British GP: Lewis Hamilton holds off Max Verstappen to say document ninth victory at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton triumphed in an exhilarating British Grand Prix to say a document ninth victory at Silverstone and finish a run of 56 races with no win.

Hamilton held off a late cost from world championship chief Max Verstappen to hold on for victory at his residence race after the Crimson Bull driver had overtaken McLaren’s Lando Norris within the closing levels after a chaotic rain-interrupted contest.

The seven-time world champion had not received a race for the reason that 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and has now ensured his closing season with Mercedes earlier than becoming a member of Ferrari subsequent yr can be marked by a victory.

The record-extending 104th grand prix victory of Hamilton’s profession noticed him develop into the primary Components 1 driver to win the identical race 9 occasions, extending a document he had beforehand shared with Michael Schumacher. He additionally prolonged a document run for podiums on the identical race to 12.

“Since 2021, every day I’m getting up and fighting to train to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team,” Hamilton stated.

“That is my final race right here on the British Grand Prix with this crew. I needed to win this a lot for them as a result of I really like them and respect them a lot.

“All the hard work they put in over these years. I’m forever grateful to everyone at Mercedes and all our partners. And to all our incredible fans. I could see you lap by lap. There’s no greater feeling to finish at the front here.”

How Hamilton claimed document win

Having began from second behind George Russell, Hamilton took the lead on lap 18 as his Mercedes team-mate struggled as rain started to fall.

Nevertheless, Hamilton too discovered the situations troublesome and solely held the lead briefly earlier than Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri got here by way of to occupy the highest two locations.

Hamilton regained second when the intensifying rain pressured the sphere to modify from slick tyres to intermediates across the halfway level, as McLaren price Piastri time by not becoming a member of Mercedes in double-stacking their automobiles within the pits.

Verstappen, who had struggled on the opening stint as he dropped again to fifth, was introduced again into play by a neatly timed Crimson Bull pit cease as he climbed to 3rd, with Russell all of the sudden retiring from fourth due to a technical problem.

The rain then eased to depart a closing key pit cease for the leaders to modify again to slick tyres, which noticed Hamilton undercut Norris for the lead as Mercedes introduced him in a lap sooner than the McLaren.

Each went for delicate tyres, whereas the looming Verstappen was on a tough tyre which might give him better freedom to push within the closing levels.

Verstappen handed Norris with 4 full circuits of the 52-lap race remaining, however Hamilton expertly managed his tyres to take care of a comparatively comfy 1.5s margin on the chequered flag.

The victory resulted in triumphant celebrations from the British followers at Silverstone, whereas a tearful Hamilton exchanged emotional messages over crew radio with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his long-time race engineer Peter Bonnington.

The 39-year-old waved a Union Flag out of his cockpit after taking the chequered flag, earlier than being greeted by his mom and father instantly after exiting the automobile.

Hamilton’s celebrations – in photos

Verstappen extends championship lead amid Hamilton glory

Whereas he was unable to disclaim Hamilton on this event, Verstappen’s late surge and cross on Norris ensured that he additional prolonged his world championship lead over the Brit.

A dominant begin to the season that noticed Verstappen win 4 of the primary 5 races is now a distant reminiscence, with the Dutchman having needed to accept simply three victories throughout the following seven grands prix.

His 84-point lead over Norris on the midway stage of the 24-race season places him in an especially sturdy place to say a fourth successive drivers’ title.

As was the case when he claimed hard-fought victories in Canada and Spain in June, Verstappen wanted all of his – and Crimson Bull’s – excellence to make sure Norris did not make floor.

Regardless of having introduced upgrades to Silverstone, the RB20 could not match the tempo of both Mercedes or McLaren for a lot of the race, and it was solely when Verstappen had the laborious tyre on the ultimate stint that he was lastly capable of strain his rivals.

That would not have been doable if it weren’t for the timing of his swap to intermediate tyres after which Crimson Bull’s choice to present him laborious tyres for the ultimate stint.

In distinction, a distraught Norris felt that his and McLaren’s strategic calls had price him a primary residence victory.

Permitting Hamilton to pit earlier on the finish gave him the chance to undercut, however maybe extra importantly, McLaren gave Norris the identical delicate tyre because the Mercedes, when the brand new medium that they had accessible was proven to be a lot quicker by Piastri, who used it for his closing stint.

Since claiming his maiden F1 victory in Miami in Might, Norris has had a really sturdy probability of successful 5 of the six races which have adopted, however a failure to make the most of what has typically been the quickest automobile on the observe has left the 24-year-old vastly pissed off.

“I know [it’s a podium at the British GP] but I’m fed up of just saying I should have done better and I should have done this and could have done that, or whatever,” Norris instructed Sky Sports activities F1.

“I don’t care if it takes time, I don’t want it to take time. I should be doing it now, we should be winning now. I should be making better decisions than what I’m making.

“I am simply dissatisfied, it is a win. It is a win in Components 1 and I am not going to accept one thing much less once we ought to have achieved it.”

Piastri claimed fourth to safe one other sturdy haul of factors for McLaren, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz fifth and claiming an additional level for setting the quickest lap of the race.

Nico Hulkenberg was sixth for a second successive race as Haas claimed one other very good end result, with the German end forward of Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Williams’ Alex Albon and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the factors.

Crimson Bull are 71 factors away from Ferrari on the high of the constructors’ standings, with each groups solely getting factors from one driver as Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez completed exterior the factors after switching to intermediate tyres too early when the rain arrived.

Third-placed McLaren closed their deficit to Crimson Bull to 78 factors, whereas Mercedes at the moment are 152 factors off the leaders.

Subsequent up for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix from Budapest on July 19-21. You’ll be able to watch each session stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime