2024 British Grand Prix: Hamilton Returns to Winning Ways at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton returned to profitable methods on the 2024 British Grand Prix, taking his 104th win and the ninth at Silverstone.

Hamilton final received a Formulation 1 race in 2021, taking victory on the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix however returns to profitable methods only a week after Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Staff took their first victory of the season due to George Russell on the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen got here in simply behind the house hero, nearly catching as much as the seven time world champion however ending simply over a second behind. Lando Norris, who was main the race at one level, was holding onto second place earlier than Verstappen bought previous with only a few laps to go, that means he needed to accept third.

It was heartbreak for Russell, who was main the race for everything of the dry stint in the beginning of the race after qualifying on pole the day earlier than. The 2-time race winner was compelled to retire with a water strain subject, destroying his likelihood of a podium or probably even a race win at his house Grand Prix. 

Pierre Gasly was compelled to retire earlier than the race even began, boxing on the formation lap. As soon as the race bought underway, Russell bought away nicely, with Hamilton staying behind his teammate. Norris had a shaky begin and fell behind Verstappen regardless of staying forward of the Dutchman by way of the primary few corners. Alex Albon misplaced just a few locations on the beginning after Nico Hülkenberg ran huge, inflicting Fernando Alonso to take evasive motion turning into Albon, who nearly misplaced the automotive and hit Logan Sargeant. 

Within the dry stage of the race in the beginning, the Mercedes duo had been greater than comfy on the entrance with Russell main and out of DRS vary to Hamilton, who was round three seconds forward of Verstappen. Norris then bought forward of the Oracle Crimson Bull Racing driver to maneuver again into the place he began.

The 2 delicate starters, Zhou Guanyu and Esteban Ocon began to fall again with the tyres dropping all of the grip that they had round Lap 10. 

On Lap 15, Russell spoke to his race engineer and reported mild rain on the circuit, and two laps later Verstappen was in much more hassle as he misplaced a spot to Oscar Piastri shifting him all the way down to fifth. With the blended situations, Russell was struggling out entrance and the vastly skilled Hamilton was closing in. Down the Hangar Straight, Hamilton breezed previous his teammate, with the assistance of DRS.

Each Mercedes drivers ran huge at Abbey as rain started to fell, inflicting Russell to fall down to 3rd with Norris overtaking him. Inside a blink of an eye fixed the whole lot had modified on the entrance with Norris and Piastri each making strikes on Hamilton to maneuver McLaren F1 Staff right into a 1-2 place.

Scuderia Ferrari made a poor technique name because the rain started to fall, bringing Charles Leclerc into the pits for intermediate tyres – Zhou, Ocon and Sergio Pérez additionally fitted the inexperienced striped tyres. 

Lap 26 was the time to pit for the intermediate tyres, as Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. dived into the pitlane – McLaren referred to as Norris within the subsequent lap however left Piastri out for an additional lap regardless of having the time to drop again to permit the double stack to be ample sufficient. 

Piastri boxed on the subsequent lap and returned again into the race far behind the main pack, that means his technique price him a podium for the second British Grand Prix in a row. As soon as everybody had pitted onto intermediate tyres, Norris was main the way in which with Hamilton and Verstappen behind.

On Lap 32, the rain had all however stopped however the observe was nonetheless damp that means all of the drivers had been managing the situations and making an attempt to maintain their tyres cool. The race was going nice for Mercedes however on Lap 34, there was heartbreak for Russell who was compelled to retire with a suspected water system subject.

The primary stops got here on Lap 38, Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen diving into the pits for delicate compound tyres. A flurry of exercise then adopted with Hamilton and Verstappen stopping on the subsequent lap, swapping onto the delicate and arduous compound respectively. 

Norris misplaced the lead of the race throughout the stops, staying out an additional lap after which skidding into his pit field costing him valuable time to Hamilton, who took the lead of the race with round 10 laps to go.

The previous few laps had been nervy for all of the British followers with Verstappen closing in on each Norris in second and Hamilton in first. Verstappen cruised as much as Norris, but it surely took him just a few laps to get previous the British driver. The Dutchman closed the hole to Hamilton, who was out within the lead, however by no means bought shut sufficient to problem and cease Hamilton’s lengthy awaited 104th race win.

It was emotional scenes when the chequered flag waved, with Hamilton and Peter Bonnington (Hamilton’s lengthy standing race engineer) sharing a heartfelt radio message. The win is Hamilton’s first for the reason that again finish of 2021 in Jeddah, but it surely’s additionally Mercedes’ second win in as many races as they hope to proceed this upwards trajectory. 

Verstappen crossed the road in second forward of Norris, whereas Piastri closed ten seconds on Norris within the last stint to complete fourth. Sainz took quickest lap and fifth, however with Leclerc out of the factors, it was a weekend the place Ferrari misplaced but extra factors within the battle for the Championship with Crimson Bull and McLaren, which appears all however over for them now. 

Hülkenberg did a improbable job for MoneyGram Haas F1 Staff and managed to return again as much as sixth after a troublesome begin that noticed him drop to ninth. This end result strikes Haas simply 4 factors behind Visa Money App RB within the Constructors Championship.

Lance Stroll completed forward of his teammate Alonsowith Aston Martin Armaco F1 Staff securing seventh and eighth and their finest race efficiency for a while. Albon did a wonderful job to complete ninth, getting previous Yuki Tsunoda within the final stint, who ended the day in tenth, rescuing a single level for RB. 

Sargeant recorded his finest end of the season to finish in eleventh, forward of Magnussen and Ricciardo. Leclerc ended the day down in fourteenth forward of Valtteri Bottas and Ocon. The strain will solely be mounting on Pérez as he was nicely off the tempo in his RB20, ending down in seventeenth after being knocked out in Q1 on Saturday.

Guanyu Zhou was final of the remaining runners, with Russell and Gasly retiring from the Grand Prix.