Part two of the British tour of the 2020 season will feature the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix to commemorate the Formula One World Championship’s first-ever race held at Silverstone back in 1950.
It is a one-off event that was not originally planned in the calendar, but it has been added after the cancellation of numerous races due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, this is expected to be an another great event for SBOBET racing fans out there, as our favorite drivers and their cars will be at center stage anew this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton comes in as the heavy favourite especially after coming off of a victory after a pulsating British Grand Prix last week.
In what was a race full of twist and turns literally, multiple cars suffered tire failures but Hamilton would eventually get his lucky number seven.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were the other podium winners and they are hopeful to sustain their momentum coming into Saturday.
Today, we round out the latest 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020 updates.
Ferrari makes a tough admission
Charles Leclerc took advantage when some of his counterparts had tire failures in the British Grand Prix. In the end, the Monegasque driver capitalised by fending off Daniel Ricciardo to take the last podium spot.
Seeing Ferrari’s form prior to Silverstone, they weren’t exactly the favourites to finish that high especially with the issues looming around their drivers lineup.
Sebastian Vettel has been on a downward trajectory ever since the news popped out that the Prancing Horse didn’t want to extend his deal, while Charles Leclerc had bouts with inconsistency.
True enough that despite the podium finish by Leclerc, team principal Mattia Binotto reiterated that the Scuderia will have a long way to go in order to catch up with the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes.
“Certainly, we are behind Mercedes and Red Bull. But I think we are very close to the others. There will be races where we are closer and others where we eventually stay ahead. So it is our task, our duty, to develop the car,” admitted Binotto.
The Scuderia will have to resolve issues surrounding their cars since they have been the main culprit for their drivers’ lacklustre performances. Barring any miracle, it appears to be unlikely that they can replicate their performance in the British Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas inks new deal
On the other side of the fence, the Silver Arrows have some good news to write home about as they’ve secured Valtteri Bottas’ services at least for next year.
The Finnish driver’s contract situation has been one of the main talking points as far as the drivers market is concerned. There were rumours at the time that he might be on the move and was considering a switch to Renault.
Now that it’s all over with, Bottas can turn his full focus on trying to get even better as the events go along.
“I’m very happy to stay with Mercedes in 2021 and build on the success we’ve enjoyed together already. I’m confident that today I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, but I can always raise the bar,” said Bottas in a statement.
Valtteri Bottas heads into this weekend 30 points adrift of his teammate in Lewis Hamilton after dropping from second place to finish out of the points due to a tire puncture in the late stages last week.
With Bottas in the fold, team principal Toto Wolff would need to sit down with Lewis Hamilton soon to talk about a new long-term extension.
Sergio Perez raring to return to the paddock
Sergio Perez missed the British Grand Prix due to COVID-19. But after going into quarantine, the Mexican racer might be set for a return for Racing Point in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.
He would have to get tested once more for safety precautions. Once he tests negative for the coronavirus, Perez would be free to enter the paddock.
Racing Point’s fortunes will hinge on Sergio Perez’s final coronavirus test results. He has been one of their best drivers and for sure he will have a decent performance this weekend if he’s going to be given a green light to take the wheel.
History
The 70th Anniversary Grand Prix is a celebration of Formula One’s rich history in the Silverstone Circuit. This race serves as a middle act of a second run of triple-headers on the reshuffled 2020 Formula One schedule.
What are the odds?
Since the event will be held at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton remains the hot favourite to win priced at 1.22, as per our 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020 odds.
His teammate in Valtteri Bottas is priced at 3.50 while Charles Leclerc is at 1.40, making this an interesting race to watch.
While Hamilton is expect to finish first, the other two podiums will have to be settled by Bottas, Leclerc, and Verstappen.
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