Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has encouraged the huge Silverstone crowd to get behind George Russell, believing the Mercedes driver is Britain’s strongest hope of winning the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.
Antonelli remains the man to beat
Everything is set for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which will once again feature the Sprint format. Following the weekend’s only Free Practice session, scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm Italian time, drivers will return to the track later in the afternoon for Sprint Qualifying, which will determine the starting grid for Saturday’s Sprint race.
More than 500,000 spectators are expected to fill the famous Northamptonshire circuit, creating one of the biggest crowds of the Formula 1 season. British fans will be eager to cheer on home favourites Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris, Oliver Bearman and Alexander Albon throughout the weekend.
However, according to former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, the support from the home crowd should be focused primarily on the British driver with the best chance of challenging for the championship this season: George Russell.
“The fans should support George Russell,” Herbert told Vision4Sport, which offers Formula 1 hospitality packages. “He’s the British driver fighting for the championship. Lewis Hamilton is more of an outsider.”
It remains to be seen whether championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli can once again enjoy success at Silverstone. The Italian driver has fond memories of the circuit after claiming his first Formula 2 victory there in the 2024 Sprint race.
Antonelli recently admitted that he still has plenty of fire inside him after feeling that the last two Grands Prix yielded fewer points than his pace deserved. As the championship battle intensifies, Silverstone could provide another crucial chapter in what is becoming one of the most exciting Formula 1 title fights in recent years.
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