Even the the threat of constant rain couldn’t keep celebrity fans away as Silverstone hosted the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
Persistent heavy rain fell at the Northamptonshire venue ahead of the British Grand Prix as reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen prepared to start on pole position, with title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris close behind.
And stars including Melanie Chisholm, Holly and Gordon Ramsay, Jack Whitehall and his model partner Roxy Horner were in attendance as proceedings got underway.
With an umbrella protecting her from torrential rain, Mel, 51, was in attendance after missing Spice Girls band-mate Melanie Brown’s wedding in London the previous day.
The singer opted for a smart check blazer as she made her way into the Paddock with a friend on Sunday.
Mel was notably absent as Scary Spice exchanged vows with fiancé Rory McPhee at St Paul’s Cathedral in front of a string of very A-list guests.
Melanie Chisholm arrived at Silverstone on Sunday after missing Spice Girl bandmate Melanie Brown’s wedding in London the previous day
The singer posed for selfies while a Silverstone staff-member protected her from the rain by holding an umbrella above her head
Mel was in attendance after admitting she was ‘gutted’ to miss Spice Girls band-mate Melanie Brown’s wedding to Rory McPhee in London the previous day
Mel was notably absent as Scary Spice exchanged vows with fiancé Rory at St Paul’s Cathedral in front of a string of very A-list guests
Her absence may well have been due to scheduling conflicts, as she was performing in Sweden, but the singer still paid tribute to the couple on social media.
Admitting that she was ‘gutted’ not to be there, she made reference to the fact they would all see each other and meet up in the not too distant future.
Fellow bandmate Geri Halliwell also failed to attend, and was an surprise no-show at Silverstone on Sunday – despite her connection to the event through husband Christian Horner, team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing.
Among the attending celebrities, Holly Ramsay, 25, ensured she commanded attention in a daring cropped lace top that exposed her cleavage as she arrived alongside her partner, former Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty.
In keeping with the occasion, she rounded off the look with a red and white leather racing jacket and zipped cargo pants.
Meanwhile celebrity chef Gordon, 58, was accompanied by wife Tana as they made their way onto the circuit – the home of British Grand Prix since 1948.
The couple were hand-in-hand and apparently nonplussed by the miserable weather while mingling with fellow spectators ahead of the spectacle.
Also in attendance, comedian Whitehall, 36, appeared to be in high spirits as he posed for photos alongside his glamorous girlfriend, who caught the eye in a pair of low-slung leather trousers.
Holly Ramsay commanded attention in a black lace bralette as she arrived at Silverstone with partner Adam Peaty
Meanwhile celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was accompanied by wife Tana as they made their way onto the circuit – the home of British Grand Prix since 1948
Jack Whitehall appeared to be in high spirits as he posed for photos alongside his glamorous girlfriend, Roxy Horner
Mel opted for a smart check blazer as she made her way into the Paddock with a friend on Sunday
Ed Westwick looked smart in a slim-fitting grey suit while walking arm-in-arm with actress wife Amy Jackson on Sunday
Elsewhere, former Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick greeted onlookers with a peace sign as he made his way onto the Paddock with wife Amy Jackson, 33.
The British actor, 38, looked smart in a slim-fitting grey suit while walking arm-in-arm with Jackson on Sunday.
The actress, who exchanged vows with Westwick last year, claimed her own share of the spotlight in a stylish, oversized leather jacket and heavily tinted sunglasses ahead of the race.
Elsewhere, Swedish star Rebecca Ferguson was seen making her way into Silverstone with a friend, while Jeremy Clarkson also added to the venue’s celebrity contingent.
British actors Tom Holland, Idris Elba and Damson Idris added an additional touch of Hollywood glamour to proceedings, with Spider-Man star Holland seen sheltering beneath a large umbrella as the rain fell.
Westwick greeted onlookers with a peace sign as he made his way into the venue
Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson was also seen arriving alongside a friend on Sunday
Jeremy Clarkson also added to the Northamptonshire venue’s celebrity contingent
Actor Damson Idris was seen in the Paddock ahead of the race at Silverstone on Sunday
If the bad weather continues, it will mix up teams’ strategies for the race. Saturday’s qualifying and all three practice sessions were run in dry conditions.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had struggled in practice but found extra pace in qualifying to take pole ahead of McLaren’s Piastri and Norris, who both made small but costly mistakes.
It could be a hectic fight for the win with Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all showing strong pace in qualifying, with the top six cars covered by just 0.229 of a second.
The leading contenders are using contrasting setups which mean different strengths and weaknesses at various points on the track.
Verstappen’s car in particular sacrifices grip through the corners for top speed on the straights.
Oscar Piastri leads the standings by 15 points from Lando Norris, the winner of last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, with Verstappen a distant third, 61 points off the lead.
Actor Tom Holland sheltered beneath an obligatory umbrella as the rain fell across Silverstone on Sunday
In keeping with the occasion, Holly rounded off her look with a red and white leather racing jacket and zipped cargo pants while walking hand-in-hand with former Olympian Peaty
Clarkson’s Farm star Caleb Cooper joined his boss at the event after travelling over from nearby Chipping Norton
Idris Elba joined the A-list at Silverstone, where contenders will be hoping to take Sunday’s race to The Wire
Gordon and Tana were warmly welcomed as they made their way into the Silverstone Paddock
On Saturday, Lewis Hamilton was still dreaming of his first podium with Ferrari after qualifying fifth for his home British Grand Prix.
The seven-times world champion had looked like he could take his first pole position in nearly two years but ultimately fell short at Silverstone, a circuit where he was an unrivalled record of success.
He was fastest in the second phase, raising the crowd’s expectations, but then lost time when it mattered in the top 10 shootout.
‘The lap was pretty decent at the end and then I lost a bit of time in the last corner, which probably would have put me on the front row or at least third,’ said the nine-times British GP winner with McLaren and Mercedes.
‘We were right on the knife edge I think, other than that I squeezed everything I could out the car.’
Ferrari brought a floor upgrade to Austria last weekend and Hamilton, who won a sprint race in China but has otherwise not finished higher than fourth since joining from Mercedes in January, said he was feeling better in the car.
‘This track is incredible, the crowd´s been amazing but we needed just a little bit more, like another tenth of performance in the car just to nudge us a little bit closer to the front guys,’ he said.
‘Of course, I´ll dream of it tonight and I´ll try and execute tomorrow. I think the weather’s going to be interesting.’
Teammate Charles Leclerc qualified sixth, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen pole position ahead of the McLarens of championship leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
‘The pace was there for the front row but I eventually didn´t do the job when I needed to. I lost the car in the last two corners and lost a lot of lap time,’ he said.
Alexandra Saint Mleux, the girlfriend of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, brought her pet dog along on Sunday
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