F1 British Grand Prix: practice one betting preview, tip and TV details

Channel 4 & Sky Sports F1, 10am Friday

Mercedes couldn’t take the heat when they suffered their first defeat of the season in Austria last time, but that won’t be an issue at Silverstone this weekend.

The European heatwave exposed a flaw in the Silver Arrows’ cooling system and they were unable to push the car to its limit.

That didn’t stop Lewis Hamilton from setting the fastest time in the opening practice session for the fourth race weekend in succession, though. And the British world championship leader can give the home crowd the start to the weekend they’re hoping to see.

Charles Leclerc took pole position for Ferrari in Austria while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the race. But Mercedes are fully expected to be the team to beat this weekend.

There is a patchy weather forecast for the weekend, with a strong possibility of showers Friday, but if the rain holds off in the morning then Hamilton would look a big price at 11-10 to set the early pace, as he has in two of the last three years at Silverstone.

Recommendation
L Hamilton fastest in P1
2pts 11-10 Hills, Sky Bet

The Lowdown

Venue Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
Number of laps 52
Lap length 5.891km
Lap record 1.30.621 L Hamilton (Mercedes) 2017
Schedule – practice one 10am Friday; ­practice two 2pm; practice three 11am Saturday; qualifying 2pm tomorrow; race 2.10pm Sunday
TV All sessions live on Channel 4 and Sky Sports F1
Circuit characteristics A fast circuit with some sweeping bends and a ­couple of decent straights. Gusting wind and unpredictable weather add to the challenge
DRS zones The Wellington straight and the Hangar straight
Last five winners (grid) S Vettel (2), L Hamilton (1), L Hamilton (1), L Hamilton (1), L Hamilton (6).
Last year Pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton tangled with Kimi Raikkonen in turn three and dropped to the back of the field. Two late safety cars helped Hamilton recover to second but Sebastian Vettel won after overtaking Valtteri Bottas.
2018 pole L Hamilton, 1.25.892
2018 fastest lap S Vettel, 1.30.696, lap 47
2018 classified finishers 15/20
Reason for retirements Accident (3), mechanical (2)
Weather Sunny spells. Chance of rain Friday and Saturday. Maximum temperature 23C

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