British Grand Prix: Johnny Herbert on how the Brits will do and the factors that will shape the Silverstone race

 
PA
28 June 2013

Johnny Herbert, who won the British GP in 1995, gives his view on what to expect in this year's race.

How the Brits will do

Lewis Hamilton clearly has the fastest car of the Brits but his Mercedes still has issues with its rear tyres. However, you never say never with Lewis as he is prone to miracles.

Judging by events in Canada, Paul di Resta looks the next best-placed Brit. He was under a lot of pressure from team-mate Adrian Sutil but has been very impressive recently and I’d love to see him get that final podium place. It’s not impossible.

The one that’s really struggling is Jenson Button. The only positive I can see is there is not quite the run of bumps at Silverstone like at other circuits, which have caused the McLaren to be out of control at times. As for Max Chilton, if he were to beat his team-mate Jules Bianchi, that would be a brilliant result for him.

The home effect

Nigel Mansell used to say driving at home was worth a second a lap. I can tell you that didn’t happen but it was certainly very special as I desperately wanted to do well for myself, friends and the great crowds cheering you along. It certainly gives you a lift. I was fortunate to win there and standing on the top step of the podium at your home grand prix is incomparable.

The likely race winner

Red Bull are the red-hot favourites but for me Mark Webber gets the nod ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Mark is just so confident at Silverstone, he loves the place and has always gone well there, winning twice in the past three years. Pirelli’s choice of medium and hard tyres will also work in Red Bull’s favour. Vettel, however, hasn’t been that successful here but, having picked Mark for the win, you certainly wouldn’t discount his team-mate. We’ve seen a new side to him and he’d desperately love to get maximum points at Silverstone for his team’s home race.

The 2013 world champion

It was after Malaysia that we saw a different side to Vettel. He showed how he wants to win above all else. He has this amazing ability to raise his game and, when he does it, it’s not for second or third, it’s just to win. He’s looking very good for another world title at the end of the season after the way the car performed in Canada.

Mayhem at McLaren

In the past when the car has not been right at the start of the season, the turnaround has tended to happen much sooner. The team seem to be in a position where not much has changed, certainly not to a point where they can hope to finish any higher than the top six at the moment.

The problem is the drivers can’t brake consistently when they need to and that’s damn hard for them. The car is totally unpredictable, bouncing all over the place. That makes it undriveable for much of the time. It’s easy to say that McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh should go but I don’t think that’s the answer. He’s worked very hard on getting the Honda deal in place and building the infrastructure. The blame for their current plight should be shared around.

Mercedes FIA punishment

Being forced to miss the young drivers’ test as a result of their controversial Pirelli tyre test was hardly a big setback for Mercedes. You’d have to say that they got away with that one as the ban was no more than a slap on the wrist. It seems that what they did was completely unsporting. Even if they weren’t allowed to see the data in some dark room in Brackley, their drivers will have learnt something. These guys are the best in the world so they will know how the car reacted and the team will have understood a lot. The ruling by the FIA has really opened a can of worms as it says to the other teams you’ll only get a reprimand if you do this.

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