(Motorsport news) It has been the closest Formula 1 championship in years and as things stand, Lewis Hamilton has an eight point lead over Max Verstappen, who will be looking for vengeance after the debacle in Silverstone. Will Red Bull and their dutch maestro bounce back from the recent results?

After winning five back to back races from Monaco to Austria, it looked like Mercedes’ dominance had finally come to an end, but due to a series of unfortunate circumstances involving collisions from both the teams and a tyre explosion, Mercedes find themselves on the top yet again, 12 points ahead in the constructors and eight points ahead in the drivers championship.

However, there is all to play for as the second half of the Formula 1 season is set to resume after August 2nd which will see six action pack weeks featuring five Grand Prix’s. The momentum has shifted in the favor of Mercedes who look to have made significant progress after an upgrade package was introduced at Silverstone. It included extensive changes to the floor, barge boards and the area around the rear brake, which resulted in an immediate improvement. The car was faster than Verstappen’s not just at Silverstone but also Hungary, at a track which has traditionally been dominated by Red Bull.

Moreover, Pirelli introduced tougher rear tyres that were first used in Silverstone. Might that have been an additional factor in Hamilton and Mercedes’ resurgence? Or is it down to the power unit or as Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has suggested, a new and improved cooling system? Most importantly, the tension between the two camps has never been more palpable and the rivalry more intense. It’s fair to say that unlike the first half of the season, Max Verstappen has a race on his hands if he is to win the coveted championship and both he and Red Bull will have to up their game to defeat the mighty Silver Arrows.

Also read: Mick Schumacher expected to stay at Haas for the 2022 season