Practice and qualifying are now behind us. We’re set to race Sunday’s 74th edition of the British Grand Prix. Here’s the race preview and predictions.

Mercedes Still The Favorites

Two weeks ago, the Mercedes win streak came to an end. Not only did they not win the Austrian Grand Prix, their first race without a win in 2019, but they didn’t even finish in the top two. Previously, Mercedes had six 1-2 finishes in the first eight races this season. Instead, they’d finish 3-5.

Now, they look the part to get back in victory circle on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton has to be the favorite as he was fourth, second and third respectively. He has four wins in his last five England starts to go along with a runner-up in the other finish. Furthermore, he has a top two in all but one start in 2019 as well. He also starts second as well.

His teammate Valtteri Bottas was second and first respectively in practice on Friday and sixth on Saturday. He was runner-up in this race in 2017 and 2015 to go along with a fourth place run last year. Bottas, has a top four finish in all nine races this season and will start on the pole.

Mercedes has won five of the last six races at Silverstone.

Ferrari Lacking Race Pace

The Ferrari’s may have been 3-4 in the second practice session on Friday, but Sebastian Vettel warns that they lack race pace. He’s right too.

Vettel, was only sixth and fourth respectively on Friday and second on Saturday. He won this race last year for his only podium in his last three starts in England. He only has two podiums overall there since 2013. Vettel, hasn’t scored a podium since his controversial finish in Montreal.

Charles Leclerc is still fuming from his runner-up in Austria but was fifth and third respectively in practice on Friday and first in Q-trim on Saturday. He didn’t finish this race last year but does have three straight podiums on the season.

Ferrari has just two wins in England since 2008. They were quick in qual sims but not so much on race pace.

Can Red Bull Go 2 In-A-Row?

Max Verstappen won for a second straight year in Austria. Can he give Red Bull/Honda a second straight win on the season? Verstappen, has one podium in four tries in Silverstone and was just 15th last year. He was third, seventh and fifth respectively in practice this weekend. He rolls off fourth on Sunday.

His teammate Pierre Gasly has been the quickest he’s been all season in being first, fifth and fourth respectively this weekend. He was 13th in this race last year but has one top five all year.

“Big 3 The Favorites Again

Combined, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull has won 12 straight British Grand Prix’s and 20 of the last 21. The only non “Big 3” winner was Fernando Alonso in a Renault in 2006. Other than that, they’ve been the ones to beat and will be that way again on Sunday.

They were in the top six in all three practice sessions run this weekend and saw each of the three lead a practice too (Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari respectively).

Prediction

1. 44 Hamilton – Hard to go against him here. He narrowly lost out on the pole but was fourth, second and third respectively in practice. He’s won four of the last five years in his home race and was second in the other. He has a top two finish in all but one race on the season too. He’s out for redemption for how last year’s race went as well as how the last race on the season went too. Mercedes earns their sixth win in the last seven years in England.
2. 77 Bottas – It should be a 1-2 finish for Mercedes again on Sunday. They have six already in 2019, why not a seventh? Bottas, finished runner-up in this race in 2017 and will again in 2019. Bottas, also will get his fifth runner-up of the year.
3. 16 Leclerc – The Ferrari driver earns his fourth straight podium of the season and fourth third place run in 2019. Leclerc, was fifth, third and first respectively in practice this weekend and also rolls off third too.
4. 33 Verstappen – Why not another fourth place run? Verstappen, has five of them already, why not a sixth? He was third, seventh and fifth respectively in practice and will roll off fourth on Sunday. He was fourth in this race in 2017 too.
5. 5 Vettel – I think he charges up to a top five again for his 10th of 2019. It will be his third straight race without a podium though and third time in the last four years for last year’s England winner.