The British Formula 1 Grand Prix Preview
The 8th round of this year’s Formula 1 Gran Prix takes place at Silverstone this Sunday. Silverstone is a proper racing circuit. Despite its recent configuration there are still many high speed turns and tricky technical sections. Overtaking is guaranteed.
Looking at this season’s results it is difficult to see past Sebastian Vettel. He leads the championship by 36 points going into the race. In the 7 races to date this season he has picked up points in all of them, winning 3, with his lowest finish being 4th. This in a car which was considered not to be as competitive as in recent seasons.
Team mate Mark Webber, who will be leaving Formula 1 at the end of the season, would have been considered a potential race winner. He has won 2 of the last 3 British Grand Prix, Red Bull winning 3 of the last 4. Webber has not had the best of seasons. Malaysian’s result may have prompted his decision to join the Porsche sports-car programme. Until the end of the season it is safe to assume Webber will revert to a “pure” 2nd driver role ensuring the best possible result of team-mate Vettel.
Fernando Alonso is Sebastian Vettel nearest rival in the championship and needs a win at Silverstone to reduce the gap. Alonso’s Ferrari has not been great in qualifying normally starting from the third row of the grid. Therefore, Alonso’s first target is high starting position on the grid. His race starts have been excellent and he has managed to gain places. Anywhere on front two rows and he has the chance to control the races from the front.
Kimi Raikkonnen had been a consistent high finisher in the early part of the season, winning the opening race in Australia, followed by podium finishes in China and Bahrain. His last two races however have been disappointing. Vettel’s championship lead over Raikkonnen has grown from 4 points to 44 points in these 2 races. Lotus is introducing a number of upgrades to the car for this race.
It is hard to see any of the Brits winning this year despite the guaranteed support of the home crowd. Lewis Hamilton may start the race towards the front of the grid but at full race distance and the heavy usage of the Mercedes on the Pirelli tyres will hinder his chances. A podium finish and beating his team mate Nico Rosberg will be considered a good result. The McLaren of Jenson Button has just not been competitive this year. His best finish has been only 5th in China. A top 10 finish is the best he can hope for. Paul Di Resta, who will drive for one of the top teams, gets the most from his Force India car. A solid top 10 finisher this season who is able get the most from his tyres. Max Chilton’s target is to beat team mate Jules Bianchi.
No real surprises, and the prices reflect this, but I expect the winner to come from Vettel , Alonso and Raikkonnen.
British Grand Prix bet recommendations:
Spread Bets Winning Margin Buy @ 11
Fixed Odds Nico Rosberg Pole Position 4/1
