F1 British Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims insane victory on three wheels in Silverstone thriller
Despite claiming one of the most jaw-dropping victories of his career, Lewis Hamilton says he is frustrated that the race for the F1 world title is not closer.
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Lewis Hamilton survived one of the most dramatic final laps of his career to extend his record number of victories in the British Grand Prix to seven.
Hamilton crossed the line with a badly damaged front-left tyre after suffering a puncture halfway through the last of his 52 laps of the Silverstone circuit, with Max Verstappen gaining ground quickly behind him. The Red Bull driver gave a frantic pursuit to reduce a deficit of 31 seconds to finish only 5.85sec behind Hamilton.
Despite his close shave, Hamilton expressed frustration that the tussle for the title was being seen as a foregone conclusion by many observers.
“I’m a through-and-through racer at heart, that’s what has always excited me and gets me up in the morning,” he said.
“I’ve grown up, particularly in karting, where you’ve got the wheel-to-wheel racing and that’s what has always excited me.
“This not the championship fight I would have hoped for. I’d much, much prefer to be having a super-close battle with these two here (Verstappen and Leclerc) because that’s what gets me going.
“I really, really hope that in future it’s closer.”
“But every team is given the same rules, we’ve just done an exceptional job collectively and you can’t fault my team for that.You have to look at the people who run the sport to do a better job.”
It’s not only Hamilton’s that’s frustrated with the Silver Arrows always being out front.
Both Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari effectively conceded the title after the British Grand Prix.
That the championship leader completed the race on three wheels made no difference to their view that the only man with a chance of overhauling Hamilton is his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
That last lap almost had me 😅 We still got this ðŸ†ðŸ I can’t express how grateful I am to all the fans, and to my incredible team. To think this is the 7th home win is just insane. Thanks for the positive energy everyone, we did this together. #BritishGP #TeamLH #StillWeRise @F1 pic.twitter.com/PyAPZ6SZrI
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 2, 2020
Today was intense! But it’s a day i’ll remember forever ðŸ†
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 2, 2020
Thank you all so much for your positive energy 🙌ðŸ¾#EndRacism #justiceforbreonnataylor pic.twitter.com/Y0dp9sjqwO
With only four of an expected 15 races completed, his rivals were was asked if Hamilton can be caught Verstappen, the runner up on Sunday, simply replied: “No.” Leclerc, who finished third to move up to fifth in the title race, 55 points adrift of Hamilton, echoed the sentiment.
“If the question is ‘can anybody stop Lewis?’ then, no. I think the guy that has some chances is Valtteri, but that’s it,” the Ferrari driver said.
Bottas, who slipped 25 points further behind Hamilton after failing to score, admitted: “Of course, it’s not ideal...
“For the moment, if everything goes to the plan with the calendar there are going to be more than 10 races, but we just don’t know.
“The best bet would be to be on top of the points all the time, so it’s a big loss of points. This kind of thing we can’t really afford, but obviously Lewis had a good race, but he also got away [with it] in a way.
“What can I do? What can I say? It’s not ideal, but I can’t change what has happened. I’ve just got to move on and take the learning and try again next weekend.
“I’ll keep pushing and believing because you never know.”
WINNING ON THREE WHEELS
Hamilton had more positivity when asked about the incredible end to his home race.
The drama had begun two laps earlier when Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate, also sustained a puncture in his front-left tyre when he was comfortably positioned in second place. Unlike Hamilton, Bottas was forced to retreat to the pits to change the damaged tyre and slipped quickly down the field, eventually finishing 11th and missing out on any points.
Verstappen, 22, seized the opportunity to make a late change to his own tyres in pursuit of an extra point for the fastest lap of the race but when Hamilton suddenly began to slow, the Dutch driver found himself pursuing an unlikely victory.
In the end Hamilton was able to stagger across the line, his shredded tyre barely attached to the wheel rim.
“I have never experienced anything like that before,” Hamilton, 35, said.
“That last lap was one of the most challenging laps I have ever had. I was thinking, ‘How far is it to the end of the lap?’ I nearly didn’t get it round those last two corners. My heart nearly stopped. I was just praying to get it round. I don’t think I’ve ever won a race on three wheels.”
“I heard that Max was catching at crazy speed - I was trying to pick up the speed but the wheel was making a real mess,” said Hamilton, who was presented with a special commemorative trophy to mark the 70th anniversary of the British Grand Prix, along with silverware for his race win.
“I’m really so grateful it didn’t happen through a high-speed corner,” said Hamilton. “Imagine it was through Copse or something like that? It would have been a disaster.
“But it happened there and for the moment I just told the team ‘deflation’. Then I nearly didn’t make it through the next two corners - particularly Turn Seven - and, rather than panicking, I was ‘OK, how do I get this thing home?’
“I only have half a lap or whatever it is to get back. How can to get back? Am I going to lose this race? All these questions starting going and you’re like ‘no, keep going, keep up the power and keep up the speed’.
“As I tried to accelerate, the tyre starts to deflate more and I think I’m going to lose the wing and maybe the wing will go under the car. You have all the different scenarios that face you - and the thing doesn’t want to turn right obviously because of the busted tyre!”
Hamilton’s defied belief. His former teammate Jenson Button was full of admiration.
“I’m amazed you can actually drive that quick on a damaged tyre,” said the 2009 champion.
“It looked like it was going to just disintegrate and take the front wing with it. Lucky the tyre belt stayed on the rest of the tyre.
“It kicked off with two or three laps to go – and it was just mayhem out there. I’ve never seen anything like that at the end of a Grand Prix for a winner.”
The slim margin of victory meant Verstappen might have won the race if he had not paused to change his tyres but he did not harbour any regrets.
“Everyone is asking whether we should not have pitted because we could have won, but you can always ask these questions with hindsight,” Verstappen said.
“I don’t regret anything and I believe we made the right decision, who knows if I would also have got a puncture? You just can’t predict these things.”
@LewisHamilton taking a 7th home Grand Prix win and 87th Grand Prix victory on a punctured tyre 🤯! #BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/77MnC3sMli
— Silverstone (@SilverstoneUK) August 2, 2020
The victory continued Hamilton’s extraordinary record in his home Grand Prix, where he has won six of the past seven races. It was also his third consecutive victory this season, putting him in a strong position to win a seventh world title, which would equal the record held by Michael Schumacher.
After four races, Hamilton is 30 points ahead of Bottas, with Verstappen, the runner-up in the past two races, a distant third as the Mercedes cars continue to outperform their rivals and maintain the dominance that has brought them the past six constructors’ championships.
With a second race to follow at Silverstone next week in the reshaped Formula One calendar, Hamilton’s rivals are despairing of catching him this season.
“It’s so big (the gap),” Verstappen said last night (Sunday).
“Maybe you find a tenth (of a second) and we go a bit closer, but it’s not enough. I’m trying, but it’s not possible at the moment.”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE TIMES
NO ASTERISK ON THIS SEASON
This year’s Formula One title will be just as precious as in other seasons despite the coronavirus-shortened schedule, says Mercedes chief Toto Wolff.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is hot favourite to be crowned champion for a record-equalling seventh time after his dramatic victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Hamilton survived a tense last lap with a deflated and shredded tyre to finish ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and now holds a 30-point lead over team-mate Valtteri Bottas after four races.
COVID-19 has caused major disruption to the Formula One season, which was originally scheduled to have a record 22 races.
There are 13 races planned but F1 bosses are hoping to add more dates to the calendar.
“I don’t think any championship is less valuable than another one,” Wolff told the BBC.
“You could argue a shorter championship means (you can afford) less faults and races where you don’t finish. For us and certainly for sports insiders, it is as valuable as any other.” Wolff was cautious about Hamilton’s chances despite the dominance of Mercedes this season -- Hamilton has won three of the four races, with Bottas victorious in the other one.
“We are not yet set for another title,” said the 48-year-old Austrian. “Because you have to have the mindset of permanent scepticism, and really stay both feet on the ground. It is not over until it is over.” Mercedes will be seeking to make it five from five next weekend in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, also being held at Silverstone.
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1 h 29:51.105,
2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda) at 5.856,
3. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 18.474,
4. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Renault) 19.650,
5. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Renault) 22.277,
6. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Renault) 26.937,
7. Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda) 31.188,
8. Alexander Albon (THA/Red Bull-Honda) 32.670,
9. Lance Stroll (CAN/Racing Point-Mercedes) 37.311,
10. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 41.857,
11. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 42.167,
12. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 54.205,
13. George Russell (GBR/Williams-Mercedes) 52.004,
14. Carlos Sainz (ESP/McLaren-Renault) 53.370,
15. Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 54.549,
16. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas-Ferrari) 55.050,
17. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) one lap
Fastest lap: Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda) 1:27.097 on 52nd lap
Did not start: Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Racing Point-Mercedes)
Did not finish: Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari), Daniil Kvyat (RUS/AlphaTauri-Honda)
Originally published as F1 British Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims insane victory on three wheels in Silverstone thriller