Ferrari made a promising start to the British Grand Prix weekend on Friday as Lewis Hamilton took pole for the sprint race, but it was all Kimi Antonelli on Saturday as the Mercedes driver overtook Hamilton to win the sprint and then claimed pole for the main event.
The Italian star has a healthy 43-point lead in the World Championship and is in great shape to become the fifth different driver in a row to win at Silverstone after the recent successes of Carlos Sainz Jr., Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.
The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Hamilton are behind Antonelli on the grid, with George Russell fourth in the second Mercedes and Isack Hadjar fifth after outqualifying his Red Bull teammate Verstappen.
British Grand Prix Tips Summary
Best Bet - George Russell to finish 2nd @ 2/1
Alternative Bet - Oscar Piastri to finish 7th @ 6/1
Bet Builder - Mercedes to win race, Gabriel Bortoleto points finish, Nico Hulkenberg to win Group 4, Virtual Safety Car Deployed - Yes @ 6/1
British Grand Prix Prediction
Best Bet: George Russell to finish second @ 2/1
George Russell boosted his confidence with his victory in Austria last weekend but the Mercedes driver has had a problematic weekend and will line up only fourth on the grid after finishing in the same position in Saturday's sprint race.
The British driver has never finished higher than fifth in his home race, he had to retire due to a water leak after taking pole in 2024, but he can at least achieve a new personal best at Silverstone on Sunday.
Antonelli should prove extremely hard to stop after claiming his fifth pole of the season and he has converted all four of his previous poles into wins, but Mercedes had strong long-run pace in the sprint and their straight-line speed advantage should help Russell to make his way past the Ferraris on the long straights.
Backing Russell to finish exactly second is the preferred option to a Mercedes straight forecast or a top-two finish for Russell.
Alternative Bet: Oscar Piastri to finish 7th @ 6/1
The exact finishing position markets are an interesting avenue for a bet when the traditional race markets are less appealing and McLaren's Oscar Piastri looks overpriced at 6/1 to finish seventh at Silverstone.
Lando Norris climbed from sixth on the grid to third in the sprint for McLaren, but Piastri was a rather tame seventh in that event and could end up in the same slot in the main event.
The Australian starts eighth on the grid on Sunday and seems likely to end up somewhere from fifth to eighth. Norris was seventh in Austria last week and that is the kind of area the McLarens are likely to be finishing until they receive their next car upgrades in Belgium and Hungary.
British Grand Prix Bet Builder Tips
Mercedes to win race
Gabriel Bortoleto points finish
Nico Hulkenberg to win Group 4
Virtual Safety Car Deployed - Yes
Pays @ 6/1
For a four-leg Bet Builder on the British Grand Prix that pays out at 6/1 if successful, start by taking Mercedes to win the race, as they have in all but one of this year's grands prix.
Gabriel Bortoleto has a decent chance of bringing home his first points for Audi since the opening race of the season in Australia. The Brazilian starts 11th on the grid having finished the last three races in that position and his team are having a stronger weekend than usual.
Add Bortoleto's teammate Nico Hulkenberg to win Group 4 ahead of Oliver Bearman of Haas and Williams duo Carlos Sainz Jr. and Alex Albon.
Williams have shown some slight signs of progress, but they start 14th and 16th on Sunday, while Bearman is 13th but was almost half a second slower than Hulkenberg, who will start 12th, in qualifying.
Complete the bet by adding the Virtual Safety Car to be deployed. Last season's wet race saw two VSC periods and two full safety car deployments and at least one period of cars circulating at reduced pace while a car or debris is recovered is likely, even with far better conditions expected this year.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Race Stats
Mercedes have won seven of the first eight races of the season
Kimi Antonelli has converted all four of his pole positions into wins this season
Four different drivers from four different teams have won the last four Silverstone races
Last year's winner, Lando Norris, has had three successive podiums in this event
Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix a record nine times
George Russell has never finished higher than fifth in the British Grand Prix
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
