The Emirates Formula 1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix is a one-off Formula One race that will be held on August 9, 2020, at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, United Kingdom. It is the 5th race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship and is held in commemoration of the first Championship Grand Prix which was held at the Silverstone Circuit in 1950.
The Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix d’Europe Incorporating The British Grand Prix or the 1950 British Grand Prix held on May 13, 1950, at Silverstone was the first-ever World Championship Formula One race and was the first of seven Grand Prix races in the 1950 World Championship of Drivers. The 70-lap race was won by Guiseppe Farina of the Alpha Romeo team. Farina raced from the pole position and finished ahead of Luigi Fagioli and Reg Farnell who completed a 1-2-3 finish for Alpha Romeo.
This year’s race commemorates Farina’s win and will take place seven days after the running of the 2020 British Grand Prix at the same racetrack. It will be raced over 52 laps on the 5.891 km circuit in Silverstone.
Here is the official schedule for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix:
Date | Activity | Time |
---|---|---|
Friday, August 7, 2020 | Practice 1 | 11:00-12:30 UK TIME |
Friday, August 7, 2020 | Practice 2 | 15:00 – 16:30 UK TIME |
Saturday, August 8, 2020 | Practice 3 | 12:00-13:00 UK TIME |
Saturday, August 9, 2020 | Qualifying | 14:00-15:00 UK TIME |
Sunday, August 9, 2020 | Race | 14:10-16:10 UK TIME |
2020 British Grand Prix Review
Reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton extended his British Grand Prix record to seven wins. The Mercedes ace survived a last lap tire puncture on Sunday to take the chequered flag at Silverstone and inch closer to tying Michael Schumacher’s record of seven Formula One World titles. The six-time world champion won for the third straight race and he has extended his lead to 30 points in the drivers’ standings.
Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, and Max Verstappen had occupied the front three positions on the grid and were virtual unscathed for much of the race before the dramatic finish. Bottas also suffered a tire puncture and he fell from 2nd to 11th. Verstappen pitted before the final lap and could have won the race if he didn’t. Still, the Red Bull ace was able to overtake one Mercedes driver in Bottas. But he finished five seconds behind the other Mercedes driver who won the race.
Here is the current leaderboard for the 2020 Formula One World Championship:
- Lewis Hamilton 88 points
- Valtteri Bottas 58 points
- Max Verstappen 52 points
- Lando Norris 36 points
- Charles Leclerc 33 points
- Alexander Albon 26 points
- Sergio Perez 22 points
- Lance Stroll 20 points
- Daniel Ricciardo 20 points
- Carlos Sainz Jr. 15 points
These are the current betting odds according to MyBookie.ag as of 08/04/2020.
Driver | Odds |
---|---|
Lewis Hamilton | -300 |
Valtteri Bottas | +350 |
Max Verstappen | +750 |
Charles Leclerc | +5000 |
Alexander Albon | +5000 |
Lance Stroll | +6600 |
Lando Norris | +6600 |
Sebastian Vettel | +6600 |
Carlos Sainz | +6600 |
Niko Hulkenberg | +8000 |
Who Are the Favorites?
There is no question that Lewis Hamilton is the odds on favorite to win the 70th Anniversary race. Not only is he the hottest driver in the championship with wins in each of the last three races, but this Grand Prix will also be raced in Hamilton’s home track. The 6-time world champion is perhaps the most dominant driver at Silverstone. Hamilton has won seven British Grand Prix races here in 14 starts and he has finished in the Top 15 in 12 of 14 races. He also has taken pole position seven times and has led in a total of 331 laps here. His average finish of 3.3 is the highest among active drivers. He has won six out of the last seven races here and he’s started from pole position in six out of the last eight races here.
Valtteri Bottas went from 2nd to finish 11th last weekend after a tire puncture but despite his disappointing finish at the 2020 British Grand Prix, he is second in the odds board behind his Mercedes teammate. Bottas is coming off his best season in Formula One when he finished second to Hamilton last year. This season, Bottas won the opening race of the year and finished in the Top 3 in the next two. He was on his way to another 2nd place finish last weekend when he dropped to 11th. His average finish of 6.5 at Silverstone is second among current drivers behind Hamilton. Bottas five Top 5 finishes in eight starts here including 2-4-2 from 2017 to 2019.
Max Verstappen is having a fantastic start to his 2020 Formula One season. The Belgian-Dutch Red Bull driver opened the year with a disappointing 2020 Austrian Grand Prix where he didn’t finish the race. He’s bounced back with a 3-2-2 finish in the last three races of the season. Verstappen’s average start of 5.3 at Silverstone is third-best among current drivers. He has four Top 5 finishes in six starts here and he has finished in the Top 5 in four out of the last five starts. Verstappen finished second behind Hamilton in last weekend’s 2020 British Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc was the highly touted Ferrari rookie of 2019. The Monegasque driver finished 4th in his first full season last year but has been a disappointment to start the 2020 season. He finished second in the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix but finished no higher than 11th in the next two races. Leclerc bounced back with a third-place finish last weekend at the 2020 British Grand Prix. Leclerc has three starts at Silverstone and he has finished third in his last two starts at this racetrack. His average start of 5.3 is tied for second-best among current drivers.
Alexander Albon is currently sixth in the points standings. The 24-year old finished 8th last season with 8 Top 6 finishes in a total of nine races. Albon did not finish the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix but since then, he’s recorded three consecutive Top 8 finishes. He was 8th at the 2020 British Grand Prix last weekend which was only his second start at Silverstone. He was 12th at the 2019 British Grand Prix.
Longshot Pick
Sebastian Vettel has continued to struggle this season. After a disappointing 5th place finish in last year’s F-1 championship where he only one race, Vettel has yet to earn a podium finish in the first four races of the season. However, he has three Top 10 finishes in four races this year and he has an impressive track record at Silverstone. The German has six Top 5 finishes and 10 Top 10 finishes in his last 13 starts at the racetrack. He has two wins here including one in 2018. His average start of 4.5 is second behind Hamilton among current drivers. At +6600, Vettel is an excellent longshot pick and a good one if a Top 10 finish betting market emerges as race day nears.
Who Wins?
There’s no question that the man to beat this weekend is Lewis Hamilton. The Brit has raced exceptionally well at Silverstone and his record seven British Grand Prix wins is a proof of that. With the next race a one-off race, you can be sure that he will go all out once again in this commemorative Grand Prix. He has won the last three races of the season and has looked nearly unstoppable. Hamilton is chasing Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world title and so far he has been locked in.
Prediction: Lewis Hamilton