British Grand Prix predictions as F1 experts name the winner and the top Brit at Silverstone

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F1 is off to Silverstone for the 2026 British Grand Prix this week, so our expert team of writers have shared their predictions – from who will win to who the top Briton will be.

A total of 13 different British drivers have won their home Grand Prix thus far, and no driver has ever won the British GP more often than Lewis Hamilton – who has sealed a record nine wins so far. A Brit even won the British GP last year, as Lando Norris did so for the first time.

Norris won the 2025 British GP after his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri got a controversial 10-second penalty. The Australian essentially had to surrender first place, after the stewards ruled that he committed a safety car restart infringement after braking heavily at the restart.

McLaren are not fancied as one of the favourites to win the 2026 British GP, though, as their MCL40 has proven to be too inferior compared to the Mercedes W17, Ferrari SF-26 and also now the Red Bull RB22 following their raft of updates introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix.

So, with that in mind, F1 Oversteer’s expert team of writers have given their predictions for the 2026 British GP, including who will claim pole for the main race as well as the F1 Sprint, with Silverstone staging a Sprint for the second time after staging the very first one in 2021.

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Who will score pole position and win the F1 Sprint at Silverstone?

Kyle Archer: “Mercedes gem Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been the bridesmaid, but never the bride, during each Sprint Qualifying session so far in 2026 with P2 in China, in Miami and in Canada. But Antonelli will finally get one over teammate George Russell, who scored Sprint pole in China and Canada, and beat the Briton for Sprint pole at his home track, Silverstone.

READ MORE: How to watch the British GP and Silverstone Sprint, and weather forecast

“Yet while Antonelli may win the fight for Sprint pole at the British GP, Silverstone will see a home winner as Russell will come through for his third Sprint win of the season so far after China and Canada. After his win in Austria, Russell will get more than only his elbows out.”

Marcus Chan: “After winning in Austria, a fired-up George Russell will come out on top in Sprint Qualifying, beating Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris to pole position. Russell will also convert the Sprint pole into victory.”

David Comerford: “Red Bull’s upgrades in Austria certainly lived up to the hype, and they should be competitive again here given the well-publicised strengths of their ICE. So, I think Max Verstappen will pick up his first ‘win’ of any description in 2026 during the Sprint.”

Ashley Hambly: “Mercedes star George Russell can take a lot of confidence from his victory at the Red Bull Ring to start eating further into Kimi Antonelli’s lead at the top of the drivers’ standings. A perfect performance in the Silverstone Sprint would both aid his championship charge, as well as make Antonelli take a peg.”

Aaditya Krishnamurthy: “I expect McLaren to build on the positive signs we saw from them in Austria and make a massive improvement in time for Silverstone.

“Lando Norris already has a Sprint win under his belt this season, and I expect him to do even better than he did in Miami. Even though both Mercedes and Ferrari drivers will try to topple him, I expect the reigning world champion to get a huge win.”

Which driver will score pole position for the 2026 F1 British Grand Prix?

Kyle Archer – George Russell: “As the weather forecast for the British Grand Prix shows the highest wind speeds all weekend during qualifying for the feature race, McLaren’s hopes of seeing either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri score pole at Silverstone will likely be very low.

“The McLaren MCL40 has too much drag and it will hold Norris and Piastri back in their bids for pole. But the Mercedes W17 remains the car to beat, especially at high-speed tracks like Silverstone, where George Russell took a superb pole in 2024 and will get another in 2026.”

Marcus Chan – George Russell: “I am backing George Russell to have a dominant weekend at Silverstone. He will win the Sprint by leading from start to finish, and then carry that momentum into qualifying for the Grand Prix to again beat Kimi Antonelli to P1.”

David Comerford – Kimi Antonelli: “Once it gets to the Grand Prix section of the weekend, I expect Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes to assert themselves. He continues to look faster than George Russell, even if he lost out in Austria, so should beat him at the latter’s home race.”

Ashley Hambly – Lewis Hamilton: “I thought the Austrian GP was going to be the site of Lewis Hamilton’s first pole position in red, but Charles Leclerc and George Russell had other ideas. However, what better site to claim it than at his most successful circuit of all time?”

Aaditya Krishnamurthy – George Russell: “I think his win in Austria will give George Russell the confidence to continue a successful run. Even though Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton will be battling against Russell, I can see the experienced Mercedes driver scoring pole position.”

Who will win the 2026 British Grand Prix, and who will join them on the Silverstone podium?

Kyle Archer – Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli: “After George Russell was forced to retire in the 2024 British Grand Prix while fighting for the win, and a wretched strategy destroyed his race in 2025, 2026 is finally going to be the King’s Lynn native’s chance to win at Silverstone.

“Red Bull’s array of upgrades in Austria will bring Max Verstappen into the mix to get on the Silverstone podium, but he is unlikely to have enough to deny Russell his maiden home win. Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli will also have his hands full just trying to keep a podium.”

Marcus Chan – Russell, Antonelli, Norris: “George Russell will win convincingly around Silverstone, with Kimi Antonelli coming home in second place. The final place on the podium will go to Lando Norris.”

David Comerford – Antonelli, Verstappen, Norris: “I predict that Kimi Antonelli will hold off Max Verstappen in another close battle for the win. Lando Norris will also bounce back from a disappointing week in Austria to be the sole Brit on the podium over George Russell.”

Ashley Hambly – Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton: “Kimi Antonelli showed in the Austrian Grand Prix that his race pace may still be superior to what Russell has to offer. I expect him to really come alive once the race settles down at Silverstone, and edge his teammate to the top step of the podium with Lewis Hamilton coming in third.”

Aaditya Krishnamurthy – Hamilton, Russell, Norris: “Unfortunately for George Russell, pole position isn’t going to be enough to earn the win in his home race. Lewis Hamilton has the eagerness and motivation to earn a home win for the first time since joining Ferrari. Lando Norris will finish P3 to complete an all-British podium after a strong performance.”

Who will be the top British driver at Silverstone? Which Briton could win the British GP?

Kyle Archer – George Russell: “While the Silverstone crowd has not always backed George Russell anywhere near as much as they do Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, he will offer them a reason to cheer in 2026 – as the fans did in 2021, when he dragged his Williams into Q3 – by becoming the 14th different British driver in history to win their home Grand Prix.”

READ MORE: Every Brit to win the British Grand Prix, including Lewis Hamilton’s record tally

Marcus Chan – George Russell: “It is well documented that Mercedes have the best car on the grid, which will give George Russell the best chance around a circuit like Silverstone.”

David Comerford – George Russell: “I still have some nagging doubts about George Russell, but he clearly has the strongest package out of the Brits.

“My worry with Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton is that their biggest weakness is arguably energy management, and that’s going to be so important this weekend. Still, Hamilton is so good at Silverstone that a podium would not be all that surprising.”

Ashley Hambly – George Russell: “On paper, Mercedes should have the best car around the 3.66-mile-long Silverstone Circuit, but Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton will certainly be relishing the opportunity to celebrate yet another victory among British fans.

“I can’t see any of the other Brits challenging for the win, although McLaren’s reigning world champion Lando Norris could potentially be a dark horse at Silverstone this year.”

Aaditya Krishnamurthy – Lewis Hamilton: “Mercedes’ George Russell has the better car, but Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton will be more motivated to earn a big win at Silverstone – especially after a poor performance in Austria, where he has historically struggled. Hamilton has had a lot of success at Silverstone in the past, and he will be eager to build on it.”