British MotoGP Preview: Can Crutchlow topple Marquez at Silverstone?
Odds, preview and tips for British Grand Prix
The MotoGP season rolls on to round 12 this weekend with a trip to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.
Championship leader Marc Marquez is the narrow favourite to land the spoils ahead of long-term rival Jorge Lorenzo. Can the 25-year-old get the better of his countryman? Or can Valentino Rossi and home favourite Cal Crutchlow spoil the party?
The Coral News Team has looked ahead to the race, which you can watch live on BT Sport 2 from 12:30pm on Sunday afternoon.
Can Marquez extend his lead?
It’s been plain sailing for reigning two-time world champion Marquez at the top of the standings so far. The Spaniard holds a 59 point lead over nearest rival Valentino Rossi after picking up five race wins from the first 11 rounds.
He’s 6/4 favourite to continue that good form at Silverstone. But he’ll need to improve on a torrid record around the Northamptonshire circuit. Marquez has retired on two of his last three visits to the track and is winless here in MotoGP since 2014.
With the Honda’s tendency to overwork the front tyre, could Marquez be set for his third winless race in a row for the first time in over a year? If he fails to fire, then three-time world champion and three-time race winner this season Jorge Lorenzo is the second-favourite to clean up at 9/4.
Will Crutchlow end Britain’s jinx?
Britain may dominate in Formula One but it’s a different story when it comes to MotoGP. No British rider has won the world championship since 1977. Indeed, Cal Crutchlow’s victory in Brno in 2016 was the first by a Briton in the sport since 1981.
The Coventry favourite added to his tally with successes in Austria two months later and Argentina earlier this season. His next target is to become the first ever rider from Blighty to win his home GP since it was switched to Silverstone in 1971.
He’s come close twice before – finishing second in 2016 and coming home 1.679s behind top spot in 2017 – so hopes are high he can finally get it over the line this weekend. You can back the 32-year-old at 11/1.
Resurgent Rossi to land a blow?
No rider outside of runaway leader Marquez has taken more podium finishes this season than Valentino Rossi. The seven-time champion has finished in the top-three on n fewer than five occasions so far this season.
That’s an impressive level of consistency. Yet remarkably he’s yet to win a race this campaign. And it’s that lack of success which has seen him fall way behind his main rival in the championship standings. The good news for The Doctor is that Silverstone is a circuit he tends to do well at.
The Italian ace has won four times around the track and is yet to finish outside of the top six here in his 16-year career. A return to the top step of the podium is required this weekend to get his title challenge back on track. It’s 10/1 he does just that.
Click here for the latest MotoGP odds from Coral.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
