F1: British Grand Prix Preview and Betting Tips

There’s a lot to unpack ahead as the F1 paddock looks ahead to a three-week break after the Silverstone race. 

Before the teams can take a breather, there’s the small matter of the 76th British GP this weekend. The race takes on special importance to the four British drivers on the grid: Lando Norris, George Russell, Oliver Bearman, and Lewis Hamilton. It’s the latter-mentioned driver who claimed the most recent victory at Silverstone, in his final British GP for Mercedes. He has nine victories here, the most of any driver in the sport.

There are several drivers in the running for the win this weekend, but before we look at who the favourites are, let’s focus on the track.

The Track

Silverstone was used in the inaugural F1 season back in 1950 and has a long storied history. It’s the fifth-longest track on the calendar with a length of 5.891km.

It is a fast track with two DRS zones to promote overtaking, found on the Wellington Straight and the Hangar Straight. The circuit features 18 corners (10 to the right and 8 to the left), and the top speed is nearly 330km/h. The longest flat-out section is over a kilometre long. One of the most challenging sections of Silverstone is the high-speed sequence of Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel corners.

A car with strong straight-line speed and the ability to corner rapidly will have an advantage at Silverstone. The teams favour a high downforce setup to extract more top-end speed.

In terms of tyres, Pirelli says it has changed the rubber offerings compared to last season. The C2 is Hard, the C3 is Medium, and the C4 is Soft, which is a step softer than 2024.

Who Are the Favourites?

McLaren once again showed last weekend in Austria that they have a superior package. They’ve won eight of the 11 Grand Prix so far this season, and Norris led a one-two finish at the Red Bull Ring. This weekend, the pressure will be amplified by it being Norris and the team’s home race.

The British and Australian teammates are both at 2.625 to pull off a win on Sunday, while Max Verstappen (5.00) and Mercedes’ Russell (11.00) are third and fourth favourites respectively.

We’re leaning towards Norris using the momentum of a strong performance in Austria to finish ahead of his teammate. The Briton trails Piastri by 15 points in the drivers’ standings and will be keen to reduce it going into the summer break.

Ferrari introduced upgrades to its floor at the Austrian GP, and they paid immediate dividends, netting Charles Leclerc third place and Hamilton fourth spot. The Italians will reportedly introduce additional upgrades to the car this weekend, but it’s unlikely they can challenge for the win. Another podium finish might be on the cards for the Maranello men. Hamilton will want a solid first home GP for his new team.

Red Bull and Mercedes will look to bounce back after being horribly off the pace in Austria. To add insult to injury, Mercedes’ rookie crashed into Verstappen on the first lap and ended both of their races. Both teams have gone well at Silverstone in the past and will be looking to battle McLaren and Ferrari, with Russell at 2.375 to stand on the rostrum.

Further down the field, it’s worth looking at the Racing Bulls drivers of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, both at 2.25 to finish in the points. Nico Hulkenberg (3.00), Gabriel Bortoleto (3.25), and Yuki Tsunoda (3.50) also provide decent value. The Sauber drivers finished in the points last weekend in Austria.

Predictions

Grand Prix Winner: Lando Norris
Grand Prix Podium: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc
Pole Position: Norris
Top 4 and 5: Hamilton, Russell
Finish in the points: Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Albon
Race Winning Margin: Under 5 seconds
Fastest Lap: Piastri
First to Retire: Gasly
First car to retire: Alpine
Most Team Points: McLaren
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: Ferrari
Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Norris / McLaren
Safety Car: No
Fastest pit stop: Ferrari