British Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton Outraces Max Verstappen for First Win in Three Years

Lewis Hamilton secured an emotional and long-awaited record 104th career victory at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, outpacing Max Verstappen in a thrilling race to achieve a record ninth win at Silverstone.

The seven-time champion, nearing his 40th birthday, was overcome with emotion, shedding tears as he spoke to his Mercedes team on the victory lap. He finished 1.465 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the series leader and three-time champion.

In a race marked by shifting weather and track conditions, Lando Norris finished third, followed by his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg. Lance Stroll took seventh place for Aston Martin.

Hamilton, who had not won since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, demonstrated exceptional skill in managing his tyres and the race to secure his 150th podium finish for Mercedes.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” exclaimed Hamilton after crossing the finish line. His victory at Silverstone broke his tie with Michael Schumacher for the most wins at a single track.

“I can’t stop crying,” Hamilton admitted. “Since 2021, every day has been a battle, pushing myself to fight, train, and focus with this incredible team.”

Hamilton, who will be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari after this season, added, “This is my last British GP with this team. I wanted to win so much for them. I love them dearly. They’ve worked so hard.”

Verstappen overtook Norris in the final laps. “We just didn’t have the pace today,” Verstappen said. “I was dropping back when it mattered at the beginning. It wasn’t looking great at one point, but we made the right calls.”

Norris lost the lead due to a poorly timed pit stop. “First, congrats to Lewis,” Norris said. “That crucial decision at the end, he just did a better job. Hats off to him and Mercedes, they deserve it. It was tough but fun battling in these tricky conditions, taking risks on a knife-edge.”

Fernando Alonso finished eighth in the second Aston Martin, followed by Williams’ Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri.

On a day of changing weather in central England, over 120,000 spectators watched three Britons start their home race from the front of the grid for the first time since 1962. George Russell started on pole, with Hamilton close behind to protect from Verstappen, who had quickly passed Norris.

Russell led by 1.6 seconds by lap six, with Hamilton 1.4 seconds ahead of Verstappen and the two McLarens. Rain began to fall on lap 14, and Norris regained third from Verstappen. As the rain intensified, McLaren drivers thrived, with Piastri passing Verstappen on lap 17.

Hamilton overtook Russell for the lead as the Mercedes cars struggled in the rain. Norris then passed Russell for second on lap 19 and Hamilton on lap 21, making it a McLaren 1-2 with Piastri.

As the rain subsided, Verstappen was five seconds behind in fifth. By lap 28, Norris led with Hamilton managing his tyres to stay close to the rapid McLaren. Russell’s race ended on lap 34 due to a hydraulic issue.

With 15 laps remaining, Hamilton reported, “the sun’s coming out.” On lap 39, he, Verstappen, and Piastri pitted simultaneously. Norris pitted a lap later, losing the lead to Hamilton, who managed his final stint perfectly to end a 56-race winless streak, receiving a tumultuous reception from the home crowd.

Hamilton wept as he embraced his father, the home crowd cheering in celebration.