Lewis Hamilton returned to the top of F1 after two and a half years without a win. The seven-time world champion took victory in the British Grand Prix in a true festival at Silverstone, with Lando Norris finishing third after being overtaken by Max Verstappen, who took second place, just four laps before the end.
For Hamilton, this is his 104th victory in F1 and his ninth at his home circuit, a win that likely brings him great satisfaction after hitting rock bottom in his career and not winning for 57 consecutive Grand Prix races, from Saudi Arabia 2021 until today.
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He ended the day in tears, and the occasion deserved it. Now, with a resurgent Mercedes, Lewis shines in what could be his farewell year with the Silver Arrows. It seemed like it was Russell‘s day, but Lewis beat him on the track in the rain before the car of the Austria winner gave up 18 laps from the end.
For Max Verstappen, who was fifth in the race and chased by Sainz halfway through, he ended up with soft tires making a great comeback, catching Norris, passing him, and closing in on Lewis, who managed the race like a champion to take the win.
Verstappen extended his lead in the championship to 84 points ahead of the young Englishman, with 12 races remaining in the F1 season. Something very serious would have to happen for there to be a battle for the title.
Rain at Silverstone
The race began with pole-sitter George Russell leading the pack, followed closely by Hamilton. An exciting battle soon ensued between the two Mercedes drivers and the McLaren pair of Norris and Oscar Piastri, with changing weather conditions adding to the drama. Verstappen, who started behind the leaders, quickly made his way up the field.
As the field began switching to intermediate tyres after the initial phase of the race, the lead changed hands multiple times.
The skies eventually cleared, prompting a switch back to slick tyres. Hamilton capitalized on pitting for slicks one lap before Norris, who also faced a slow pit stop, to seize the lead.
Russell‘s race ended prematurely due to a water system issue, while Max Verstappen managed to overtake Norris in the latter stages to secure P2 for Red Bull.
Despite a strong push on hard tyres in the final laps, Verstappen could not close the gap to Hamilton, who maintained his position to clinch an emotional victory.
