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F1 Review: Hammer Timely – Lewis Hamilton Holds On To Win Ninth British Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton ended a 56-race winless drought with a dramatic home win at Silverstone in the Qatar Airway British Grand Prix as pole sitter and Mercedes teammate George Russell retired from the race with a water cooling issue. Hamilton survived a late charge from Max Verstappen, who ran the final stint on hard tires, to capture a victory 17 years after his first F1 win. The victory stands as Hamilton’s ninth at Silverstone of the seven-time world champion’s storied career. 

“I can’t stop crying,” Hamilton said. “Since 2021 every day getting up, trying to fight to train, to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team — and this is my last race here at the British Grand Prix with this team.

“I wanted to win this so much for them because I love them, I appreciate them so much. All the hard work they’ve been putting in all of these years, I’m forever grateful to everyone at this team, to everyone at Mercedes.”

Verstappen snatched second from Lando Norris, who faltered late on soft tires. Oscar Piastri was fourth, and Carlos Sainz finished fifth and used a late pit stop for soft tires to take an extra point for the fastest lap.   

“We threw it away in the final stop,” Norris said. “so one lap, but also I don’t think it was a lap. I think even if I boxed on the perfect lap, our decision to go on to the softs was the wrong one. I think Lewis still would have won, no matter what. Two calls from our side cost us everything today. Especially here, pretty disappointing.”

See also
Lewis Hamilton Performs Undercut, Wins 2024 British Grand Prix

Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg posted his second consecutive sixth-place finish, while Aston Martin teammates Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso took seventh and eighth, respectively. Williams’ Alex Albon finished ninth and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda collected the final point in 10th.

In the driver standings, Verstappen’s lead over Norris is 255 to 171. Charles Leclerc’s tenuous lead over his Ferrari teammate Sainz for third is only fourth points.

In the constructor standings, Red Bull leads Ferrari 373 to 302, with McLaren just seven points back in third with 295.

The Race

Russell’s launch from the pole was solid and Hamilton slotted into second as Norris and Verstappen jockeyed for third place. Verstappen used a slipstream from Hamilton and Norris to slip by Norris into turn four. And just like that, Norris was again chasing Verstappen.

Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was the first car to retire with a gearbox issue, giving Esteban Ocon something to celebrate early in the race.

Russell built a 1.5-second lead by lap five while Norris drew nearer to Verstappen. Several teams advised their drivers that some spotty rain was approaching and likely to hit in about ten laps. Drivers were advised to manage their tires, as the start of the rain would likely coincide with the medium tires losing their effectiveness. 

On lap 10, the order was Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Sainz, Stroll, Leclerc, Hulkenberg, and Alonso.

Forecasts predicted a smaller cell of rainfall followed by a bigger one approximately ten minutes later, so the intermediate/full wet tire decision became crucial. With rain on the track and Silverstone’s quick corners, a safety car was rather likely.

Back in the pack, Leclerc was up to seventh from 11th, while Norris closed the gap to Verstappen to less than a second by lap 14. The rain arrived as the McLaren stalked the Red Bull. It was the moment everyone had waited for since Norris and Verstappen collided last week in Austria. 

Verstappen was helpless to defend against McLaren’s pace as Norris blew by on lap 15 and was quickly out of Verstappen’s DRS range. Piastri followed suit and blasted by the Red Bull on lap 18, dropping Verstappen to fifth. 

The rain started to intensify, and some of the most crucial decisions of the race were set to be made. Up front, Hamilton had closed to less than a second on Russell as conditions worsened. Moments later, Hamilton blew by Russell for a pass into Stowe Corner.

Then, the craziness started. Hamilton and Russell went off the track on lap 19, allowing Norris to pass Russell for second.

Norris continued his charge, blasted down the front straight, and took the lead on lap 20 as grip was hard to find. Piastri also overtook Hamilton at Stowe, and it was a McLaren 1-2 up front with Mercedes chasing. Verstappen, for the moment, was struggling slightly and out of the fight.

Perez, Ocon, Leclerc, and Zhou were the first to go to wet tires, putting on intermediates on lap 20. Initially, it looked unwise, as the cars still on mediums were clearly faster.

The first stint of rain passed, but more was on the way, scheduled to start on approximately lap 25. The track had dried to the extent that DRS was enabled, even more bad news for the cars on intermediates. It was so bad that Perez, on his intermediates, was being lapped by the leaders.  

With rain expected to intensify, teams would soon have to decide which tires would best suit the amount of rain and how they would pit their cars. To double-stack or not to double-stack? That was the question. A lot of rain could send this race into pure chaos.

Verstappen was the first of the top six to bite and pitted for intermediates on lap 27. Sainz followed suit, as Norris posted a fastest lap on lap 27. 

Norris pitted for intermediates as Pastri stayed out and took the lead. Both Mercedes also pitted, and Mercedes completed a solid double-stack. Hamilton came out ahead of Verstappen, while Russell emerged behind the Red Bull in fifth.

Piastri pitted on lap 29 and Norris assumed the lead. Piastri came out in sixth, as McLaren lamented not double-stacking.

Norris’ lead was over three seconds over Hamilton, with Hamilton over four seconds up on Verstappen as lap 29 was completed. Verstappen was struggling on his intermediates, radioing his team that his front tires were degrading much faster than expected. Russell was closing the gap to the Red Bull, as Verstappen was now seven seconds behind Hamilton.

The rain was expected to continue for about 15 minutes, and if that held true, another crucial tire decision at that time would likely decide the race. With 12-15 laps remaining, soft or medium tires would be the choice. But can you ever trust a weather forecast at an F1 race? Several drivers reported that the track was drying, thus stressing the intermediate tires. Intermediates were the right tire right now, but how long would that be the case? 

A shocking development occurred on lap 34 as Russell was called into the pits to retire the car, with a water system issue playing the cruel culprit. It was a disappointing end for the pole sitter and the intensely watchful Silverstone crowd.

Hamilton was charging, and the gap to Norris was down to two seconds on lap 37 as the sun reappeared in the sky. The timing of upcoming pit stops could make or break the race. Norris was informed that Hamilton only had a choice between soft or hard tires, while Norris had mediums in his pocket. Norris was adamant that mediums were the right choice, at least for the time being.

Hamilton and Verstappen pitted on lap 39, Hamilton for softs and Verstappen for a hard set. Norris came in a lap later and McLaren’s pit stop could decide the race. Norris left with a set of soft tires, but Norris overshot his pit box and the stop was two seconds slower than Hamilton’s. This allowed Hamilton to pull off the undercut and take the lead as he went by the McLaren as it left the pit lane exit. 

Norris had originally wanted medium tires. Was his choice of soft purely a reaction to Hamilton’s decision for softs? The two leaders on softs may have opened the door for Verstappen to steal a win, which would be devastating to both Hamilton and Norris.

This also called into question McLaren’s decision not to double-stack Piastri. Had they done so, Piastri would almost certainly be in front of Verstappen and likely ahead of Hamilton.

Verstappen, in third, was on hard tires and could push his tires to the limit. He was just over three seconds behind Hamilton, and Verstappen reeled off a series of fastest laps, and Norris knew he would soon have a reckoning with Verstappen.  

Hamilton’s lead was two seconds at lap 45, with Verstappen now hovering around two seconds behind Norris. Verstappen was making up ground on both drivers; Hamilton’s hopes could possibly lie in how long it would take Verstappen to get by Norris. 

Verstappen made his move on lap 49 and easily cleared Norris and began his trek to Hamilton. Had Verstappen used his hard tires up, putting himself in this position? Lap times indicated he had, as Hamilton kept the gap to three seconds. 

With two laps to go, Hamilton’s lead was 2.8. Barring a disaster, Hamilton would complete a dramatic and dream victory. 

Hamilton took the checkered flag to the roars of the crowd with a fairly comfortable 1.5-second margin over Verstappen. Hamilton took a tearful victory lap, enjoying his first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The Good

The British Grand Prix opened with some of the season’s best racing, and the final laps definitely matched those early laps for excitement. Even without the threat of changing weather, the race was set to be competitive, with five drivers having a good chance to win. And rain always, without fail, makes F1 races much more interesting. In a dry race, three tires are in play: soft, medium, and hard. When it rains, it brings five tires into play: the aforementioned three, and intermediate wet weather tires, and full wet weather tires. With more tire options available, pit stops become even more important. At Silverstone, the action on the track was unbelievable; the drama in the pits was almost as compelling.  

Red Bull’s tire strategy nearly stole the show and the race at Silverstone. On lap 39, Verstappen pitted for hard tires, while Hamilton came in for a soft set and Piastri for mediums. A lap later, Norris pitted for a soft set. While Verstappen initially struggled on the hards, he progressed once the tire temperature became optimal. Verstappen easily caught Norris, who chewed up his soft tires in pursuit of Hamilton, but Verstappen ultimately ran out of time in his chase of Hamilton. And Hamilton appeared to have preserved his soft tires and likely could have easily defended Verstappen if needed.

It was wise for Red Bull to put Perez on hard tires early in the race just to determine if they’d be a viable option for Verstappen later. Perez may have essentially performed the first in-race testing session in Formula 1. And it all paid off for the team. Verstappen probably had the fifth best car at the start of the race and nearly turned that into a win. 

So, all the credit goes to the Red Bull strategy team. So, reluctantly, I guess I have to give Christian Horner his due. As Red Bull team principal, he has to maintain the delicate balance of implementing team strategy and feverishly stroking the ego of Verstappen.  

The Bad

McLaren possibly left a win, and maybe another podium on the table by 1) not double-stacking Piastri, and 2) Norris second guessing himself and choosing soft tires over mediums on his final pit stop. There’s an art to mastering the double-stack pit stop. The first step is actually doing it, and McLaren failed spectacularly by not calling Piastri in on lap 29. McLaren could have just instructed Piastri to wait a few seconds while Norris’ stop was completed. Instead, they left Piastri out, and he returned to the track in sixth, when the alternative could have been Piastri in second.

It will be tough for McLaren to deal with this, but if they need counseling, Charles Leclerc can probably recommend a good therapist.

Sergio Perez was a non-factor for points after starting from pit lane. Perez’s Q1 qualifying effort on Saturday (July 6th), much like his career in general, was stuck in a gravel pit – going nowhere. 

Perez signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull in early June, and since then, has made the team regret the decision. Perez is being paid Red Bull money and is delivering RB results. Certainly, Perez wants to keep his job, because he has the best job in Formula 1—-Red Bull pays him to ride Verstappen’s coattails. But he can’t even seem to do that well.

Grid Walk Moments

How dare Queen’s Brian May blow off Martin Brundle’s request for an interview. Twice, in fact. Does he know who Brundle is? Brundle is like the Freddie Mercury of “Grid Walks.” If he was the Brian May of “Grid Walks,” no one would care about “Grid Walks.” So, Brian May, get off your high horse, and get a haircut.

Brundle had his own “blow off” moment when he was forced to hear Peter Kyle, England’s Secretary of State For Science, Innovation, and Technology tell Brundle that Kyle would be presenting the winner’s trophies at the race’s conclusion. If a facial expression can politely say “Get out of my face with that garbage,” then Brundle nailed it.

And how about the trailer for the “F1” movie? Good gosh, Brad Pitt, if you want to promote a movie, what better way to do it than a “Grid Walk” interview in character as Sonny Hayes from the “F1” movie, in theaters June 27, 2025. And why not have Javier Bardem by your side, also in character as team principal Ruben? Heck, even better, have Bardem on the grid in character as Anton Chigurh from “No Country For Old Men” serving as your team principal. Nothing says “respect” in the paddock like a cattle bolt stunner or Chigurh’s hairdo. And can you imagine the power of that instrument using F1 pneumatic technology?   

It’s called free publicity. Look it up, “F1” movie people. It’s a failure on the part of the movie’s public relations firm, which I now find as believable as Pitt as a 50-something Formula 1 driver. Come on, Brad. I could buy you in a Formula 1 movie as a driver who ages in reverse and drives the No. Se7en car and has a bad habit of asking “What’s in the box?” when his team tells him to box. But not as Sonny Hayes. 

Sky Sports missed a golden opportunity with Patrick Mahomes on the grid. Martin Brundle has a history of misidentifying the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, so Sky should have planted a number of Mahomes impersonators and sent Brundle into a state of confusion not seen since his “interview” with Machine Gun Kelly at the Miami Grand Prix in 2023.

The Disappointing

Formula 1 fans had their wishes granted with a Norris-Verstappen battle for position. Unfortunately, Norris had no defenses when Verstappen passed him on lap 49. After the drama of Austria, this moment was anticlimactic with a capital “A.” I think Norris knew he was doomed moments after choosing soft tires when mediums likely would have given him a better chance to attack Hamilton, and definitely would have prevented Verstappen’s attack. Norris taking the soft tires was him “making his bed;” allowing Verstappen by without a fight was Norris sleeping in that bed.

And Norris and Verstappen seem to hold no ill will towards each other, despite what transpired in Austria. I guess Norris holds grudges like he holds the lead at Silverstone. 

The Driver

How could you not shed a tear for Hamilton’s performance at Silverstone? As they say, you couldn’t have scripted it any better. Holding off Verstappen in the closing laps had to be very satisfying for the Mercedes driver. That’s not to say he, and the home fans, weren’t worried that Verstappen would break their hearts. I think many Hamilton fans feared that his hopes would be dashed somehow, either by a Verstappen overtake, a mechanical issue on Hamilton’s Mercedes, or race director Niels Wittich ripping of his mask like a Scooby Doo villain, revealing himself to be Michael Masi, who would then consult the rule book, burn it, and declare Verstappen the winner. 

The Results (Qatar Airways British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit)

POSNODRIVERCARLAPSTIME/RETIREDPTS
144Lewis HamiltonMERCEDES521:22:27.05925
21Max VerstappenRED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT52+1.465s18
34Lando NorrisMCLAREN MERCEDES52+7.547s15
481Oscar PiastriMCLAREN MERCEDES52+12.429s12
555Carlos SainzFERRARI52+47.318s11
627Nico HulkenbergHAAS FERRARI52+55.722s8
718Lance StrollASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES52+56.569s6
814Fernando AlonsoASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES52+63.577s4
923Alexander AlbonWILLIAMS MERCEDES52+68.387s2
1022Yuki TsunodaRB HONDA RBPT52+79.303s1
112Logan SargeantWILLIAMS MERCEDES52+88.960s0
1220Kevin MagnussenHAAS FERRARI52+90.153s0
133Daniel RicciardoRB HONDA RBPT51+1 lap0
1416Charles LeclercFERRARI51+1 lap0
1577Valtteri BottasKICK SAUBER FERRARI51+1 lap0
1631Esteban OconALPINE RENAULT50+2 laps0
1711Sergio PerezRED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT50+2 laps0
1824Zhou GuanyuKICK SAUBER FERRARI50+2 laps0
NC63George RussellMERCEDES33DNF0
NC10Pierre GaslyALPINE RENAULT0DNS0

Note – Sainz scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

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