Martin Brundle has a simple request for F1’s TV directors after Lewis Hamilton battle at British GP

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were involved in a thrilling back-and-forth battle in Sunday’s British Grand Prix.

Hamilton dropped behind Russell and into fifth when he served a five-second penalty for a false start. Both of them were hunting Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

On lap 29, Hamilton powered past Russell on the outside of Copse, then lost the position on the Hangar Straight. And on the very next lap, Hamilton swept ahead at Brooklands, only for Russell to slip up the inside on the old pit straight.

What are your thoughts on the British Grand Prix ending behind the safety car?

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Martin Brundle: F1 fans need to know how much battery the drivers have

The battle between the two former teammates was one of the highlights of the race, even if it was clearly shaped by energy deployment.

Watching from the Sky Sports F1 commentary box (5/7, 15:53), Martin Brundle said viewers needed battery graphics on screen so they could make sense of what was happening.

It seemed as if Hamilton was burning through his energy reserves when attacking Russell, which left him helpless to defend later in the lap.

He said: “We need to get some accurate battery information up on screen, so we can watch it unfold ourselves and see where the drivers are getting on the happy button and why it might hurt them shortly afterwards.”

F1 has displayed such a graphic occasionally this year, but this is believed to be an estimate rather than an accurate picture.

For the true battery levels to be displayed, teams would have to agree to publicly share the information. Some of them, particularly the manufacturers who are struggling, may be reluctant to do so.

• READ MORE: Martin Brundle saw something ‘painful’ watching Lewis Hamilton fight Kimi Antonelli at Silverstone

And it might be advantageous for the dominant Mercedes team to conceal the extent of their battery superiority.

After commentating on the race for the BBC, Damon Hill said F1 has become confusing this year. Even the experts are unable to identify which overtakes are purely battery-powered.

Jenson Button praised the spectacle at Silverstone despite the disappointing safety-car finish, but the debate over the inherent quality of the racing persists.