In a dramatic race at Silverstone, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton secured a much-anticipated and record-breaking seventh British Grand Prix victory by fighting off a charge from Lando Norris.
In an electrifying British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Lewis Hamilton clinched a record ninth victory, marking his first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The race was a rollercoaster of emotions and strategy, with changing weather conditions playing a pivotal role.
Pole-sitter George Russell initially led the pack, with Hamilton closely following. An intense battle soon unfolded between the Mercedes duo and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. As rain loomed, the lead shifted dramatically during pit stops for intermediate tyres. Hamilton seized the advantage by pitting for slicks one lap before Norris, whose slow stop further aided Hamilton’s ascendancy.
Russell’s race ended prematurely due to a water system issue, while Max Verstappen capitalized on a late surge to snatch second place from Norris. Despite his best efforts, Verstappen couldn’t challenge Hamilton for the lead and settled for second. Norris completed the podium, delivering a strong performance for McLaren.
Oscar Piastri took fourth, showcasing McLaren’s competitiveness. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished fifth, while Nico Hulkenberg’s impressive run secured sixth for Haas. Aston Martin had a solid outing with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Alex Albon earned valuable points for Williams in ninth, with Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top ten for Red Bull.
Logan Sargeant just missed out on points for Williams, finishing eleventh, ahead of Haas’s Kevin Magnussen in twelfth and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo in thirteenth. It was a tough day for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who dropped to fourteenth after an early switch to intermediates. Valtteri Bottas led the Kick Sauber charge in fifteenth, while Esteban Ocon endured a challenging race to finish sixteenth for Alpine. Sergio Perez struggled again, ending seventeenth after starting from the pit lane.
Zhou Guanyu was the final classified runner in eighteenth, with Russell and Pierre Gasly being the only retirements. Gasly’s Alpine suffered a gearbox issue, forcing him to pit at the end of the formation lap.
The race weekend had kicked off with a dramatic qualifying session in mixed conditions, where Russell led a trio of British drivers to secure pole position. Perez’s misfortune continued as he started from the pit lane after beaching his Red Bull in Q1. Gasly, too, had to start from the back due to new power unit elements.
As the race began, all eyes were on the skies with a 60% chance of rain. Everyone started on fresh medium tyres except Zhou and Ocon on softs and Perez on hards. Despite the weather predictions, it was a smooth start for most, with Russell maintaining his lead and Verstappen quickly moving up to third.
The first major shift came when light rain prompted several drivers to pit for intermediates. Hamilton’s decision to stay out longer on slicks paid off as he took the lead from Norris after the McLaren driver faced a slow pit stop. Russell’s woes compounded when he retired due to a water system issue.
As the track began to dry, teams swapped back to slicks. Hamilton’s timely switch to soft tyres allowed him to reclaim the lead from Norris, who pitted a lap later. Verstappen, on hards, managed to close in on Norris and eventually passed him for second.
Despite the late challenge from Verstappen, Hamilton maintained his lead to take a historic ninth victory at Silverstone. The seven-time world champion’s emotional win was a testament to his skill and strategic acumen, reigniting his championship hopes.
Hamilton’s victory was celebrated by a jubilant home crowd, with Verstappen and Norris completing the podium. Piastri’s fourth place and Hulkenberg’s sixth highlighted the competitiveness of their teams, while Sainz and Aston Martin’s strong finishes added to the excitement of a memorable British Grand Prix.
