As Lewis rolled his W15 to P2 on the starting grid, beside his pole-sitting teammate, on the stretch of the circuit that bears his own name, in front of the nation that three years ago awarded him a knighthood for ‘services to motorsport’, the chance of a victory must have dominated his thoughts. 52 laps, 1 hour 22 minutes and 27 seconds later, the memories of last weekend’s win will stay in the psyche of the F1 world for the rest of time.
Russell leads the field on lap 1. ©: Batchelor / XPB Images
Determining Factors
The Silver Arrows set the pace in the early phase of the race as their upgrades, finally, delivered the jump in performance needed to compete consistently at the front of the field. Max Verstappen too, was seemingly in the fight for the podium but was there on account of his own skill and without the inherent technical dominance that has spurred his incredible run of form over the last three years.
But as the first cell of rain passed over the Buckinghamshire/Northamptonshire border, it was the Mclarens that utilised the changeable conditions to seize control of the race… or so they thought
With Norris and Piastri’s overtakes on lap 20, the Silver Arrows were no longer in line for the throne. Only a few laps later, as the rain intensity increased, a late swap to inters meant Oscar Piastri’s chances of victory fell by the wayside. Norris still led the way and felt his second trip to the top step was within reach.
Norris leads after the first stint. ©: Charniaux / XPB Images
Later, lap 34 saw the heartbreaking retirement of George Russell who surely will have envisioned himself collecting a second consecutive win after his admittedly lucky usurpation of the Austrian Grand Prix victory last week. The next pivotal moment came just five laps later as Hamilton and his team made the call to switch back to the slick tyres as the dry line re-emerged.
For Lando pitting just one lap later than Hamilton meant both lost time, and in turn, a lost victory. Another week of unrealised potential and blurry-eyed interviews for the Miami Grand Prix winner who just can’t seem to get it right as of late.
From then on it was only a fast-charging Verrstappen on the more optimal, harder, tyre who posed a threat to Lewis in the closing laps. A situation that echoed the intensity of their last-lap duel just three years ago. This time though nothing could be done to prevent Sir Lewis Hamilton from bringing that trophy home. The emotions on the radio, the celebrations with the team, and the roar from the grandstands were perfect exhibitions of just how brilliant Formula 1 can be on its best days.
The victory was not lucky. It was not merely a product of a fast car.
It demanded world-class performance under pressure, something we’ve long associated with Lewis and something that a rather well-known farming magnate reminded Sky F1’s Martin Brundle of during his pre-race grid walk. Mr Clarkson, in his infinite wisdom, was quick to note that “If it rains, it’s always the old boys that do well” as he picked out Lewis as his favourite for the win on this drizzly July afternoon.
Family
If you’ll allow me to channel my inner Dominic Toretto for a moment, I think it’s time we talk about family. On this most emotional of days, it was the post-race embrace between Lewis and Anthony, father and son, that truly tugged on the heartstrings. Anthony, when reflecting on their journey together at the sport’s pinnacle, told Sky Sports that “We were with McLaren, we had family. We came to Mercedes, we got family, we’ll go to Ferrari: we’ll have family – it’s the same thing”. It’s in those times of hardship that family can bring the best out in us and inspire a return to glory and it was Lewis’ Mercedes family who helped him to exactly that.
Lewis and Anthony Hamilton embrace after the race. ©: Rew / XPB Images
It was easy to feel that family atmosphere in the celebrations. Lewis’s right-hand man Peter Bonnington stood beside him on the podium to collect the trophies and spray the fizzy stuff. The engineer who’s been by his side and in his ear for all 83 gold medals with the silver arrows, told the same broadcaster after the race“As soon as I get told to shut up, I know the game is on”.
It’ll be the last season that these two spend as a pair in Formula 1 given Lewis’ switch to Ferrari in 2025 and to be able to mark that departure with one more special victory was a truly meaningful moment. Whether there are more to come before the end of the year remains to be seen but team boss and part owner Toto Wolff was equally emotional in his post-race media, going on to explain that “It was so difficult over the last two years that we couldn’t really find performance, we couldn’t give the drivers a car that was able to go for the victories… And to make him win again, the British Grand Prix, in his last race for Mercedes here, it’s almost like a little fairytale.”
Mercedes gather for a post-race photo op. ©: Davenport / XPB Images
Best of the Rest
Beyond the three-way fight at the front of the field, it was another hugely successful day for the Haas team which now sits seventh in the standings. Under the new leadership of veteran engineer Ayao Komatsu, Nico Hulkenberg took home a second consecutive P6 finish, bringing their points tally from the last two rounds to a relatively gargantuan 20 points (dwarfing what Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has been able to chalk up in the last six rounds).
Hulkenberg takes Copse. ©: Davenport / XPB Images
For the Ferraris though, despite the hope they can draw from the victory of a driver who will walk through the doors of Maranello as one of their own next year, put together an all too familiar weekend of chaos and underperformance. A flattering P5 for Carlos Sainz benefited from Russell’s DNF as well as Perez’s absence from the sharp end of the field.
Aston Martin recorded a double-points finish just beside the site of their new jaw-droppingly expensive and exhaustingly extensive factory. William’s Alex Albon came across the line P9 and RB’s Yuki Tsunonda rounded out the points-paying positions.
Up Next: Hungary
‘Monaco without the walls’ is the tagline through which the Hungaroring is most commonly characterised. Alongside Silverstone, it stands in the history books as another Hamilton stomping ground. With eight prior wins at the circuit, a fast car in all conditions, and a fanbase hungry for more after their first taste of victory in 945 days – the second chapter of Lewis’ fairytale comeback is all but written.
Even in the dark days of 2023, Lewis was able to win pole position in Hungary in a W14 that was tough to tame at the best of times. Buoyed by the enthusiasm of a win in front of the ‘best fans in the world’ (something Lewis manages to somehow find at every circuit F1 visits) Lewis will be keen to score big again and move up from P8 in the WDC.
The Hungaroring Circuit from above. ©: XPB Images
Max Verstappen’s 84-point championship lead may still feel like a mountain to climb; even through all the chaos of the British Grand Prix, he found a way to extend his gap to Norris. It’s getting closer though and for the rest of the year, we will show up to circuits without a clear picture of where the pace advantage lies. We’ll get our answer in two weeks’ time.
