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Dominant displays in the Styrian and Austrian Grand Prix’s saw Max Verstappen and Red Bull extend their leads in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
After a one week break, Formula 1 returns to action as Silverstone welcomes the drivers ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Red Bull have been flying and they top the Constructors’ Championship after taking five consecutive victories leaving the competition in their dust.
Silverstone was a happy stomping ground for Max Verstappen as he gained victory in the 70th Anniversary race and he’ll be looking to get another win under his belt this season.
Mercedes though and especially home-hero, Lewis Hamilton, will be trying to put an end to this Red Bull dominance as they chase an eighth Constructors’ crown.
The track located in Northamptonshire first hosted the 1948 British Grand Prix. Only two years later, the newly founded Formula 1 Championship raced around the Silverstone track for the Championship opener in 1950.
It was Giuseppe Farina that dominated the first-ever F1 World Championship race as he claimed pole position, the fastest lap and crossed the line in first place.
Only 11 drivers were classified at the end of the Grand Prix with Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell finishing second and third, the latter finished close to a minute behind the race-winning Farina.
Last time out at the Austrian Grand Prix, it was Max Verstappen once more on the top step of the podium as he dominated from start to finish.
The Dutchman earned a fantastic Grand Slam, pole position, led every lap of the race, won the race and earned the fastest lap, with the Red Bull man at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
Mercedes showed very little fight as Valtteri Bottas finished second with Lewis Hamilton crossing the line in fourth.
A man that was on fire was Lando Norris as the Brit qualified in second and finished in third to feature himself yet another podium finish.
Silverstone will bring a lot of challenges for the drivers with the circuit involving a lot of high-speed and low-speed corners with a sprinkle of straights which makes the track such a fan favourite.
This weekend will also see the Sprint Qualifying format in play for the first time as it is sure to throw a lot of curveballs. The grid for Sunday’s British Grand Prix will be set depending on where the drivers finish during Saturday’s 17 lap race.
Top 10 Predictions
1. Lewis Hamilton
The seven-time world champion will be looking for redemption after not earning a victory since Barcelona. Hamilton will have the British fans behind him and that extra 10% from the home crowd may help him over the line to finish first in Sunday’s race.
2. Max Verstappen
Verstappen and Red Bull have been dominant in the last five races with the Dutchman earning back-to-back wins at his team’s home races. He won’t back down from a fight with Hamilton as the two will likely lock horns once more to battle for the win.
3. Valtteri Bottas
The Finn has been relatively quiet about his work but has been grafting away as he tries to secure his future with Mercedes beyond this season. Another podium will be a right step in the right direction for Bottas with a third-place finish probably the best he can achieve at the British Grand Prix.
4. Lando Norris
Mr Consistent has been nothing shy of fantastic for McLaren after scoring yet another podium for the team last time out in Austria. He’ll narrowly miss out on the podium this time around at his home race but he will give it his all in front of the British crowd.
5. Sergio Perez
After a disappointing finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, which included tangles with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, the Mexican will want to have a clean race at Silverstone and achieve a good points finish to help Red Bull keep their spot at the top of the Constructors’ battle.
6. Charles Leclerc
The Monegasque driver was able to make up positions in both races around the Red Bull Ring and was voted Driver of the Day at the Styrian Grand Prix. His starting position on Sunday will be key on whether he can battle at the top end of the field.
7. Carlos Sainz
Sainz has been one of the quicker drivers to integrate into his team well. Ferrari trusts the Spaniard as they allowed him to get past Leclerc in order to seal a fifth-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix. His race pace is tremendous and he will be looking to join Leclerc in the battle at the front of the field.
8. Pierre Gasly
The Frenchman had a decent fortnight in Austria. Retiring from the first race wasn’t ideal but he was able to bounce back securing a ninth-place finish in the second race. His qualifying performance have been brilliant for AlphaTauri, and if he can replicate that at Silverstone alongside a good race, then it may be a matter of Gasly finishing higher up in the points.
9. Fernando Alonso
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso has slowly been plugging away and improving his performances race by race. Compared to teammate Esteban Ocon, he’s been consistently finishing in the points and he may be one qualifying away from a very good race finish.
10. Sebastian Vettel
After his crash with Kimi Raikkonen at the end of the Austrian Grand Prix, Vettel will be hoping to put his Aston Martin car inside the top 10. It may be a tall order, but if he goes on to have a good Sprint Qualifying, a points finish may be there for the taking.
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