F1: British Grand Prix qualifying betting preview, tip & TV details

TV: practice three - Channel 4 & Sky Sports F1, 11am Saturday; qualifying - Channel 4 & Sky Sports F1, 2pm Saturday

An eventful practice day at Silverstone saw the theoretical number two drivers from the three top teams outpacing their more illustrious teammates.

Valtteri Bottas came within minutes of topping both sessions for Mercedes, his morning lap eclipsed by the Red Bull of Pierre Gasly in the closing moments.

Meanwhile at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc was quicker than four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on a day where constantly changing weather conditions and a newly resurfaced track caught out several drivers.

Gasly is under pressure to perform for the notoriously impatient Red Bull team after a string of disappointing results, and the Frenchman got off to a promising start to his weekend, outpacing Austrian Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen in both sessions.

Home hero Lewis Hamilton was one of those to experience an off-track excursion. The Mercedes looks to have the edge on practice evidence, though, and Hamilton's odds-on quote for a fifth consecutive Silverstone pole position is well earned.

But Bottas is clearly in form and, having outqualified Hamilton for the fourth time this season last time out in Austria, the Finn will fancy his chances of spoiling the British crowd's afternoon. And at the prices, it's just about worth betting he can do so.

Leclerc, who took his second pole of the season in Austria, is respected having got within 0.197 of Bottas's pace in the afternoon, and with Ferrari having claimed two of the last three pole positions this year, but Mercedes could find this circuit and conditions suit them better.

McLaren look set for another strong weekend, with both cars in the top 11 in both practice sessions. British rookie Lando Norris, sixth in Austria, was sixth fastest in the afternoon.

Silverstone-based SportPesa Racing Point have scored just two points in the last five races, but they have a decent record at the track and Sergio Perez offered some promise by going 11th and tenth fastest in the two practices.

Recommendation
V Bottas fastest qualifier
1pt 7-2 Hills, Sky Bet

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