Nico Rosberg believes Lewis Hamilton will increase his record tally to nine British Grand Prix victories, even though Max Verstappen “has the fastest car today”.
An off through the gravel at Copse during Q1 proved costly for Verstappen as he sustained floor damage – which Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claims resulted in around 100 points of downforce lost – meaning P5 on the grid was the best that Verstappen could manage.
Nico Rosberg backs Lewis Hamilton for ninth Silverstone win
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper and Thomas Maher
A thrilling qualifying battle would conclude in George Russell clinching pole position for the British Grand Prix, with Hamilton ensuring a front-row lockout for Mercedes. McLaren’s Lando Norris claiming P3 on the grid makes it an all-British top three.
And speaking to Sky F1 ahead of the race, Rosberg picked his former Mercedes team-mate Hamilton to win the British GP for what would be a ninth time in his career.
“I’m going to go for Lewis Hamilton today,” he said.
“Because I think Mercedes are looking really good and his race pace here, I remember it, because I had to compete against that, it’s really really strong on this track.
“So somehow, I feel he can maybe do the Lewis magic and make that work.”
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The seven-time World Champion may need every bit of said magic he can find, as Rosberg believes that Verstappen has the “fastest car” at his disposal with the Red Bull RB20 repaired and ready to go for the race.
“But it’s not going to be easy, because Max has the fastest car today since it’s fixed,” Rosberg continued.
“Lando is quick also, so it’s going to be a challenge.”
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com after qualifying, Hamilton revealed he went “cautious” with the setup on his Mercedes W15 with the race in mind, expressing his belief that his pace can be strong for the Grand Prix.
Asked if he has confidence in the long-run pace of his Mercedes, Hamilton replied: “Well, I think I was cautious with my set-up, more thinking to have a nice balance in the race rather than all for one particular lap.
“So I do think that the car will be good tomorrow, yeah.”
The most recent of Hamilton’s record 103 wins came at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
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Source link: Nico Rosberg makes Lewis Hamilton prediction with race pace claim made