Will Lewis Hamilton claim a victory at his home track and reinvigorate his challenge for the title? Given recent reports, this could be one of the last appearances by Britain’s most celebrated F1 driver and circuit.
Silverstone is set to depart F1 in 2019, having ended its contract for the race due to massive losses that hosting the GP incurs. That’s left the British GP in a bit of a mess, while the country’s star driver has already said that he’s mulling over retirement at the end of the current campaign.
Who Will Win?
Hamilton comes into this race with plenty of pressure on him, having fallen even further behind Vettel in Austria. He’s now 20 points adrift, and he’s closer to third placed teammate Valtteri Bottas than he is to the leader. Our hopes of a dramatic title race seem to be slipping, unless Hamilton’s turnaround starts this weekend. Could he be the one to take glory at Silverstone? The circuit certainly could do with a big home win to show its importance to the F1 calendar.
Hamilton has won at the British GP in the previous three seasons, and he’s expected to claim another. He’s favourite in the betting, and his fight back after a grid penalty last weekend does show that there’s still fire left in his belly. If any race is going to spark a fightback from the Mercedes driver, it’s this weekend’s showpiece at Silverstone.
We’re backing the favourite to claim a fourth straight victory at this race, which would be a brilliant way to boost this Grand Prix. Hamilton just needs to cut out any penalties this time around, and he’ll be in a brilliant position to walk away with maximum points, and cut the gap to leader Vettel.
Betting Tip – Lewis Hamilton at 10/11 with Ladbrokes
Other Bets & Odds
Hamilton has been brilliant in qualifying this season, starting off in pole position on five occasions this term. He managed to lead the way at the start in both Canada and Azerbaijan, and he should be able to repeat the trick this time around. He’s 8/13 with BetVictor to top qualifying.
If Hamilton does take pole and the race, then he’ll have two thirds of a hat-trick this weekend. He’s also managed to score the fastest lap in five of his last eight races, and we think he can repeat the trick here. We’re backing a Hamilton hat-trick, which is priced at 5/2 with Sky Bet.
We’ve seen Daniel Ricciardo hit great form in recent weeks, and his top three finish last time out just reinforced that. He’s back to his level from last season, which makes the Australian a contender here. While he may not take maximum points, he certainly seems overpriced for a top three finish at 11/4 with Bet365, so we’re tipping him to make the podium.