05 July 2023 , 16:59
1032
0
Max Verstappen could have half-a-dozen rivals for victory at the British Grand Prix.
That's the view of Johnny Herbert ahead of this weekend's race at Silverstone. Several teams will be gunning to stop Red Bull, who have won all nine races so far.
That remarkable streak means the Milton Keynes-based outfit will again be the favourites for the win. Sergio Perez will have a chance thanks to being in the fastest car, but Herbert still thinks Verstappen is clearly the most likely winner.
"I am trying to look past them, but it is a pretty big bull, with big horns, a ring through its nose and snorting with steam coming out of it," the former Sky Sports pundit told King Casino. "I don't see anything changing.
"It is one thing saying the Red Bull is dominant, and yes, it is the best car. It is one man who is getting the best out of it. Max is so, so on it at the moment – so reliable, so consistent. We had all that silliness in Austria with the track limits, but Max did it only once.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
"So it proved you can do it. It is all the others maybe trying to take advantage of the situation. If not, then they were stupid for making the mistakes that they made. Proof was in the pudding. The man who won the race only did it once."
But Herbert does remain open to the possibility of a shock result this weekend. And, on top of Perez being an obvious contender if bad luck hits Verstappen, he pointed out five others who could also swoop in to take the spoils in such a scenario.
That list includes Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate George Russell, as well as fellow Brit Lando Norris. Also in the mix, Herbert feels, are defending British GP champion Carlos Sainz and his partner Charles Leclerc.
Brits Hamilton and Russell could be well placed to challenge Verstappen this weekend (Getty Images)He explained: "Ferrari proved they can challenge Red Bull when everything is working together. In the two races after Monaco, Mercedes were looking more competitive then they weren't in Austria. It is a matter of seeing whether those upgrades that Toto Wolff has promised work at Silverstone.
"There should be a performance increase. Where does that put them? That puts them perhaps in front of the Ferrari. Does that then mean they will be able to put Max under pressure in a qualifying situation. I hope that is a yes.
"There is still a bit of the unknown about who is going to be the best of the rest – it's good. Silverstone will be something of an unknown quantity. I would expect the Ferrari to be quick, I can't see why Mercedes can't be there or thereabout and maybe you can throw in Lando and McLaren as well."