2014 British Grand Prix Preview
The Mercedes dominance is back as they returned to the top of the podium once again in Austria. Only two weeks after they were kept out of the top spot in Canada they would take the first and second place spots in Austria. The main question heading into Austria was whether or not Mercedes could come back and continue their dominant season. That question was answered fairly quickly despite not qualifying in the top spots they would end the race on top once again. Now Mercedes will have the advantage of racing close to home at Silverstone where they will be looking to increase their lead in the season long race for the championships. The race will be yet another legendary one for the season as the European leg of 2014 continues to bring racers to classic tracks. Silverstone is one of the older tracks on the circuit hosting the first British Grand Prix in 1948. The track is a wide open one that was built purely for racing. That means there are plenty of areas to pass and a lot more room to make a mistake unlike the street courses. This race will also see three driver’s come home as Jenson Button, Max Chilton, and Lewis Hamilton will look to break a streak at the circuit. Since 2001 there has only been one British driver to win the British Grand Prix. That driver was Lewis Hamilton who won the race in 2008 and is the last British driver to win the Grand Prix. Before this strange streak British drivers ruled the circuit with Nigel Mansell winning three times at the circuit while David Coulthard, Damon Hill, and Johnny Herbert all took wins at Silverstone. Now three drivers enter the weekend looking to get the win and end a long streak for the British fans. These fans come out in droves to the race despite the race as it is regularly one of the biggest crowds throughout the season. Any one of these drivers can win the race but with one driver dominating so far this year the odds seemed to be stacked in his favour. That driver is Hamilton who has won on this track before, breaking a 7 year British winless streak, and he will look to put his home track on his list of wins for a second time this year. With national pride on the line there is some extra motivation for Hamilton to beat his teammate but Nico Rosberg will look to build on his championship lead in what has become a familiar story of two teammates fighting it out to get to the top of the podium. Either way it seems like it will all come down to these teammates while the rest of the field fights for the other spots.
The championship races are becoming increasingly less exciting as two drivers and one team are pushing themselves further beyond everyone else. The Constructor’s championship is essentially over as the Mercedes team has gone further and further away from everyone else. With over 150 points separating Mercedes and the second place team, Red Bull Racing, there is little chance for anyone to catch up. Technically Red Bull could catch up but they would need to put both of their cars on the podium in multiple races for that to happen. That seems less likely with the once dominant team struggling to finish races with both cars this year. Meanwhile in the driver’s championship Hamilton and Rosberg continue their battle for the top spot. It is an exciting race as both drivers have traded off wins throughout the season. Rosberg currently leads the championship after winning two of the last three races. He will return to Silverstone where he won last year and will hope to pad his lead against his teammate. Hamilton has also won at Silverstone before and will be looking to make a dent in his teammates lead to continue making this championship battle a close one. After the Mercedes team and drivers is the other battles with everyone else staying far behind the leaders. For second in the constructor’s championship Red Bull Racing is beginning to pull away from Ferrari but the Italian team is still within striking distance if they can start to put up podium finishes. That is where the driver’s championship comes into play as well with Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso fighting for the third spot in the driver’s championship. Both drivers have had good seasons for their teams and have cemented themselves as the true top driver’s on Red Bull and Ferrari. Only Ricciardo has won a race this tear though becoming the only driver not on Mercedes to win a race. He has shown plenty of promise in this season overtaking four-time champion Sebastian Vettle on the team and he hopes to continue that trend in Britain. The race is still between Mercedes and themselves as nobody else really comes close and has not yet shown to be a true challenger to the dominant team.
The Sport Addiction 