the grasscourt grand slam off the back of a terrible run of form. Since beating then 22-ranked Sebastian Korda in the second round of the Australian Open in January he played 14 tour-level matches losing all but one of them - a victory over 149-ranked Nicolas Moreno De Alboran in Rome in May. And in the following game Korda avenged that Melbourne loss. During this period the 29-year-old slipped from 67 to 93 in the rankings. By contrast, since the start of January 2024, Sinner has played 101 matches losing nine. Five of those defeats have come against Carlos Alcaraz, three of the others have been against Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, all ranked in the top 12 at the time. It is the outlier that gives Vukic hope, at Halle last month when the Italian lost to Alexander Bublik, ranked 45, at Halle on grass. "If there's a surface and a time to do it, it's probably now," he said ahead of Thursday's match (local time). "He's world No.1 for a reason. He didn't lose too many matches last year or this. If there's a surface to play him on it's probably this one, just because it's a bit more random, so more upsets can happen - hopefully I can be one of those." Vukic played Sinner in 2021 and 2022, losing in straight sets on both occasions, but they were on hard courts. "I think a hard court, when everything's in the perfect slot for him, that's where he feels at his most comfortable and you can't really get it out of his zone," added the Sydneysider. "Grass, you move so different on it. That's why I might actually have a good chance to expose him, just because it is grass and no one moves amazingly yet. "That's probably where I'll have more of an advantage than the previous times. Hopefully I can recognise that, but I'm going to have to play very well." Vukic has been here before. He's faced a world No.1, losing to Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells last year, and played a Wimbledon show court when he faced Carlos Alcaraz in the same round on Court No.1 last year. Vukic lost in straight sets, but took the first to a tie-break and feels that experience could be invaluable. "That definitely helps. I remember last year going onto the court for the first time. It's a little bit surreal, but it's also a little bit more peaceful, less distracting, because the outside courts are quite chaotic with a lot going on around. "The fans are very close, there's a lot going on from other matches as well. You hear kind of all the voices around." "Maybe," he joked, "I'll ask to play him on Court 18, see how he gets on out there." In reality the All England Club have scheduled the tie for prime time on Centre Court. Quite the stage for an upset. "Things will have to go my way. I'm going to have to serve very well for sure. I'll have to take my chances but I've got nothing to lose. The pressure's on him." The same applies to Ben Shelton, the US No.10 seed who Rinky Hijikata takes on, but also to Australia's No.1 man and woman, Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina. They will each be expected to progress against Arthur Cazaux and Irina-Camelia Begu respectively, who are both, co-incidentally, ranked 115th in the world. AUSSIES IN ACTION ON DAY FOUR AT WIMBLEDON (prefix denotes seeding):Men's singles, second round Aleksandar Vukic v 1-Jannik Sinner (ITA) 11-Alex de Minaur v Arthur Cazaux (FRA) Rinky Hijikata v 10-Ben Shelton (USA) Women's singles, second round 16-Daria Kasatkina v Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM)
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34 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Three Britons can win but Piastri has his own script
Three British winners have their sights on a home grand prix victory this weekend but Oscar Piastri could rain on that particular parade as Formula One returns to where the championship started 75 years ago. Australia's championship leader can still count on plenty of support as a McLaren driver but much of the crowd, and certainly the 10,000 in Silverstone's sold-out 'Landostand', will be cheering more for British teammate Lando Norris. Norris won Piastri's home grand prix in Melbourne in March, an added incentive for the Australian at Silverstone, and the pair are turning the season into a two-horse race as the campaign reaches the halfway point. Piastri is chasing a sixth win in 12 races while Norris arrives from Austria on a high after dominating every practice session he took part in, taking pole by a huge margin and holding off his teammate to win. The two are 15 points apart, with Red Bull's reigning four-times world champion Max Verstappen third overall but now a hefty 61 points off the lead after a first retirement of the season at his team's home track at Spielberg. "My favourite weekend of the year," said Norris, who has yet to take back-to-back wins. "It's already a special circuit but to also have my family, friends, home fans and so many of the team there supporting us takes it to another level. I'll try to make sure I give the fans a wave as I drive past." Piastri recalled he had fans chanting his name at Silverstone not so long ago. "I am not sure I will get that again but they have always been very accepting of me. I race for a British team. I am expecting that there will be more Lando fans than there are for me but that's fair enough," he said. If Norris's support is strong, then Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton will always be the big sentimental favourite. The last two races have been won by British drivers - George Russell for Mercedes in Canada and then Norris last weekend. Could Hamilton make it three and send the crowd crazy? The 40-year-old won with Mercedes last year for a record ninth time and taking that tally into double figures, in what will be his first home appearance in the Italian team's red colours, would be something else. Ferrari are the only top-four team without a win this season, other than Hamilton's Shanghai sprint success, and the seven-times world champion has yet to stand on the podium for his new employers. He has also gone 13 races without a top-three finish, a career low. On the plus side, Ferrari were second fastest in Austria with Charles Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth and a new floor seems to be doing what it was supposed to do. Hamilton usually manages to produce something special at Silverstone, set to welcome a record half-million fans this time over the four days. Last year he turned up after 52 races without a win and seized one of the most emotional triumphs of his extraordinary career. Russell, on pole as Hamilton's teammate last year, also has a strong chance - particularly if temperatures cool - and will be eager to bounce back from a tough weekend in Austria. Italian rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli meanwhile carries over a three-place grid drop from Austria. Britain's fourth driver, Oliver Bearman at Haas, will be targeting points while the same applies to British-born Thai Alex Albon at Williams. Three British winners have their sights on a home grand prix victory this weekend but Oscar Piastri could rain on that particular parade as Formula One returns to where the championship started 75 years ago. Australia's championship leader can still count on plenty of support as a McLaren driver but much of the crowd, and certainly the 10,000 in Silverstone's sold-out 'Landostand', will be cheering more for British teammate Lando Norris. Norris won Piastri's home grand prix in Melbourne in March, an added incentive for the Australian at Silverstone, and the pair are turning the season into a two-horse race as the campaign reaches the halfway point. Piastri is chasing a sixth win in 12 races while Norris arrives from Austria on a high after dominating every practice session he took part in, taking pole by a huge margin and holding off his teammate to win. The two are 15 points apart, with Red Bull's reigning four-times world champion Max Verstappen third overall but now a hefty 61 points off the lead after a first retirement of the season at his team's home track at Spielberg. "My favourite weekend of the year," said Norris, who has yet to take back-to-back wins. "It's already a special circuit but to also have my family, friends, home fans and so many of the team there supporting us takes it to another level. I'll try to make sure I give the fans a wave as I drive past." Piastri recalled he had fans chanting his name at Silverstone not so long ago. "I am not sure I will get that again but they have always been very accepting of me. I race for a British team. I am expecting that there will be more Lando fans than there are for me but that's fair enough," he said. If Norris's support is strong, then Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton will always be the big sentimental favourite. The last two races have been won by British drivers - George Russell for Mercedes in Canada and then Norris last weekend. Could Hamilton make it three and send the crowd crazy? The 40-year-old won with Mercedes last year for a record ninth time and taking that tally into double figures, in what will be his first home appearance in the Italian team's red colours, would be something else. Ferrari are the only top-four team without a win this season, other than Hamilton's Shanghai sprint success, and the seven-times world champion has yet to stand on the podium for his new employers. He has also gone 13 races without a top-three finish, a career low. On the plus side, Ferrari were second fastest in Austria with Charles Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth and a new floor seems to be doing what it was supposed to do. Hamilton usually manages to produce something special at Silverstone, set to welcome a record half-million fans this time over the four days. Last year he turned up after 52 races without a win and seized one of the most emotional triumphs of his extraordinary career. Russell, on pole as Hamilton's teammate last year, also has a strong chance - particularly if temperatures cool - and will be eager to bounce back from a tough weekend in Austria. Italian rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli meanwhile carries over a three-place grid drop from Austria. Britain's fourth driver, Oliver Bearman at Haas, will be targeting points while the same applies to British-born Thai Alex Albon at Williams. Three British winners have their sights on a home grand prix victory this weekend but Oscar Piastri could rain on that particular parade as Formula One returns to where the championship started 75 years ago. Australia's championship leader can still count on plenty of support as a McLaren driver but much of the crowd, and certainly the 10,000 in Silverstone's sold-out 'Landostand', will be cheering more for British teammate Lando Norris. Norris won Piastri's home grand prix in Melbourne in March, an added incentive for the Australian at Silverstone, and the pair are turning the season into a two-horse race as the campaign reaches the halfway point. Piastri is chasing a sixth win in 12 races while Norris arrives from Austria on a high after dominating every practice session he took part in, taking pole by a huge margin and holding off his teammate to win. The two are 15 points apart, with Red Bull's reigning four-times world champion Max Verstappen third overall but now a hefty 61 points off the lead after a first retirement of the season at his team's home track at Spielberg. "My favourite weekend of the year," said Norris, who has yet to take back-to-back wins. "It's already a special circuit but to also have my family, friends, home fans and so many of the team there supporting us takes it to another level. I'll try to make sure I give the fans a wave as I drive past." Piastri recalled he had fans chanting his name at Silverstone not so long ago. "I am not sure I will get that again but they have always been very accepting of me. I race for a British team. I am expecting that there will be more Lando fans than there are for me but that's fair enough," he said. If Norris's support is strong, then Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton will always be the big sentimental favourite. The last two races have been won by British drivers - George Russell for Mercedes in Canada and then Norris last weekend. Could Hamilton make it three and send the crowd crazy? The 40-year-old won with Mercedes last year for a record ninth time and taking that tally into double figures, in what will be his first home appearance in the Italian team's red colours, would be something else. Ferrari are the only top-four team without a win this season, other than Hamilton's Shanghai sprint success, and the seven-times world champion has yet to stand on the podium for his new employers. He has also gone 13 races without a top-three finish, a career low. On the plus side, Ferrari were second fastest in Austria with Charles Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth and a new floor seems to be doing what it was supposed to do. Hamilton usually manages to produce something special at Silverstone, set to welcome a record half-million fans this time over the four days. Last year he turned up after 52 races without a win and seized one of the most emotional triumphs of his extraordinary career. Russell, on pole as Hamilton's teammate last year, also has a strong chance - particularly if temperatures cool - and will be eager to bounce back from a tough weekend in Austria. Italian rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli meanwhile carries over a three-place grid drop from Austria. Britain's fourth driver, Oliver Bearman at Haas, will be targeting points while the same applies to British-born Thai Alex Albon at Williams. Three British winners have their sights on a home grand prix victory this weekend but Oscar Piastri could rain on that particular parade as Formula One returns to where the championship started 75 years ago. Australia's championship leader can still count on plenty of support as a McLaren driver but much of the crowd, and certainly the 10,000 in Silverstone's sold-out 'Landostand', will be cheering more for British teammate Lando Norris. Norris won Piastri's home grand prix in Melbourne in March, an added incentive for the Australian at Silverstone, and the pair are turning the season into a two-horse race as the campaign reaches the halfway point. Piastri is chasing a sixth win in 12 races while Norris arrives from Austria on a high after dominating every practice session he took part in, taking pole by a huge margin and holding off his teammate to win. The two are 15 points apart, with Red Bull's reigning four-times world champion Max Verstappen third overall but now a hefty 61 points off the lead after a first retirement of the season at his team's home track at Spielberg. "My favourite weekend of the year," said Norris, who has yet to take back-to-back wins. "It's already a special circuit but to also have my family, friends, home fans and so many of the team there supporting us takes it to another level. I'll try to make sure I give the fans a wave as I drive past." Piastri recalled he had fans chanting his name at Silverstone not so long ago. "I am not sure I will get that again but they have always been very accepting of me. I race for a British team. I am expecting that there will be more Lando fans than there are for me but that's fair enough," he said. If Norris's support is strong, then Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton will always be the big sentimental favourite. The last two races have been won by British drivers - George Russell for Mercedes in Canada and then Norris last weekend. Could Hamilton make it three and send the crowd crazy? The 40-year-old won with Mercedes last year for a record ninth time and taking that tally into double figures, in what will be his first home appearance in the Italian team's red colours, would be something else. Ferrari are the only top-four team without a win this season, other than Hamilton's Shanghai sprint success, and the seven-times world champion has yet to stand on the podium for his new employers. He has also gone 13 races without a top-three finish, a career low. On the plus side, Ferrari were second fastest in Austria with Charles Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth and a new floor seems to be doing what it was supposed to do. Hamilton usually manages to produce something special at Silverstone, set to welcome a record half-million fans this time over the four days. Last year he turned up after 52 races without a win and seized one of the most emotional triumphs of his extraordinary career. Russell, on pole as Hamilton's teammate last year, also has a strong chance - particularly if temperatures cool - and will be eager to bounce back from a tough weekend in Austria. Italian rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli meanwhile carries over a three-place grid drop from Austria. Britain's fourth driver, Oliver Bearman at Haas, will be targeting points while the same applies to British-born Thai Alex Albon at Williams.
