British Grand Prix 2020 Preview: Another Lewis Masterclass at Silverstone?

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(Mercedes F1 car W11
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Formula One returns after a week-long break with the second triple-header of the season with back-to-back British Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton will be a strong favourite to win, having claimed the record for most wins (6) at Silverstone. After a disastrous Austrian Grand Prix, the defending champion found his mojo with poles in the next two rounds. Valtteri Bottas, his Mercedes teammate and winner of 2020 season opener will be eager to get his title challenge on track. With two rounds at Silverstone, Mercedes is expected to dominate on a track suitable for W11. Bottas is currently five points behind Hamilton in the championship table.

(Red Bull's RB 16
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)


Red Bull may have the second quickest car on race-day, but in reality, after the first three races, they look lost. The car lacks outright pace compared to Mercedes. In the two races Max Verstappen finished, he has been in a league of his own. The two podiums finishes are enough for him to hold P3 in the standings. Teammate Alex Albon has struggled to match the Dutchman. He has been some way off the other Red Bull. He will want to turn that around ASAP to secure his 2021 seat.

(Scuderia Ferrari's SF1000
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Ferrari arrived in Budapest with upgrades, and it made a difference straight away, as both drivers made it into Q3 for the first time this season. However, it was yet again a disappointing race for the team. Sebastian Vettel managed to finish P6 and Charles Leclerc in P11. With a car off the pace, they cannot afford to make errors any more. Scuderia will be hoping to eradicate the errors completely with the technical reshuffle.

(Racing Point's RP 20
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

RP 20 or the Pink Mercedes of the Racing Point has been impressively fast this season. At Hungaroring, they sealed the second row in qualifying, but on race day the team slipped to finish P4 and P7 due to poor team decisions and driver errors. They will need to be more efficient on home soil if they want to achieve the results many feel the RP20 is capable. 

(Mclaren's 2020 F1 Car 
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Mclaren is another team that has taken huge strides compared to last year. They have already bagged a podium in the form of Lando Norris's heroics in Austrian Grand Prix. The team is yet to finish outside points this season. They are ready to bring in upgrades ahead of the British GP as the team moves towards the development of their 2020 car.

(Alpha Tauri's Car for 2020 season
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Renault has struggled to make an impact. The French team has slipped to sixth in the constructor's standings, but the team does have fresh updates for the weekend. Alpha Tauri holds a comfortable lead over the next three constructors behind them. They will be hoping that Honda has fixed the power-unit issues in Pierre Gasly’s car. 

(Haas 2020 F1 Car
Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

A car which can compete with Alpha Tauri is Alfa Romeo. With only single point finish courtesy Antonio Giovinazzi’s P9 finish in Austrian Grand Prix, the team seems to have a clearer understanding of its car heading into the British Grand Prix. Haas, with only one point under their belt, is reckoned to struggle at Silverstone. Williams has a far better car than last year, and yet they sit at the bottom as the only team without points. With new upgrades, the team will be hoping to get among points.


Most British Grand Prix winners:

Lewis Hamilton: 6 wins (2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)
Jim Clark: 5 wins (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967)
Alain Prost: 5 wins (1983, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993)
Nigel Mansell: 4 wins (1986, 1987, 1991, 1992)
Jack Brabham: 3 wins (1959, 1960, 1966)
Niki Lauda: 3 wins (1976, 1982, 1984)
Michael Schumacher: 3 wins (1998, 2002, 2004)

(Stats Courtesy: Motorsport.com)

Location: Alibag, Maharashtra, India

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