Hamilton beats Verstappen to first win since 2021 with record-breaking 9th British Grand Prix victory
SILVERSTONE, England — Lewis Hamilton clinched a long-awaited and record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory in a thrilling race at Silverstone. The Mercedes driver successfully held off a fierce challenge from Lando Norris to take the win.
Pole-sitter George Russell initially led the race, with Hamilton closely following as the event got underway. An exciting battle soon unfolded between the two Mercedes cars and the McLaren duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri with changing weather conditions playing a significant role.
The lead changed hands multiple times as the field began to switch to intermediate tyres after the initial phase. However, the skies eventually cleared, and Hamilton capitalized on pitting for slicks one lap earlier than Norris. Norris also faced a slow pit stop, allowing Hamilton to seize the race lead.
Russell, unfortunately, retired due to a water system issue. Max Verstappen managed to snatch P2 from Norris in the latter stages, but Hamilton held his position to clinch an emotional victory. This marks his first P1 result since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and a record ninth win in a single Grand Prix.
Despite showing impressive speed on hard tyres in the closing laps, Verstappen did not have enough time to contest the lead and finished in P2 for Red Bull. Norris completed the podium in third.
Piastri took fourth, followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth, and an impressive Nico Hulkenberg in sixth for Haas. It was a better weekend for Aston Martin, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing seventh and eighth, respectively, while Alex Albon scored two valuable points for Williams in ninth.
Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top-10 for Red Bull, with Logan Sargeant just missing out for Williams in P11, Haas’s Kevin Magnussen in P12, and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo following in P13.
Charles Leclerc had a disappointing outing. The Ferrari driver initially made gains but slipped backward after an early switch to intermediate tyres, eventually finishing in P14.
Valtteri Bottas was the lead Kick Sauber in 15th, while Esteban Ocon claimed 16th in a tough day for Alpine. Sergio Perez faced another challenging race, ending the day in 17th.
Zhou Guanyu was the final classified runner in P18 for Kick Sauber. As mentioned, Russell was one of two retirees due to his water system issue.
Pierre Gasly also failed to finish after returning to the pits at the end of the formation lap, later revealed to be suffering from a gearbox problem.
Lewis Hamilton's outstanding performance at the British Grand Prix not only ended his long wait for a victory but also etched his name in the history books with a record ninth win at Silverstone. The thrilling race showcased dramatic shifts in positions and strategic masterstrokes, making it a memorable event for all motorsport fans.
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