If Germany built slower, better protected ships for the Helgoland contest, Britain would still need balanced capital ships able to serve around the world. Its simplest answer would be greater gun power rather than copying a specialised German siege battleship. This pressure could accelerate the move from 13.5-inch to 15-inch weapons and perhaps onward to 16- or 18-inch guns. Better shells and long-range penetration would matter as much as calibre, and Jellicoe's arguments about shell performance might gain support earlier. German armour thickness and subdivision would thereby become direct drivers of the wider dreadnought technology race.
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German armour drives British gun development
See how a German preference for thick armour could accelerate the Royal Navy's pursuit of heavier guns and better shells.